Irish Hold Off Cal 2-1 For Sixth ACC Win

The ninth-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s soccer team (8-1-6, 6-1-1) continued its late-season surge and began a two-game road swing in California with a 2-1 victory over California (4-7-5, 1-5-2) at Edwards Stadium in Berkley, California, Thursday night.

The Irish earned their fourth-straight victory and are 7-1-1 in their last nine games. 

Notre Dame started the goal scoring at 23:53 when Bristol Kersch gathered a ball outside the 18-yard box, circled toward the middle of the field and looked to either shoot or center the ball toward the Cal goal box. The shot glanced off a Bear defender and ended up in the back of the net. 

Izzy Engle provided the game-winning goal when she earned a penalty kick at 56:33 and buried the chance past the goalkeeper. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Notre Dame maintained heavy ball pressure throughout the match and earned its first scoring opportunity around the 11-minute mark. Morgan Roy, who controlled the early part of the match on the right side of the field, played a great pass through to Engle who just missed wide left. 

Nine minutes later a Notre Dame throw-in found Charlie Codd at the top of the box and her shot was saved by the goalkeeper. 

The own-goal from Cal was forced by pressure from Kirsch down the left side. She centered the ball and Engle just missed a shot attempt with her back heel. Kirsch chased the ball down in the corner, moved back toward midfield and her shot or pass glanced off a Cal defender into the net. 

Just before halftime, Reese Canada took a throw-in, moved up the right side, then cut back to the middle and unleashed a shot at the top of the box that was just to the right of the post. 

Cal’s lone scoring chance of the first half was a short and soft header that Sonoma Kasica easily controlled at her line. 

The home team came out aggressive in the second half and controlled possession for the first few minutes after the break. The Irish were able to move the ball into scoring position when LIly Joseph played a short pass through to Engle. The Irish forward fought off three Cal defenders, then was sandwiched just inside the penalty area by two Bear players. The quick call for a penalty kick was reviewed, upheld and Engle drove home an unsavable shot in the left side of the goal. 

The junior forward now has a team-best eight goals so far this season (in just 10 matches played) and cards her fourth-straight match with a goal.

Notre Dame continued to pressure in the second half. An Abby Mills header needed a save at 68:12 and a few minutes later a Joseph shot from just outside the six-yard box was blocked clear. 

Cal’s goal came at 82:10 when Reese Doherty earned a free kick outside the 18-yard box on the left sideline. She laid the ball into the scoring area and Cal Van More was able to barely get her head on it, adjust the flight of the ball and find the back of the net. 

The Irish would control possession in the game’s final five minutes to claim the victory.