Sept. 29, 2015
Box Score | Notre Dame vs. Marquette, 9/29/15 
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Three second half goals, including two in the final 12 minutes, led the University of Notre Dame men’s soccer team to a 4-2 win over Marquette on Tuesday in nonconference play at Alumni Stadium.
No. 7/4 Notre Dame (7-2-1) outshot Marquette 17-14 during the contest, including a slight 8-7 edge in shots on goal. The Irish managed six corner kicks to the three of the Golden Eagles (3-3-2), winning their third straight match in the past seven days since shutting out Michigan State 4-0 on Sept. 22.
“That was always going to be a very tough game, Marquette is a very good team,” Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark said. “They are a very good attacking team. They pressured us well and got the early goal. The big thing for us today was, twice, coming back from a goal down. It’s great when you know that your team can fight back from going behind, come back eventually to win it fairly comfortably in the end.
“It was a tough game, full marks to the Golden Eagles,” Clark added. “It looked as if they were soaring for a bit, and I think we clipped their wings just in time. It was a good game for us, another four-goal game. We’re getting some goals just now, which is nice.”
Marquette nearly posted the game’s first goal in the sixth minute, as Louis Bennett II stole a pass in the Notre Dame zone and blasted a testy try that traveled just wide of frame.
The Golden Eagles made their next offensive possession count. A nice run down the left flank by C. Nortey found the Irish back line in the seventh minute. Notre Dame goalkeeper Chris Hubbard saved Nortey’s initial shot, but David Selvaggi was on the doorstep to jam home his third goal of the year for a 1-0 Marquette lead at 6:47.
Tri-captain Patrick Hodan looked to start a Notre Dame equalizing chance in the 18th minute. Hodan threaded a through ball to Jon Gallagher moving up the right flank, but Marquette goalkeeper Luis Barraza flew out of the net to make a sliding save.
Hodan would not be denied in the 19th minute. Evan Panken stole an attempted Marquette clearance at the top of the 18 and sent a through pass up the right of the box to a cutting Hodan. The Irish All-American fired his first goal of 2015 into the far side to tie the contest at 1-1 at 18:29.
Panken nearly had a chance to put in the go-ahead tally just over two minutes later. The senior midfielder weaved through the Marquette defense and blasted a right-footed try that just carried over the crossbar and out of bounds.
Panken then worked up the left wing in the 29th minute after receiving a lead pass from Gallagher. Panken’s rip at the near post was punched over the cage by Barraza and out of play. The Golden Eagles were able to clear the ensuing Irish corner kick, and the team’s battled to a 1-1 draw at halftime.
Hodan was after his second of the night in the 51st minute. A bending left-footed dart from 18 yards out carried just over the bar and into the mesh behind the goal.
After Marquette found offensive momentum of its own, Nortey put the visitors back in front in the 67th minute. Toby Howell centered a great pass to a cutting Nortey in front, who made a nice gather on his dribble before finishing to the far post from six yards out to give the Golden Eagles a 2-1 advantage at 66:47.
“We opened the second half very well,” Clark said. “We talked about transition, and both their goals were transition goals. They’re one of the best transition teams that we’ve played. It was a very well taken goal. They were very dangerous, and I am quite glad to get that one behind us.”
Gallagher left a tempting rolling cross from the left flank out front for Hodan in the 69th minute, but Hodan’s sliding left foot from 18 yards sailed high and out of play.
Notre Dame finally found another equalizer in the 74th minute. After Michael Shipp tried to send a pass into the 18-yard box that was cleared out by the Marquette defense, Hodan found Shipp at the right of the box unmarked. Shipp lofted a curling cross that kept bending toward the net, creeping just inside the left post for his second career goal and a 2-2 tie at 73:47.
“It’s always important, especially at home, to fight back,” tri-captain Max Lachowecki said. “We were all disappointed to give up the goals the way we did, one of the big things we talked about was not letting them score in transition. We’re confident in any game we go into that if we go down a goal, we have to that mindset that we can come back like we did tonight. Sometimes you’re going to give up a second goal you don’t want to, in the second half we kept plugging away.”
The Irish found their first lead of match in the 80th minute. Gallagher got free on a well-timed run down the left sideline, where Lachowecki joined the play. Gallagher rolled a grounded centering cross out in front to Lachowecki, who finished near post for his second goal of the season and a 3-2 Notre Dame lead.
“Nobody was really around me, so I was screaming out cross,” Lachowecki said. “Jon played me a great ball and somehow I took a touch with my right foot and didn’t mess it up, put it on my favored left foot and shot it. I saw it hit the keeper initially and thought I missed it, but I guess it squirted through his legs and went in. I just tried to put it on frame.”
Notre Dame saved its final goal for the 89th minute. Hubbard reset play after Marquette had knocked the ball out of bounds in the Irish third, sending a booming goal kick well past midfield. Jeffrey Farina skied for the 50-50 ball and won the touch with a flick header along to Gallagher. The open space was all Gallagher needed, scoring his team-high sixth goal of the year from 12 yards out to cap the scoring in Notre Dame’s favor, 4-2.
“Both our fullbacks are attacking players the way that we play, and they both get forward,” Clark said. “Both Michael and Max are scoring goals, so they definitely get into attacking positions. Michael’s was maybe a little fortunate, I don’t know if it was a cross, but whatever way it found its way into the net.
“It was also nice to see Patrick Hodan open his account,” Clark said. “Patrick has had a lot of assists and has been playing well recently, but it was nice to see him get on the scoresheet. All in all, it was a really good evening for us.”
Notre Dame travels to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a one-game Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) road swing at North Carolina State on Sunday. The 1 p.m. (ET) kickoff at Dail Soccer Stadium will be carried live on ESPN3.
Sept. 29, 2015
No. 7/4 Notre Dame 4, Marquette 2
Alumni Stadium (Notre Dame, Ind.)
Marquette 1 1 — 2
No. 7/4 Notre Dame 1 3 — 4
MU 1. David Selvaggi (3) (C. Nortey), 6:47; ND 1. Patrick Hodan (Evan Panken), 18:29; MU 2. Nortey (2) (Toby Howell), 66:47; ND 2. Michael Shipp (2) (Hodan), 73:07; ND 3. Max Lachowecki (2) (Jon Gallagher), 79:16; ND 4. Gallagher (6) (Jeffrey Farina, Chris Hubbard), 88:41.
Shots: ND 17 (10-7), MU 14 (7-7)
Shots on goal: ND 8 (5-3), MU 7 (4-3)
Saves: ND 5 (Chris Hubbard 5 in 90:00), MU 4 (Luis Barraza 4 in 90:00)
Corner Kicks: ND 6 (4-2), MU 3 (1-2)
Fouls: ND 9, MU 10
Offsides: ND 1, MU 1
Yellow Cards: David Selvaggi (MU) 15:06; Alex McBride (MU) 82:38
Attendance: 721
–ND–
— Tony Jones, Athletics Communications Assistant