SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A rare Saturday night under the lights ACC contest for the No. 10 Notre Dame women’s soccer team and they put on quite the show. Doug & Lisa Jones Family Head Coach Nate Norman stressed the importance of this three-game homestand and the Fighting Irish (7-1-3, 3-0-1) kicked it off by clipping the Louisville Cardinals (2-6-4, 1-2-1) by the score of 3-0.
There were two big stars in the match – freshman forward Meg Mrowicki and graduate attacking mid Kiki Van Zanten. For the latter, it was a big five-point night.
Mrowicki got the first goal of the match in the third minute. It marked her fourth goal of the season, which ties Maddie Mercado and Kristina Lynch for the team lead. Kiki Van Zanten earned the assist on the goal, her third on the year.
Mrowicki then returned the favor to Van Zanten in the 62nd minute. Van Zanten then picked up a penalty kick goal in 78th minute. Her five points bumped her season total to 11, which now leads the team.
Freshman Atlee Olofson started her third straight game in net and picked up her second shutout of the season. Olofson also earned two saves.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame wasted no time, scoring in the third minute of the match. Kiki Van Zanten found Meg Mrowicki sneaking behind the Louisville backline. A perfect through ball later and Mrowicki lined a shot into the right side of the goal.
The Irish could have easily gotten two more goals before halftime via two different breakaway attempts. In the 30th minute, Lynch had a breakaway attempt after a through ball from Mercado, but she hit just right of the post.
Later in the 43rd minute, Ellie Ospeck found a sprinting Charlie Codd on a breakaway on the left side. However, Codd’s shot attempt was right at the keeper who charged out. Thus, the Irish took a 1-0 lead into the break.
The Irish continued to push for that elusive second goal early in the second half. Van Zanten and Mrowicki each had cracks in the box in the first five minutes. In the 55th minute, Laney Matriano had a shot directly off of a corner kick that hit off the crossbar.
Yet, that second goal finally came in the 62nd minute, and it was actually a near goal for Mrowicki. Leah Klenke made an backwards loop kick back into the box and Mrowicki hit a shot off the left post. The ball then found Van Zanten who put it away.
Van Zanten then earned that penalty kick goal in 78th minute, by drawing the foul at the edge of the box. She then drilled an impossible shot to save in the upper-90.
UP NEXT
Next week is a big protect the home pitch stretch. Two games both at Alumni Stadium, starting with Boston College on Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. ET. Then it concludes with Miami on Oct. 8 at 1 p.m.
– ND –