Nov. 16, 2017
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Riding its most dominant victory of the season, the University of Notre Dame women’s soccer team ventures south for an NCAA second-round matchup at No. 2-seed Texas A&M. The Irish (10-6-4) and the Aggies (18-2-1) will meet for the third time in program history as the two battle to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Notre Dame, which is unbeaten in four road matches against ranked teams (2-0-2), will try to eliminate a Texas A&M team that has made it to the Sweet Sixteen or better in four of the last five seasons. The Aggies currently sit at No. 6 in both the national rankings and in the RPI.
The Irish will look to advance to the third round for the first time since 2014 and for the fourth time in the last six years (third round in 2014 and 2015; quarterfinals in 2012).
WHAT: Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 17, 2017
WHERE: Ellis Field (College Station, Texas)
LIVE STREAM: SEC+
LIVE STATS: Click here.
Series History
The Irish own a 1-1 all-time record against Texas A&M. In their most recent match against the Aggies, the Irish fell 2-1 in the NCAA Championship third round in College Station on Nov. 23, 2014 — during head coach Theresa Romagnolo’s first season at Notre Dame. The two schools also met in Klein, Texas, where the Irish defeated Texas A&M 1-0 on Sept. 17, 1999.
Trio in the 20+ Club
Notre Dame’s Natalie Jacobs, Jennifer Westendorf and Sandra Yu each own 20-plus points this season, marking the first time since 2010 that three Irish players have reached the 20-point plateau. The last time four Irish players accomplished the feat was in 2006.
Match Notes
- Notre Dame is 10-0 in games in which it has scored two or more goals.
- The Irish are 5-2-2 on the road and 5-2-3 away from home. Notre Dame has gone 4-1-2 in its last seven road games.
- Notre Dame’s five road wins are its most since recording six in 2014 (also six in 2012). The last time the Irish won seven or more games on the road was in 2010, when they won eight and won the national championship.
Up Next
With an Irish victory, Notre Dame would advance to the third round and would face the winner of No. 3-seed USC versus Baylor. The third-round game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday at Ellis Field.
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.