HOW IT HAPPENED
It took just 42 seconds for Notre Dame to strike the first blow. Charlie Codd fought for a loose ball and tapped it out on the right side to Morgan Roy. Roy had plenty of room to work and sent a perfect cross into the box to connect with Engle on a well-timed run. Engle made one touch and pushed a shot past the goalkeeper for the first goal of the game and ninth goal of the season for the junior All-American. It also marked her fifth-straight match with a goal.
Notre Dame’s second shot came about seven minutes later. Codd pushed up from the midfield and was able to knock a ball away from a Stanford defender and it found Joseph at the top of the 18-yard box. Joseph moved to her left, feigned a move to the right, touched it twice with her left foot then rocketed a shot to the upper right corner of the net.
The lead was 2-0 Notre Dame just over eight minutes into the match.
Stanford would record its first shot of the game at 16:17 and draw the first save from Irish goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica at 19:40.
Around five minutes later Joseph worked her way down the right side and centered the ball to Engle, who was able to reach it but her shot was blocked at the six-yard box.
The Cardinal’s first and only real scoring chance of the first half came at 29:23 on its first corner kick of the game. The offering fell right into the scoring zone and found a head, but Kasica was right there to punch the chance over the cross bar.
Notre Dame’s final scoring chance of the first half came at 40:00 when Ellie Hodsden received a pass from Codd down the left side, moved toward the center and took a shot that was just wide to the right of the Stanford goal.
Stanford would cut into the lead just over 10 minutes into the second half. The home team held ball control for about two minutes eventually probing Notre Dame down the right side. Charlotte Kohler crossed to the middle and found the head of Mia Bhuta who drove the ball past Kasica.
Notre Dame’s first scoring chance of the second half on a saved shot from Codd from 20 yards out. A great opportunity came a few minutes later when Bristol Kersh received a pass from Chayse Ying down the right side. Kersh popped it over a defender, then to the middle and found Engle whose shot just missed at the near post.
Engle threatened again at 67:19 when she beat three defenders (one was even pulling her jersey) and forced a diving save at the left post.
It seemed that Notre Dame was determined to get a third goal and at 68:12, it seemed like Engle delivered. She accepted a long pass, got past the final defenders and found the back of the net but the flag went up. After review, the offsides call was upheld.
Stanford shifted into desperation attack mode with two good scoring chances. The first looked like a break away, but the Irish defense recovered and forced a shot wide of the goal. With 6:35 left, Kasica made her biggest save of the match on a shot taken straight on from 15 yards out.
The Irish defense clamped down from that point on, however, and earned a victory in the final home game of the year for Stanford.
