ANN ARBOR – The No. 9 Notre Dame women’s soccer team (3-1-0) turned it on in the second half to rain on Michigan’s (0-4-0) Senior Night parade on Thursday night in a 2-0 victory. Sophomore Charlie Codd and freshman Grace Restovich scored six minutes apart to give the Irish their third straight win of the young season.
Charlie Codd continued her hot start to the season. Entering tonight she was 3-for-3 in games with an assist, but now she added a game-winner to the 2024 resume. Codd scored in the 57th minute to push through the tiebreak, then six minutes later Grace Restovich added insurance.
Restovich now has two goals and two assists on the season. The freshman ranks second on the team in points with six.
Fellow freshman Sonoma Kasica started in net and earned her first collegiate win. Kasica picked up six saves to record her first career shutout. For the backline of Sophia Fisher, Abby Mills and Abby Gemma, it was their third consecutive shutout.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half was a feeling out process and pretty level. Both teams had seven shots at the midway point, but Michigan at five on goal and Notre Dame had zero.
Freshman Sonoma Kasica got the start in net and was really the first half storyline for the Irish. In fact, her final save of the half was a diving stop to her left.
Junior Laney Matriano led with two shots in the first half and had the best look in the 25th minute, missing just outside of the left post.
Irish fans drew their collective breaths in the 55th minute after Kasica made another solid save but the ball deflected to the foot of a Notre Dame defender. Her touch took the ball toward the goal line but it was saved in the knick of time.
However, just two minutes later, the Irish breakthrough occurred. Ellie Ospeck dribbled the ball deep down the left side and crossed it into the middle of the box. There, Charlie Codd hit a shot on her left foot on her second touch, and it was a beauty. The shot was buried into the left corner of the goal for the 1-0 lead.
Then just six minutes later in the 63rd minute, the Irish put the exclamation mark on the lead and sucked the air out of the Michigan stadium. Morgan Roy crossed the ball deep into the six-yard box and Izzy Engle headed it backwards to Grace Restovich. The St. Louis native one-timed the shot to the left post and in for the 2-0 lead.
UP NEXT
The Irish will take their three-match win streak south to Indy where they will challenge Butler on Sunday, September 1. That match will kick off at 7 p.m. ET.
– ND –