SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame opens postseason play by welcoming UNC to Alumni Stadium for a first round matchup in the ACC Tournament at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 5 in the No. 8 vs. No. 9 contest. Admission to the match is free and it will air on ACCNX.
No. 8 NOTRE DAME vs. No. 9 UNC
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Alumni Stadium
Tickets: Free
Stream: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. UNC
THE UNC SERIES
• The Irish and Tar Heels will meet on the pitch for the 15th time in program history on Wednesday evening.
• The Irish trail in the series with a mark of 3-7-4.
• The two sides battled to a 1-1 draw in South Bend in their only matchup last season.
• Seven of the last nine meetings have either been decided by one goal or ended in a draw.
• Notre Dame is 2-0-0 against the Tar Heels in ACC Tournament play, defeating the Tar Heels in the 2017 quarterfinals and the 2020 quarterfinals.
IRISH IN THE ACC TOURNEY
• Notre Dame has an overall ACC Tournament record of 13-9-3 and has reached at least the quarterfinal round in 10-of-13 seasons in the league.
• The Irish have won one ACC Tournament title in program history, claiming the 2021 championship. Notre Dame didn’t allow a goal over four matches and defeated Duke by a score of 2-0 in the final.
• Notre Dame has reached the semifinal round or beyond in the ACC Championship in six of its 11 seasons as a conference member.
• The Irish have made two appearances in the conference tournament finals.
• The Irish have won at least one match in nine of their 12 previous ACC Championship appearances.
• Prior to joining the ACC, Notre Dame won three Big East Tournament titles and three MCC (Midwestern Collegiate Conference) titles.
INSTANT IMPACT
• The freshman class has already made its presence felt on the Notre Dame roster, as the group has produced 23 points off seven goals and nine assists this season.
• Luke Burton has led the way from the striker position with three goals and three assists while making nine starts up top for the Irish.
• Ren Sylvester has added two goals and two assists
• Alex Rosin has made seven starts at left back and has proved capable of going forward in attack with two goals and three assists.
• Karson Baquero has played in eight matches as a midfielder, recording an assist in the win over Green Bay.
SET-PIECE SUCCESS
• The Fighting Irish have scored 11 goals off set pieces during the 2025 campaign.
• Three of the goals have come from free kicks, with Mitch Ferguson scoring a direct free kick and Diego Ochoa and Ferguson finishing from service into the box.
• The Irish have been even more lethal on corners, firing in eight goals this season. Ferguson, Burton and Rosin have each scored twice while Wyatt Borso and Martin Von Thun have each recorded one.
BK THE GK
• Blake Kelly has been a mainstay in goal for the Irish during his sophomore season, posting five clean sheets.
• The shot stopper ranks second in the ACC in saves per game with a mark of 3.41 per outing.
• Kelly started 12 matches for the Irish in 2024 and became the first true freshman goalie to start the season opener in the last 30 years for the program.
BALANCED ATTACK
• Twelve players have scored the 24 goals for the Irish this season, as Wyatt Borso (5), Mitch Ferguson (4), Luke Burton (3), Nolan Spicer (2), Alex Rosin (2) and Ren Sylvester (2) have each scored multiple times while Jack Flanagan, Wyatt Lewis, Stevie Dunphy, KK Baffour and Diego Ochoa and Martin Vont Thun each found the back of the net once.
• Ten returning Irish players registered at least one point in their Notre Dame career, as the team returns 54 points from last year.
• Nine players that scored a goal during the 2024 campaign are back on this year’s team.
• Flanagan is the top returning goal scorer on the 2025 squad after firing in a career-high four goals during his sophomore campaign.
2025 CAPTAINS
• Mitch Ferguson and Wyatt Lewis serve as the captains for this year’s Fighting Irish team and Blake Kelly will take on the role of assistant captain.
• Ferguson has appeared in 67 games over his Notre Dame career, scoring seven goals and adding eight assists from the center back position.
• Lewis enters his third season with the Fighting Irish and has four goals and four assists as a holding midfielder.
• Kelly started 12 matches as a freshman in 2024, posting a record of 4-3-5 while recording 26 saves.
THE CHAD RILEY ERA
• McFarland Family Head Men’s Soccer Coach Chad Riley is in his eighth season in charge of the Notre Dame men’s soccer program in 2025.
• Riley became the first head coach in program history to lead the Fighting Irish to two College Cup appearances, coming during the 2021 and 2023 seasons.
• Notre Dame has captured both an ACC regular season and tournament title under his direction, both firsts in program history.
BRANDON AUBREY – NFL PHENOM
• Dallas Cowboys kicker and Notre Dame men’s soccer alum Brandon Aubrey has become one of the best kickers in the NFL in just three short seasons.
• The kicker was an All-American center back for the Irish before being drafted in the first round of the 2017 MLS Draft by Toronto FC.
• Aubrey was named First-Team All-Pro and an NFC Pro Bowler after his rookie season in 2023.
• The Irish alum has set the record for most 60+ yard field goals made in a career with five, despite only being in his third season in the league.
• Aubrey is 16-for-16 on field goal attempts this season and 92-for-101 in his career, including an astounding mark of 29-for-32 on attempts of 50+ yards.