April 26, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Junior forward Harrison Shipp (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) and sophomore forward Vince Cicciarelli (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) scored less than 13 minutes apart midway through the second half to help the Notre Dame men’s soccer team to a 3-2 victory over the reigning CONCACAF champion Mexico Under-20 National Team on Friday night before a sellout crowd of 3,007 fans at Alumni Stadium.
Shipp’s wonder strike from 25 yards out in the left channel off a pinpoint throw-in by sophomore defender Max Lachowecki (Evansville, Ind./Reitz Memorial), came just before the hour mark to break a 1-1 tie and give the Fighting Irish the lead they would never relinquish. Cicciarelli, a second-half substitute, added a key insurance goal in the 73rd minute, running down a long outlet pass on the left side, cutting into the penalty area and pulling Mexico goalkeeper Richard Sanchez out of position before scoring into the empty net from 12 yards away.
Freshman midfielder Patrick Hodan (Brookfield, Wis./Marquette Univ. High School) put Notre Dame on the board in the 19th minute, scoring off a rebound after Sanchez parried away a shot from the left side by junior forward Alex Priede (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day).
Mexico drew level in the 22nd minute on the first of Marco Bueno’s two goals, as he hammered a shot from close range into the roof of the net. Bueno would then temporarily breathe life into Mexico’s chances with his second score of the match during second-half stoppage time, but Notre Dame’s defense held fast and preserved the program’s first win over the Mexican side since 2010 (a 2-1 victory at Alumni Stadium).
“I thought it was a really good team performance against a very good opponent,” Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark said. “We spent a fair bit of time without the ball because they possessed the ball very well, especially at the beginning of the game. I thought we found our way into the game. I thought our transition was superb. We defended well as a unit and then we transitioned well superbly. Harry Shipp was fantastic. There were some good goals scored as well. I thought in the first half Alex Priede was very good also. It is hard to single out individuals when it was a really good team performance.”
Mexico finished with a 17-11 edge in total shots, while shots on goal were even at 6-6. Mexico also had the upper hand on corner kicks (7-3), and a slim 8-7 margin on fouls.
Junior goalkeeper Patrick Wall (Sugarland, Texas/Strake Jesuit College Prep) turned aside four shots to earn the victory in the Fighting Irish cage. Sanchez was credited with three saves in goal for Mexico.
Having completed its spring schedule, Notre Dame now turns its focus to offseason training as it prepares for the start of the 2013 fall campaign. The full Fighting Irish schedule, highlighted by the team’s inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for all Fighting Irish soccer matches can be purchased by contacting the Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office at (574) 631-7356 or going on-line to UND.com/tickets.
— ND —
Mexico U20s 1 – 1 — 2
Notre Dame 1 – 2 — 3
ND 1. Patrick Hodan 1 (-) 18:13. MEX 1. Marco Bueno 1 (-) 21:26. ND 2. Harrison Shipp 1 (Max Lachowecki) 59:16. ND 3. Vince Cicciarelli 1 (-) 72:50. MEX 2. Bueno 2 (Arturo Gonzalez) 90:00+.
Total Shots: Mexico Under-20 Team 17 (7-10), Notre Dame 11 (6-5)
Shots on Goal: Mexico Under-20 Team 6 (3-3), Notre Dame 6 (4-2)
Saves: Mexico Under-20 Team 3 (Richard Sanchez 3 in 90:00), Notre Dame 4 (Patrick Wall 4 in 90:00)
Corner Kicks: Mexico Under-20 Team 7 (2-5), Notre Dame 3 (1-2)
Offsides: Mexico Under-20 Team 1, Notre Dame 2