After opening conference play at 1-0, Notre Dame men’s soccer will look to add to its undefeated ACC record and defend home field as it hosts No. 12 Louisville. The Irish are entering the match with momentum building after a dominant win against Omaha a few days prior.
The Louisville Cardinals have consistently proven that they are among the best teams in the nation. They hold a strong 5-1 record on the season, including an upset win over No. 1 Stanford. Furthermore, the Cardinals’ only loss came in a ranked matchup with Virginia, which was decided by one goal. Louisville has been outstanding on the defensive side of the ball, with the goal from Virginia being the only one allowed on the season. Their 0.167 goals against average is tied for the sixth-best in the nation. On the other hand, they have been just as impressive on the offensive end, scoring 2.17 goals per game, which ties them for 21st overall. Sophomore Chase Vazquez has been the most proficient scorer for Louisville with three goals on the season.
Although currently outside the top 25 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, the Irish have been making noise this season. The 11 votes they received in the previous poll were the most for any team that is not ranked. Additionally, the Irish possess a 3-1-2 record, meaning a win streak could place them in an extremely competitive position. Falling to No. 4 Indiana gave the Irish their first loss of the season, but the team has proven they cannot be counted out against ranked teams, as they opened the season with a 1-1 tie with now-No. 8 Michigan and later defeated No. 14 Oregon State 1-0. Similar to Louisville, Notre Dame has also been one of the premier defensive teams in the nation, with only three total goals allowed. Their goals against average of 0.500 is tied for the 16th-best of any team. Moreover, sophomore goalkeeper Blake Kelly has racked up 20 saves in his six games played so far. Notre Dame has had a well-balanced offensive attack with the season’s seven goals being distributed among five separate players. Every goal has been assisted; junior Nolan Spicer leads the team in that category with three assists.
All time, the Irish lead the series 14-10-2; however, the Cardinals have gotten the best of the Irish in six of the last 10 matchups. In 2024, Notre Dame was able to overpower the Cardinals in a 2-1 victory. In the previous matchup, Spicer recorded an assist to then-senior Bryce Boneau. Then-freshman Jacob Bartlett was the other player to find the net for the Irish. Since then, both Boneau and Bartlett have gone on to play professionally in Major League Soccer.
Friday’s matchup comes at a critical time for both programs. The Irish are currently trying to climb into the top 25; a win over Louisville would almost certainly allow them to do just that. A win would also put them in a great position within the ACC and establish them as the only team without a loss or tie in conference play. On the other hand, a loss for the Cardinals would mark their second-straight loss and could begin a downward spiral, especially with some difficult games coming up on the horizon.
