NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Notre Dame women’s soccer team (3-0) grinded out a 1-0 overtime win over Stony Brook (1-2) Thursday night at Alumni Stadium. The Irish had a number of chances in regulation yet couldn’t find the back of the net but that all changed in the opening minute of extra time. Freshman Kelly Moss scored the game winner and recorded her first collegiate goal off of a great cross from Jenna Winebrenner to keep Notre Dame’s record unblemished.
“It feels amazing, it feels really good,” said Moss. “We really want to win and it is such a good feeling to contribute in a win. It has always been a goal of mine to help the team and be a team player that makes a difference whether its making a key pass, having an assist or second assist. I am just really grateful.”
“A lot of credit to Stony Brook, they played a great game,” said Notre Dame head coach Nate Norman. “I have a lot of respect for them and their coaching staff. I was proud of the way we kept battling tonight. We got that final goal of the game which was great. We have to keep improving and growing and it will be a fun season for us if we can keep learning from each game.”
How it Happened
It was a slow start to the game for both teams as there was not much action in the opening minutes. The Irish held a majority of the possession and generated their first chance of the game in the 14th minute. Sabrina Flores sent a corner into the box towards the near post and Winebrenner had great position and headed the ball on net. The Seawolves’ goalkeeper Sofia Manner was in the right place and knocked the Irish chance away.
Minutes later, the Seawolves looked to convert on their first corner of the game. The corner came in high and towards the far post. Allyson Baner put her header on goal but Sammi Fisher was placed perfectly on the goal line and sent it out of the box.
Stony Brook had the first quality chance in the second half in the 60th minute. The Seawolves had a low cross across the box with Rachel Florenz sending it towards the far post. Notre Dame goalkeeper Brooke Littman did a great job to track the ball and make the save to neutralize the opportunity.
In the 68th minute, the Irish looked to break through after Martel-Lamothe headed home a great ball from Flores. Unfortunately for the Irish, the linesman had his flag up and the goal was waved off as they were ruled offsides.
Ninety minutes went by and neither team manage a goal so extra time was needed. In the opening minute of extra time, the Irish did not wait around and took advantage of their first opportunity.
Winebrenner took the ball up the left side and sent a cross into the box. Moss got in front of her defender, volleyed the ball towards the back post and scored the game winner for the Irish just 40 seconds into the extra session.
Stats of the Match
- Notre Dame improves to 96-27-2 all-time in first meetings with opponents after the 1-0 win over the Seawolves.
- The Irish begin the season 3-0 for the first time since 2015 when they opened the year 7-0-1.
- It is the first overtime win for the Irish since a 2-1 2OT win on Oct. 1, 2016 against Louisville.
Coming Up Next
The Irish will hit the road for the first time in 2018 as they head down to Butler (3-0) for a Sunday matinee. Sunday’s match with the Bulldogs will begin at 1 p.m. ET and be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
For behind-the-scenes coverage of the Irish women’s soccer program, follow @NDSoccer on Twitter and @NDWSoccer on Instagram. For tickets to a Notre Dame women’s soccer match, click here.
–ND–Matt Paras, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since January 2018. In his role, he coordinates all media efforts for Notre Dame women’s soccer, baseball and assists in ice hockey. A native of Warwick, Rhode Island, Paras is a graduate of the University of Louisville where he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sport Administration. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, he worked at Vanderbilt University as the sports information contact for the women’s soccer and lacrosse programs.