SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Back home for the first time since Sept. 26, the No. 12 Notre Dame women’s soccer team recorded a big resume builder in a 5-2 victory over No. 25 Cal. Not only did the Fighting Irish (9-1-3, 3-0-3) improve to 3-1 this season in ranked contests but also scored their most goals against a ranked opponent since 2013.
The star of the night was forward Ellie Hodsden. The freshman recorded her first career hat trick and first career game-winner. She scored in the 36th, 63rd and 71st minutes.
And get this stat – Hodsden is now averaging a goal every 28 minutes.
Ellie Hodsen balled out as her first career hat trick led the No. 12 Irish to a 5-2 win over No. 25 Cal. #GoIrish ☘️ pic.twitter.com/NQ1eehm74B
— Notre Dame Women's Soccer (@NDSoccer) October 18, 2024
Lily Joseph got the Irish goal scoring going in the 26th minute. It marked her sixth goal of the season. She also earned one assist for a three-point game.
The final goal of the night came from Morgan Roy in the 71st minute – her first of the season and third of her career. Roy assisted two of the goals to record a huge four-point night – a career high.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The best way to describe tonight’s ACC matchup inside Alumni Stadium was a boxing match. Notre Dame threw the first punch, then Cal countered, then Notre Dame and then Cal.
The Irish never got dismayed, and when Hodsden got goal number three, ND then smelled blood in the water in the second half. and never looked back. In fact, the Irish scored three goals in the final 30 minutes of the match. Here’s how it went down.
Fast forward to the 26th minute and Lily Joseph recorded one of the best goals of Notre Dame’s season. A left-footed shot from just inside Cal’s box on the right side curved perfectly into the upper-left 90. Joseph’s signature goal dance ensued.
Unfortunately the lead only lasted two minutes. Cal’s Karlie Lema, ranked third in the country in total goals entering tonight, used her speed and then scored from what most thought was an unscorable angle in the 28th minute.
The Notre Dame response arrived in the 36th minute. Morgan Roy crossed a dangerous ball from the right side and Hodsden threw her body at the ball and chested into the corner for the goal. Notre Dame took a 2-1 lead into the half.
The Bears found the equalizer in the 52nd minute when a cross into the box from Lema was one-timed into the left corner by Noelle Bond-Flasza.
Hodsden hat trick arrived in the 71st minute – a ball from Roy on the right side of the field near Notre Dame’s bench found Hodsden near the top of the box. Hodsden used her body well to hold off two defenders and then let a shot rip past the keeper for the goal.
Morgan Roy then capped her great night off with her first goal of the season in the 82nd minute. A bang-bang pass combo from Ellie Ospeck and Lily Joseph resulted in Roy receiving the ball on the right side of the box. The sophomore then scored and ran to the ND bench for the celebration.
UP NEXT
A big time showdown awaits on Sunday, Oct. 20. It’ll be No. 12 Notre Dame hosting No. 6 Stanford at 2 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
— ND –