Chris Hubbard made four saves in 110 minutes to register his first career collegiate shutout in a 0-0 draw against Maryland on Friday

#4 Irish, #13 Maryland Battle To 0-0 Draw

Aug. 28, 2015

Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After 110 scoreless minutes in the opening game of the 2015 regular season, the No. 4/10 University of Notre Dame men’s soccer team and No. 13/6 Maryland battled to a 0-0 draw in the first game of the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic on a beautiful Friday night at Armstrong Stadium.

Maryland (0-0-1) finished the contest with a 22-10 edge in shots, but Notre Dame (0-0-1) matched the Terrapins with four shots on goal. Eight of the 10 total Irish shot attempts were logged in the second half.

“I’m reluctantly pleased, we had enough good chances to win the game,” Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark said. “If you look at it from their point of view, they will say they had some great chances as well. Hubbs (Chris Hubbard) had a great save, and their goalie had an amazing save. You’re kind of disappointed but not really. When tying a team that is going to be in the top 10 on neutral ground, it’s acceptable.”

One of the positives for Notre Dame was the team’s overall fitness level in the first official contest of the year. The Irish subbed in only three players, while Maryland looked to nine substitutes over the course of 110 minutes.

“Our fitness looked very good tonight,” Clark said. “Maryland had a lot of guys cramping. A lot of our guys played a full game plus another 10 or 20 minutes of overtime, so that was a positive. It was good to have Jeffrey Farina back looking fit, he did good things. He and Jon Gallagher looked very dangerous in transition.”

A foul deep in the Notre Dame zone set up the Terrapins with an opportunistic free kick in the second minute. Mael Corboz drove a low serve off the foot of Jake Areman, but Irish goalkeeper Hubbard snagged the attempt.

Notre Dame looked to mount its first charge of the contest in the 14th minute with a strong run into the Maryland zone, but a service attempt from Michael Shipp was deflected back into the Irish third.

Corboz teed up a corner kick from the far flag in the 20th minute, but solid defense from the Notre Dame back line cleared the ball out of danger.

“I thought we grew into it in the back,” Clark said. “Our two central defenders (Brandon Aubrey and Matt Habrowski) got a grip of things. Maryland is a fairly direct team and they get balls up to your center backs quickly. We got ahold of that, and Chris Hubbard in goal was very calm. He pulled off some very good saves when he had to, but in general he just had a nice calmness about him and his presence in goal.”

Patrick Hodan attempted the first Notre Dame corner of the match in the 25th minute, but the Terrapin defense sent the try back across the length of the field and out of bounds to stall the threat.

A great give-and-go after a steal near midfield provided Notre Dame with its best chance of the first half in the 35th minute. Gallagher lofted a perfect lead pass ahead to a pressing Max Lachowecki down the left flank. A strong left-footed drive on the run by Lachowecki sailed over the crossbar.

Maryland carried the ball into the right corner on a promising run in the 38th minute. A well-placed cross found its way out front to Corboz, who rocketed a try from 20 yards wide of the left post.

Areman attempted the first shot on goal by either team in the contest during the 48th minute, getting loose at the top of the 18 before rocketing a shot that was knocked wide of the right post by Hubbard.

“We play good games in the spring, and I have a lot of confidence in both Chris and Tally (Brian Talcott),” Clark said. “They both do a good job, and they have played big games in the spring. When we play Indiana in Fort Wayne there is always 3,000 plus, Mexico there is 3,000 plus. They’ve played in some big games and they are both very composed.”

Eryk Williamson displayed expert ball handling on a lob pass over the top on a right-side run in the 51st minute, dancing away from danger and the Notre Dame defense. Hubbard stood tall for his third save of the second half.

The Irish built up the counterattack in the 56th minute, as Farina got loose down the right side on a run to the top of the box. A feed from Shipp and a ringing drive from Farina ricocheted off the crossbar and caromed away to the opposite side of the field to deny the Notre Dame surge.

“We started both halves a bit slowly, but Maryland is a good team and they pressure hard,” Clark said. “They are not an easy team to play against. They get the game into your half and they pressure you. Our guys started to find the ball and come out with it, and we grew into it nicely.”

Lachowecki pinched in on the attack after a Notre Dame takeaway at midfield in the 68th minute, and a drop touch pass from Evan Panken found the Irish tri-captain flying up the left wing. Lachowecki’s 15-yard try beat Maryland goalkeeper Cody Niedermeier, but the ball was swept off the line by a trailing Terrapin defender to prevent the night’s first goal.

“Both of our fullbacks should get forward, that is the way we play,” Clark said. “When our wide men tuck in we play with what we call inverted wingers. Max likes to do that, and he was an All-American in high school as an attacking player. He goes back to his roots on plays like that.”

Farina and Gallagher each attempted dangerous tries just beyond the six-yard box in the 84th minute, Gallagher’s of the rebound variety, but Niedermeier stood up to the test and sent each shot to the side.

A Notre Dame foul from just beyond the 18-yard box gave Corboz a great look at a free kick in the 87th minute. Corboz’s bending right-footed blast continued to ascend over the crossbar and carried out of play.

Gallagher got wide down the left flank on a run in the 96th minute, but a hard tackle by a closing Maryland defender that dis-possessed Gallagher was not deemed to be a foul. The Terrapins were able to clear the defensive zone without any harm.

A great cross from the right wing gave Maryland’s Sebastian Elney a terrific look on the doorstep in the 101st minute, but his header drifted wide past the left post.

“It would be nice to get something more out of Sunday’s game, but it will be even harder,” Clark said. “We’re playing Indiana at their place, in front of a big crowd. We have enough experience on this team, and I think the boys will rise to that occasion. That is a challenge they will all relish.”

August 28, 2015
Adidas/IU Credit Union Classic – Game 1
No. 4/10 Notre Dame 0, No. 13/6 Maryland 0 (2OT)
Armstrong Stadium (Bloomington, Ind.)

No. 13/6 Maryland 0 0 0 0 — 0
No. 4/10 Notre Dame 0 0 0 0 — 0

Shots: ND 10 (1-8-1-0), MD 22 (7-11-1-3)
Shots on goal: ND 4 (0-4-0-0), MD 4 (0-4-0-0)
Saves: ND 4 (Chris Hubbard 4 in 110:00), MD 4 (Cody Niedermeier 3 in 110:00; Team 1)
Corner Kicks: ND 4 (2-2-0-0), MD 8 (4-4-0-0)
Fouls: ND 12, MD 14
Offsides: ND 2, MD 1
Yellow Cards: Brandon Aubrey (ND) 99:14; Sebastian Elney (MD) 99:14


–ND–


— Tony Jones, Athletics Communications Assistant