The No. 2 Notre Dame women’s soccer team was stunned in overtime by Ohio State on Thursday. Despite the Irish peppering 36 shots, the Buckeyes scored the lone goal in the waning moments of the match, courtesy of forward Jadin Bonham. The loss is heartbreaking for a Notre Dame team that many college soccer pundits and fans across the country deemed would compete for the National Championship.
“I’m proud of them and I’m sorry,” head coach Nate Norman said after the devastating defeat. “They have done nothing wrong. They fought, and I love them.”
The Irish started the match off on the right foot. Ten minutes in, a well-placed cross from the left found the head of sophomore forward and All-ACC First Team selection Annabelle Chukwu, deflected off fellow sophomore forward Izzy Engle and ended up in the back of the net. Engle, who was nestled by the post after making her initial run for the cross, was ruled offside by the side judge.
Notre Dame continued with an onslaught of chances, but none were truly definitive. The Ohio State defense played its heart out, blocking shots left and right. Goalkeeper Molly Pritchard took command of the box.
The Irish looked to utilize the flanks of the pitch, with senior defender Leah Klenke making positive runs forward. However, crosses into the box were either cleared away by the bruising Buckeyes or hit with too much pace to find a target. In the midfield, the slick surface due to misty conditions created challenges for both sides.
Early in the action-packed second half, Ohio State quickly broke forward with a rare burst of offense after sophomore midfielder Riley DeMartino was dispossessed in the defensive third. The Buckeyes fired off a strong shot that seemed destined for the top corner. Sophomore goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica, however, made a full-extension save to punch the ball over the bar and keep the match knotted at zero.
Notre Dame moved forward with vigor. The Irish powered in 22 shots throughout the second half. However, only five of them were on frame.
The Irish had many great chances, though. Sophomore forward Ellie Hodsden was fed a perfect cross before perfectly placing the ball into the lower corner. Somehow, Pritchard made a highlight-worthy diving save. The Buckeye netminder defended the goal once again as the Irish fired in a strong shot, which she met with another save.
Sophomore midfielder Lily Joseph contributed with several nice plays of her own for the Irish. Joseph did her best to create opportunities from outside the box. Ohio State dropped into a low block, though, either blocking the shots or watching as they soared over the bar.
Despite Notre Dame’s best efforts in the dying embers of the second half, the match went to sudden-death overtime. It looked as if Ohio State was playing for penalties, especially considering Pritchard proved to be the best player on the pitch that night.
Notre Dame’s best chance in overtime came off a transitional play with Engle and Hodsden. Hodsden used her lightning speed to track the ball down on the left side. With room to run, she took a few smart touches before delivering the ball to Engle. The quick run of offense put the virtually sold-out crowd at Alumni Stadium on their feet. But, as the story seemed to go throughout, Ohio State’s defense was there to diffuse the attack.
With one minute left in overtime, Notre Dame lost possession just above their own 18. Ohio State barely had any offense all day besides a few scrappy chances from its goal-getting junior Amanda Schlueter.
With less than a minute left, however, Ohio State had their moment. The Buckeyes worked the ball to the left side. The ensuing cross rainbowed into the box. Kasica moved off her line to retrieve the ball, but the ball had just enough height to elude her reach. The ball skipped to Bonham, who fired a shot to the near post. Graduate defender Carolyn Calzada, who was closest to the post, couldn’t get a sufficient clearance on the ball, and Ohio State went up.
The Buckeyes celebrated with their contingent of fans at Alumni Stadium while Irish players were left in pain watching.
Norman choked up after the match, talking about how proud he was of the 2025 squad.
“We have had lots of adversity, and they kept overcoming it,” Norman said. “I’m so proud of them. I don’t know what else to say is the highlight right now. I feel like I’m in a little bit of a bad dream right now.”
Although the ending was sour, the Irish’s season is one that will be remembered for some time. The team was undefeated through the regular season until its final match against Pittsburgh. They took No. 1 Stanford to penalties in the ACC Championship. Even with one of the toughest schedules in all of college soccer, the team finished 15-2-3.
Engle led the way with a season that will have her in contention to win the Hermann Trophy. The do-it-all forward netted 19 goals and six assists.
“She’s been unbelievable,” Norman said about his star. “Probably the best season of anyone I’ve ever coached. She’s just a great person and unbelievably resilient. Just a wonderful ambassador for our program, great teammate and just a worker.”
Ohio State will face Baylor in the Sweet 16 on Sunday. The match will take place at Alumni Stadium. On the other hand, Notre Dame has to wait its turn for another year. The program loses five seniors to graduation, but brings in a highly touted recruiting class.
Regardless of the way things ended, the Irish had a year marked by unprecedented success in the regular season. The 2025 team will always be remembered for their comeback against Florida State, their thrilling 4-3 win at home over North Carolina and, above all, their relentless determination.
