STANFORD, Calif. – The No. 20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1-2, 2-0-0) battled to a gritty 3-1 victory at No. 1 Stanford (7-1-1, 0-1-1) on Sunday evening. The Irish advanced to a perfect 2-0 in the ACC with impressive wins at No. 17 Clemson and at No. 1 Stanford to start conference play.
This is just Notre Dame’s third win over a top-ranked team in program history, as the Irish did it in impressive fashion on the road late Sunday night.
Notre Dame’s three goals at Stanford is the first time the Cardinal have allowed three goals in a match since losing 3-1 to UCLA on September 28, 2023. It is also the first regular-season loss at home for Stanford since Nov. 1, 2024.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Senior Nolan Spicer, senior Nico Bartlett, and freshman Tristan Tropeano each scored a goal for the Irish as senior Jack Flanagan and junior Stevie Dunphy each recorded an assist in the win.
Junior goalkeeper Blake Kelly finished with a stellar performance against the top-ranked Cardinal as he recorded a career-best 10 saves, including a crucial save on a Stanford penalty kick.
While both teams had some early chances in the first half, one of the better first looks from the Irish came on a header from Will Schroeder in the 9th minute. The Notre Dame free kick set up the header, but Schroeder’s shot would land wide of the goal.
The Cardinal were persistent in their attack, but Kelly had some huge stops as the junior goalkeeper recorded three saves on three straight Stanford shots across a four minute span.
With both programs in search of their goal of the night, the Irish would ultimately strike first as Notre Dame put a goal on the board in the 29th minute.
Flanagan attacked through the midfield as he found Tropeano, but Tropeano would send it back to Flanagan for a shot from the top of the box. Flanagan’s shot resulted in a Cardinal save, but Spicer’s right-footed strike on the rebound would put the Irish up 1-0 with his first goal of the season.
SPICER STRIKES FIRST🔥#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/8gZuzF8dWm
— Notre Dame Men's Soccer (@NDMenSoccer) September 21, 2026
Stanford responded with the equalizer just before halftime as they put it away in the 43rd minute to make it an even 1-all coming out of halftime.
Less than a minute into the second half, the Irish would do it again, but this time from Bartlett.
On a Notre Dame free kick just 31 seconds into the half, the Irish would have three shot opportunities, but Dunphy’s shot would hit the far post. Bartlett was on the backside as his right-footed touch sent the ball into the back of the net to put the Irish in front 2-1 in the 46th minute.
Looking to extend their lead, the Irish had another opportunity in the 60th minute as Tropeano had a shot from the top of the box, but missed wide. Shortly after in the 63rd, Flanagan’s strike in the box resulted in a Stanford save to keep it within one.
After a Notre Dame foul in the box in the 70th minute, Stanford would have an opportunity to level the score with a penalty kick. Firing it to the left side of the goal, Kelly was the difference maker as he denied the opportunity with his eighth save of the night.
BLOCKED BY BLAKE❌
— Notre Dame Men's Soccer (@NDMenSoccer) September 21, 2026
📺 ACCNX#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/GEI0XOfiWd
Kelly’s big-time save on the penalty kick would keep the Irish in front 2-1.
However, it soon became a 3-1 lead for Notre Dame as Tropeano was able to put it away in the 78th minute.
Tropeano’s pass was deflected by Stanford and as the goalkeeper came off his line, Tropeano was able to score his own deflected pass to extend the Irish lead. The freshman forward now leads the Irish with four goals this season.
The Cardinal continued to search for their second goal of the night and in the 82nd minute, Stanford found the back of the net. However, the goal was overturned after a review for a foul that occurred prior to the goal, so the score would remain at 3-1 in favor of the Irish.
After a gritty performance on the road, the Irish would go on to close it out and take down the No. 1 Stanford Cardinal in a 3-1 victory.
McFARLAND FAMILY MEN’S HEAD SOCCER COACH CHAD RILEY’S TAKE
On the match…
“Obviously, I’m incredibly proud of the team tonight. What a group of tough competitors. They embraced the challenge from the opening whistle and got the job done. Stanford is clearly a top team, and they made us earn everything tonight. We scored some fantastic goals, and Blake’s save on the penalty was an incredible moment at a vital point in the game. More than anything, I’m proud of the toughness, belief, and togetherness our guys showed tonight.”
UP NEXT
The Irish are back in action at Alumni Stadium on Friday, Sept. 25 as they host the Syracuse Orange at 7:00 p.m.