SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 9 Notre Dame women’s soccer team ended the non-conference portion of its schedule with a bang, delighting the home crowd to a dominant 5-0 victory over Marquette. It was the sixth straight victory and sixth straight shutout for the Fighting Irish (6-1-0), who have now outscored its opposition 22-0 during its win streak.
Freshman sensation Izzy Engle simply cannot be stopped. The Minnesota native recorded a brace on Sunday, marking her fourth multi-goal performance in seven games. She now boasts 10 goals on the season, which ranks second in the country behind California’s Karlie Lema (12).
Freshman Grace Restovich also continued her hot streak with a three-assist performance today. Restovich now owns double-digit points on the season with 12.
Today’s victory over Marquette featured three first half goals from three different freshmen: Engle, Lily Joseph and Ellie Hodsden. For Hodsden, Sunday marked her collegiate debut and first career goal after suffering an ACL setback a year ago. For Joseph, it was her second consecutive game with a goal and third on the year.
The fifth and final goal of the match came from the foot of Berkley Mensik, which was another great storyline of the day. After sitting out all last year recovering from double-knee surgery, Mensik subbed in and netted her first career goal.
Atleer Olofson started in net and improved to 4-0. The sophomore has yet to be scored on this season, making four saves today.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first goal came from none other than Izzy Engle in the 17th minute, but the play originated from two other standout freshmen. Grace Restovich headed a ball back into Marquette’s defensive third where Lily Joseph applied an outside of the foot flick to send Engle off to the races. Engle then buried her for her ninth goal of the season.
Eight minutes later it was Joseph’s turn. Restovich found her in the middle of the field and she took off with the ball burning past two Marquette players. Then she took her final defender on, a touch to the right, and boom, the back of the net.
Engle, Restovich and Joseph all had further near chances in the first half, with Engle hitting it off the post. Yet, it was a different freshman who got to celebrate right before the half.
Ellie Hodsden, who had been recovering from a knee injury, saw her first minutes in an Irish uniform and delivered. Berkley Mensik found Hodsden up top, who took on her defender on the right side of the box and punched it past the keeper for the 3-0 lead.
It took three minutes and 50 seconds into the second half for the Irish to add one more tally to the scoreboard. A Restovich dish from the Marquette baseline found Joseph alone in the middle of the box. Joseph hit a shot on the ground that acted as a pass to Engle, who flicked it behind her and into the corner of the net.
Then with only two-and-a-half minutes left in the match, Paige Buchner sent a through ball to Mensik who went on the breakaway and tucked it away for the fifth goal. It was the first career goal for Mensik and first career assist/point for Buchner.
UP NEXT
It’s now time for the gauntlet that is the ACC season. Up first, a road match at Boston College on Thursday, September 12. That match will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
— ND –