SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-5-3, 4-4-0) dominated the Duke Blue Devils (5-6-3, 1-6-0) in a 3-0 win at Alumni Stadium on Friday night to close out the regular season.
Three different Irish players scored goals on the evening, with senior Nolan Spicer, fifth year Vlad Walent and junior Stevie Dunphy all finding the back of the net. Spicer also added an assist, as well as sophomore Karson Baquero. Junior goalkeeper Blake Kelly recorded three saves in his fourth clean sheet of the season, and 10th of his career.
Notre Dame finishes the regular season with a 5-2-2 home record.
The Irish lead the overall series against the Blue Devils with a record of 12-6-2 and are 8-0-2 when playing them at home at Alumni Stadium.
The match kicked off in the rain, and both sides battled for possession throughout the opening minutes, trading limited shots off target. Possession was split between the Irish and the Blue Devils until Duke found an opening 11 minutes into the match, rattling off three-consecutive shots in the box, all blocked by Notre Dame defenders.
As both sides settled in, Notre Dame began to take control, earning possession and setting up what would be a takeover. Notre Dame earned a free kick from Ian Shaul, setting up their first opportunity, but the shot was left wide to keep the score at zero.
The Irish continued to gain momentum throughout the first half, and in the 31st minute, the momentum paid off. With an aggressive setup by Notre Dame, Baquero broke the defensive line in the box to find Spicer, who delivered a low shot off his left foot that wrapped around the near post for the first goal of the night.
Just minutes later, Notre Dame earned a penalty kick, and Walent converted with a shot to the bottom left corner of the net to put the Irish up 2-0.
Notre Dame continued control through the end of the half, keeping their 2-0 advantage heading into the break.
In the second half, the Irish didn’t take long to challenge again. In the 53rd minute, Dunphy delivered a brilliant touch to a high ball in order to settle and turn to Spicer. Later, Spicer took care of the service to Dunphy, and Dunphy capitalized with Notre Dame’s third goal of the evening.
The Irish did not let up, continuing to control the game throughout the second half. Duke earned chances, including a free kick that resulted in a shot outside the box, but Notre Dame defended the shutout.
McFARLAND FAMILY MEN’S HEAD SOCCER COACH CHAD RILEY’S TAKE
On the match…
“I’m very proud of the team tonight. We put together an excellent performance against a dangerous Duke team, handled the pressure of the night exceptionally well, and did a great job scoring goals and earning the shutout.”
UP NEXT
WIth the regular season complete, the Irish await their assignment for the 2026 ACC Men’s Soccer Tournament, set to commence on Nov. 4 at campus sites.