PALO ALTO, Calif. — The Notre Dame men’s soccer team suffered a gut-wrenching defeat against Stanford at Cagan Stadium on Wednesday evening, falling by a score of 3-2 after the Cardinal scored with two seconds remaining in the match.
The Irish goals came from Matthew Roou and Mitch Ferguson, each scoring on set pieces.
Notre Dame is now 7-5-5 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After an uneventful opening 20 minutes of action to start the contest the match sprung into life in the 22nd minute as the Irish earned a penalty off a Stanford handball in the box. Roou stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way, rolling the ball into the bottom corner to give Notre Dame the 1-0 lead.
The hosts battled back and leveled the match in the 34th minute, scoring off a header from Jackson Kill to make the score 1-1.
Travasos made a big stop in the closing moments of the first half, making a diving save to keep the match even at 1-1 after the opening 45 minutes of play.
The Irish absorbed pressure at the beginning of the second half but held the Cardinal attack at bay.
In the final stages of regulation Stanford was awarded a penalty off a handball in the box and converted to take a 2-1 lead in the 85th minute.
Notre Dame poured forward searching for the equalizer and found it with 12 seconds remaining in regulation. The Stanford goalie was issued a yellow card for time wasting, giving the Irish an indirect free kick just inside the area. Roou touched the ball to Ferguson, who fired his shot in to level the score at 2-2.
Unfortunately for Notre Dame, Stanford answered immediately, scoring with two seconds left to claim the 3-2 win and advance to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
McFARLAND FAMILY MEN’S HEAD SOCCER COACH CHAD RILEY’S TAKE
On the match…
“Soccer is truly a crazy game.I am proud of the team tonight. Disappointed not to be advancing, but proud of the team’s effort and fight. Stanford is a good team and we knew it would be a battle. I am proud of this team and I believe we deserve a strong look for the NCAA’s. I certainly hope to coach these guys for a few more games.”
UP NEXT
The NCAA Selection Show is on Monday, Nov. 18 and the Irish will wait to see if they get selected to play in the tournament.
FOLLOW THE IRISH ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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