The Irish open NCAA Championship with a first round matchup against Wright State at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 21 at Alumni Stadium. The match will be broadcast on ACCNX and also be available via the WatchESPN app (subscription required).
NOTRE DAME vs. WRIGHT STATE (NCAA FIRST ROUND)
Location: Notre Dame, Indiana | Alumni Stadium
TV: ACCNX
Live Stream: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. Wright State
THE IRISH IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
• Notre Dame is playing in its 22nd NCAA Championship in 2019 and have played in the tourney in 18 of the last 19 seasons.
• The Irish have an overall record of 19-19-3 in the NCAA Championships.
• The Irish have advanced to the round of 16 on 10 occasions and have made four quarterfinals.
• Notre Dame won the College Cup in 2013, defeating Maryland by a score of 2-1 to capture the title. It was the program’s only trip to the College Cup.
• The Irish played against 2019 NCAA Championship participants in 12 of 18 matches in the regular season and ACC Championship.
• Notre Dame is 13-7-3 when playing at home in NCAA Tournament play in proram history and has advanced to the next round 15 times.
• The Irish are 11-8-2 in their opening NCAA Tournament matches in program history and have advanced to the next round 13 times.
THE WRIGHT STATE SERIES
• The Irish and Raiders will meet on the pitch for the sixth time on Thursday.
• Notre Dame leads the all-time series with a record of 4-0-1.
• The Irish are 1-0 against Wright State when playing at home.
• The last meeting ended in a 1-1 draw on September 27, 1987, in Dayton.
• Thursday will be the first time the two sides have met in NCAA Tournament play.
LYNN LEADING THE LINE
• Sophomore striker Jack Lynn has enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, scoring a team-high nine goals to lead the Irish attack.
• Lynn is in top form entering Thursday’s fixture, scoring five goals in the last eight games.
• After scoring goals in wins over Seattle and Denver the sophomore was named the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament MVP.
• The striker recorded the first brace of his career with two goals in the win over Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Lynn scored the match winners to beat No. 21 Duke in the 65th minute on Oct. 11 and to defeat Pitt in the 17th minute on Nov. 1.
• The sophomore leads the ACC and ranks 11th nationally in game-winning goals on the season with five.
• Lynn has far surpassed his goal tally from last season (three goals).
SET-PIECE SPECIALIST
• Felicien Dumas has scored three free-kick goals and added four assists this season (three coming off set pieces).
• The graduate student has free kick goals against Seattle, Clemson and DePaul and has assists against Saint Louis, Seattle and Purdue Fort Wayne.
• The goal against DePaul found the back of the net with just five seconds left on the clock in regulation to deliver the Irish a 1-0 victory.
• Dumas scored the goal of the season for the Irish in 2018, curling an effort into the top right corner in a 3-2 win over Syracuse.
• Dumas is the active leader for career assists with 18.
• The graduate student was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14 after helping the Irish backline to shutout victories over No. 21 Duke and Purdue Fort Wayne and on Nov. 4 after the Irish defeated Pitt to close out the regular season.
UNITED SOCCER COACHES Men’s Team Academic Award RECIPIENT
• Notre Dame has been named a recipient of the United Soccer Coaches Men’s Team Academic Award for the 19th time in the last 20 seasons.
• To qualify for the award, a team must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) to be eligible.
• The Irish have earned the award more than any other ACC team since the inception of the honor in 1996.
STARTING STRONG
• The Irish have been stellar in matches in which they score the opening goal, posting a record of 9-1-1.
• In the season opener Notre Dame scored a goal in the second minute (1:12) of play, marking the quickest goal to start a season in program history.
• Freshman Mohammad Abualnadi scored the first goal off a rebound from a Felicien Dumas free kick.
• The goal scored at 1:12 is tied for the second fastest goal scored to open a match since 1995.
• The Irish have scored first in 12 of 18 matches this season and have dropped just one match when scoring the first goal (9-1-1).
ONE OF THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULES IN THE COUNTRY
• The Irish have never shied away from playing a challenging slate of opponents and the 2019 schedule is no different.
• Twelve of Notre Dame’s 18 matches have come against teams in the 2019 NCAA Championship field.
• Notre Dame played a combined five matches against teams that earned top five seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
• The ACC had a record 10 teams earn NCAA Championship selections.
• Ten of the sides the Irish are scheduled to face qualified for the 2018 NCAA tourney.
SIGNATURE WIN AT WAKE FOREST
• The Irish recorded a big 1-0 win against No. 2 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem on Oct. 26.
• Notre Dame’s win over the No. 2 team in the country was its first against a top two team since knocking off No. 1 Wake Forest on the road on Nov. 11, 2015 in the ACC Championship semifinals.
• The Irish became the first team to defeat the Demon Deacons in a regular-season ACC match at Spry Stadium since the Irish also accomplished the feat in 2013.
• The Irish handed the Demon Deacons their first home defeat of the 2019 season and was just the second team to record a clean sheet against Wake Forest this season.
• Duncan Turnbull was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week after recording five saves and a clean sheet in the victory.
• Patrick Coleman scored the game-winning goal in the 21st minute, the first of his career.
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