Oct. 15, 2017
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — A Saturday night postponement set up the University of Notre Dame women’s soccer team with one final opportunity to play at home on Sunday, but the Irish could not capitalize, falling 2-1 on senior day. The Irish (7-4-3, 3-2-1) dropped their first match on a Sunday in the team’s regular-season home finale at Alumni Stadium.
How It Happened
Notre Dame opened play on a damp field with several short passes and a controlled game of possession. The Irish utilized their back line to bring the ball up the field, which was slick after a full day of rain on Saturday.
Sophomore Jennifer Westendorf took Notre Dame’s first shot 20 minutes into the match and followed with a second shot off the crossbar just seconds later.
Fittingly, senior co-captain Monica Flores put the Irish on the board in the 37th minute, scoring her first career goal on a rocket of a shot from 30 yards out.
The Irish took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but Virginia Tech (7-4-4, 1-3-3) quickly responded with a goal of its own, evening the score at 1-1 in the 50th minute.
The Hokies took four straight corner kicks roughly 70 minutes into the match. The Irish defense, led by senior goalkeeper Lexi Nicholas, limited the damage late in the game.
The rain and wind — blowing against the Irish in the second half — intensified with 30 minutes remaining, and players from both sides had to work to keep their footing on the grass.
In the 83rd minute, the Hokies capitalized on their 10th corner kick of the match, and Jordan Hemmen netted her second goal of the season to put Virginia Tech ahead 2-1. Two goals proved to be enough for Virginia Tech, which won its first Atlantic Coast Conference game.
Note of the Match
Notre Dame wrapped up its home slate with a 4-4-1 record at Alumni Stadium this season. The Irish are 32-10-2 at home over the past three-plus seasons.
Match Notes
- Notre Dame falls to 3-3-1 all-time against Virginia Tech, including a 2-1 mark at home.
- Monica Flores scored her first career goal in the 37th minute of the game. The goal gives her six points this season.
- Lexi Nicholas finished the match with five saves and now owns
Coming Up Next
The Irish return to action at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday at Florida State’s Seminole Soccer Complex. The match will be streamed live by ACC Network Extra/WatchESPN.
For behind-the-scenes coverage of the Irish women’s soccer program, follow @NDSoccer on Twitter and @NDWSoccer on Instagram. For tickets to a Notre Dame women’s soccer match, click here.
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Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer and cross country/track and field programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.