SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame opens the 2023 season with an intrastate rivalry match against No. 2 Indiana as it welcomes the Hoosiers to Alumni Stadium. The match is slated to start at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 24 and will air on ACCNX.
NOTRE DAME vs. INDIANA
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Alumni Stadium
TV: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. Indiana
THE INDIANA SERIES
• Notre Dame and Indiana will face each other on Thursday evening for the 45th time in series history.
• The two sides meet nearly ever season but did not play during the 2020-21 campaign due to adjusted schedules for COVID-19.
• The Irish are 10-31-3 against the Hoosiers in the all-time series.
• Despite trailing in the series, the rivalry has been much more even as of late, as the Irish have recorded a mark of 5-7-2 in the last 14 meetings dating back to the 2010 season.
• Eight of the last nine matches have either ended in a draw or a one-goal decision.
• The Hoosiers pulled out a 1-0 win last season against the Irish in Bloomington at Armstrong Stadium.
OWNING THE OPENERS
• Notre Dame has historically gotten off to a good start to its seasons, posting a record of 27-11-8 in its season openers.
• The Irish have lost just twice in their last 12 openers to a season, going 6-2-4.
• Notre Dame has outscored the opposition by a combined score of 18-11 over that stretch.
• Notre Dame has been even better in home openers, recording a mark of 32-10-4.
• The Irish are 2-2-1 under Chad Riley in both home openers and season openers.
BALANCED ATTACK
• Fifteen returning Irish players registered at least one point in their Notre Dame career, as the team returns 79 points from last year.
• Eleven players scored a goal during the 2022 campaign, with seven scoring multiple goals.
• Senior Daniel Russo is the top returning goal scorer on the 2023 squad after firing in six goals during his junior campaign.
2023 CAPTAINS
• Paddy Burns and Ethan O’Brien will serve as the captains for this year’s Fighting Irish team.
• Burns is a senior defender from Northern Ireland and was selected to the 2023 ACC Preseason Watch List.
• Burns scored five goals last season as a left back and has eight goals and six assists in his Notre Dame career.
• After missing the entire 2022 season to an injury, O’Brien returns to the Irish midfield this fall.
• O’Brien had a breakout 2021 season with two goals and five assists, playing an integral role in the team’s College Cup run.
EXPERIENCE IN GOAL
• Bryan Dowd is back for his senior season after being the team’s primary goalie for each of the last two seasons.
• The shot stopper has 41 career starts while appearing in 42 matches over his previous three seasons in South Bend.
• Dowd has amassed 100 career saves.
FRESH FACES
• The Irish welcome seven freshman to the 2023 squad, totaling a 34-man roster.
• The seven freshman are Nico Bartlett (M), Jack Flanagan (F), Lukas Kamrath (D), Sean McDowd (D), Jack Ross (D), Nolan Spicer (M), Nate Zimmermann (F).
• Also joining the team is midfielder Wyatt Lewis, who was a practice player last season before making the 2023 team.