Notre Dame hits the road to take on NC State at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 5 for an ACC matchup in Raleigh, North Carolina. The match will be broadcast on ACCN and be available to stream on WatchESPN (subscription required).
NOTRE DAME at NC STATE
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina | Dail Soccer Field
TV: ACCN
Live Stream: ACCN
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. NC State
THE NC STATE SERIES
• The Irish and Wolfpack will meet on the pitch for the fifth time on Friday evening.
• The Irish hold a 2-1-1 lead in the all-time series against NC State.
• Notre Dame is 1-0-1 against the Wolfpack when playing in Raleigh.
• The last meeting between the two sides came on Sept. 15, 2017, as the Irish recorded a shutout victory over the Wolfpack by a score of 3-0.
DEFENSE STARTING TO GEL
• The Irish defense is playing its best soccer at the moment, allowing just one goal over its last three matches.
• Notre Dame has not allowed a goal in the run of play in the last three matches, as Virginia’s goal came off a penalty kick.
• The Irish have not allowed a shot on target in either of the last two matches.
SET-PIECE SPECIALIST
• Felicien Dumas has already scored three goals and added two assists this season off set pieces.
• The graduate student has free kick goals against Seattle, Clemson and DePaul and has assists against Saint Louis and Seattle.
• The goal against DePaul found the back of the net with just five seconds left on the clock in regulation to deliver the Irish a 1-0 victory.
• Dumas scored the goal of the season for the Irish in 2018, curling an effort into the top right corner in a 3-2 win over Syracuse.
• Dumas is the active leader for career assists with 16.
LYNN LEADING THE LINE
• Sophomore striker Jack Lynn has started the 2019 season brightly, scoring four goals to lead the Irish attack.
• After scoring goals in wins over Seattle and Denver the sophomore was named the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament MVP.
• Lynn has already surpassed his goal tally from last season (three goals).
STARTING STRONG
• The Irish have scored two goals in the first 10 minutes of matches this season.
• In the season opener Notre Dame scored a goal in the second minute (1:12) of play, marking the quickest goal to start a season in program history.
• Freshman Mohammad Abualnadi scored the first goal off a rebound from a Felicien Dumas free kick.
• The goal scored at 1:12 is tied for the second fastest goal scored to open a match since 1995.
• The Irish have scored first in six of nine matches this season and have not lost when scoring the first goal (5-0-1).
ROAD SUCCESS
• Notre Dame has picked up positive results away from home this season, posting a mark of 2-1-1 in road matches.
• The Irish have wins over Saint Louis (3-2) and Michigan State (1-0), while earning a 1-1 draw at then No. 4 Indiana. Notre Dame was just the third side to leave Bloomington with a result in Indiana’s last 30 home matches.
• The lone road defeat of the season came at No. 14 UNC by a score of 2-0.
ONE OF THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULES IN THE COUNTRY
• The Irish have never shied away from playing a challenging slate of opponents and the 2019 schedule looks to be no different.
• Notre Dame has or will play four of the top eight ranked teams in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll in No. 1 Virginia, No. 3 Wake Forest, No. 6 Clemson, and No. 8 Indiana.
• Seven of the 16 teams on Notre Dame’s regular-season schedule are currently ranked in the top 25.
• Ten of the sides the Irish are scheduled to face qualified for the 2018 NCAA tourney.
• All three of Notre Dame’s defeats have come against teams currently ranked in the top 20 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll, including two against top six opponents.