Sept. 26, 2017
by Tony Jones
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After 65 minutes of facing a bend, don’t break approach, top-ranked Indiana found its way through on the scoreboard. Despite quality of play throughout the second half, the University of Notre Dame men’s soccer team ultimately fell to the Hoosiers 1-0 on Tuesday at Armstrong Stadium.
No. 7 Notre Dame (6-2-0) had the best of play over the opening 10 minutes, with Sean Dedrick and Jon Gallagher both managing shot attempts. Gallagher’s try from inside of the right post was snagged by Indiana (7-0-2) goalkeeper Trey Muse.
Indiana then gained control in the middle of the opening half. A nice shot on the step by Andrew Gutman was turned away by Notre Dame goalkeeper Chris Hubbard.
Hubbard would be called on twice more in the first 45 minutes to stand tall in the Notre Dame goal. Saves on Austin Panchot in the 30th minute and Thomas Warr in the 43rd minute kept the game scoreless at the end of the first half.
Notre Dame gained better hold of possession out of the locker room in the second half, building the attack up the field. A looping cross from Gallagher to a cutting Jeff Farina at the right post in the 55th minute went wide of the right post.
Panchot would not be denied in the 67th minute. A through ball from Spencer Glass found the streaking Indiana attacker inside Notre Dame 18-yard box, and Panchot’s second goal of the year gave the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead at 66:31.
Kyle Dedrick nearly pulled the Irish level in the 84th minute after making a deep run down the left wing. Dedrick swept the ball in front and in off an Indiana defender, but the ball was ruled to have gone out over the end line.
Notre Dame made one last surge up the field in the 86th minute, but a Farina header went wide of the Indiana goal. The Hoosiers clamped down over the final few moments of the contest to preserve the shutout.
The Irish return to Alumni Stadium to host Virginia on Friday at 7 p.m. (ET). The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tilt will air on ACC Network Extra.
Play of the Game
Early in the first half, a lob to the right wing found Notre Dame forward Jon Gallagher dangerously in space. A good closeout by the Indiana defense cut off the angle to the goal, and a right-footed rip toward the frame was snagged by Hoosier keeper Trey Muse.
Turning Point
Following Indiana’s 67th minute goal, Notre Dame enjoyed some of its best play of the night fighting for the tying strike. The Irish outshot the Hoosiers 5-0 the rest of the way in.
Note of the Game
Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak to Notre Dame, and earned only its third result in its last nine starts against the Irish.
–ND–
Tony Jones, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2012 and coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame softball and men’s soccer programs. A native of Jamestown, New York, Jones is a 2011 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, and prior to arriving at Notre Dame held positions at the University of Louisiana Monroe and with the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills.