NOTRE DAME, Indiana — Coming off two-straight shutout victories, the Notre Dame women’s soccer team will face its toughest home test this Sunday when the 16th-ranked Louisville Cardinals come to town. The Cardinals have won four straight, just knocked off No. 9 Clemson and currently sit third in the ACC standings. Notre Dame is just three points behind them in fourth and the Irish have won three of their last four games heading into Sunday’s showdown with Louisville.
| 3-seed Notre Dame (12-3-4) | NCAA Tournament 2nd & 3rd Rounds |
|---|---|
| Where: | Fayetteville, AR | Razorback Stadium |
| Watch: | ESPN+ |
| 2nd Rd Opponent: | 6-seed Memphis (19-1) |
| When: | Friday, Nov. 16 | 4 p.m. ET |
| 3rd Rd Opponent: | Pitt or Arkansas |
| When: | Sunday, Nov. 18 | 7 p.m. ET |
| Social: | NDWSOC Twitter NDWSOC Instagram |
Know the Opponent: Louisville Cardinals
- The Irish square off with Louisville for the 16th time in program history when the Cardinals come up to Alumni Stadium.
- The Irish are 11-4 all-time against Louisville and hold a 6-2 advantage in games at Notre Dame.
- This will be the first trip for Louisville to Notre Dame since Oct 26, 2014 when the Irish came away with a 1-0 win on senior night. Senior Lauren Bohaboy netted the game-winner to clinch the fourth and final spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
- The Cardinals come into Sunday’s matchup ranked No. 16 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll and have won their last four games in ACC play.
- Louisville is 11-1 on the year, 4-1 in ACC play and are coming off a 1-0 win over No. 9 Clemson Thursday night at Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium in Louisville.
Irish Facts and Figures
- With the 3-0 win over Miami, the Irish improved to 6-1 at home this season. They have posted six shutouts in seven games at Alumni Stadium and have outscored opponents 21-3 in those games.
- They have recorded three-straight home shutouts at Alumni Stadium and have not allowed a goal at home since the first half against Iowa on Sept. 15. The shutout streak has spanned 345:23 minutes of game time.
- Notre Dame has notched eight shutouts in 13 games this season and are outscoring opponents 26-10 this season.
- Sammi Fisher leads the team with 15 points and is tied with Eva Hurm for the team lead in goals with five.
- Brooke Littman leads the squad with five shutouts in seven games this season. She has only allowed four goals in 630:00 minutes of game time, good for a 0.57 goals against average.
- 10 different players have scored so far this season after only eight different players scored during the entire 2018 campaign.
- The Irish have four players that have tallied a brace so far this season. Eva Hurm and Luisa Delgado scored twice against Northwestern and Autumn Smithers scored both goals against Western Michigan. Kiki Van Zanten was the latest Irish to tally a brace in the win over Pitt.
Fisher’s Hat Trick Carries Irish Over Miami
- Another dominant performance on both sides of the ball saw the Irish take down Miami 3-0 on Thursday night at Alumni Stadium.
- The Irish recorded their third-straight home shutout in the win and the sixth shutout they have had at home this season.
- After a scoreless first half, Sammi Fisher provided the second half fireworks with three goals in the opening 15 minutes of the half.
- It is her first career hat trick and the first Irish hat trick since Cari Roccaro did it against No. 21 Maryland on Sept. 26, 2013.
- Fisher tied the Notre Dame record for most goals in the second half with three. She ties four former players, the most recent coming from Melissa Henderson on Oct. 21, 2011 against DePaul.
- Brooke Littman picked up her fifth shutout of the season and third in ACC play in the 1-0 win.
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