NOTRE DAME, Indiana — The University of Notre Dame women’s soccer team put on another suffocating defensive performance at home en route to their seventh shutout of the season in the 3-0 win over Syracuse Friday night.
“Scoring early any game starts the momentum right away and that was huge tonight,” said Eva Hurm. “It always helps coming off of a win so hopefully this will give us some momentum over the next few games.”
The Irish (8-4-0, 2-2-0 ACC) got on the scoreboard early in the fifth minute after Hurm tallied her team-leading fifth goal of the season. After halftime, the lead doubled after an own goal on the Orange (2-7-2, 0-3-1 ACC) in the 51st minute. The final tally of the night came from Luisa Delgado after a rocket of a shot from outside the box that beat the Syracuse keeper.
“It was good to be back home tonight, it was great having the band out and it created a great atmosphere tonight,” said head coach Nate Norman. “Scoring early was huge tonight because it opened up the game and created more opportunities in the attacking third.”
The defense stood tall once again for the Irish at home. They did not allow a shot for the second time this season while picking up their fifth shutout on the year at Alumni Stadium. Brooke Littman earned her team-leading fourth shutout on the year.
How it Happened
The Irish struck early off a throw in deep inside their offensive third. Shannon Hendricks played the ball into Sammi Fisher on the left edge of the box. Fisher quickly flicked the ball over her head and into Hurm just outside the six-yard box. Hurm beat her defender and headed it into the back of the net for the game’s first goal.
The Irish had a few other chances in the first half but the scored stayed 1-0 in favor of Notre Dame at the break.
In the second half, Notre Dame’s pressure led to the second goal of the match. Hurm intercepted a pass from a Syracuse defender and immediately sent it towards the six-yard box with Delgado breaking towards the ball. Taylor Bennett tried to deflect the pass away for Syracuse but it ended up going into the back of the net for the own goal.
Notre Dame’s final goal of the night came late in the 77th minute after a strong run into the attacking third by Delgado. She got past a couple defenders and created some space just outside the top of the box. Delgado struck the ball well and it curled around the keeper for her fourth goal of the season.
Stats of the Match
- Notre Dame did not allow a single shot for the second time this season in the 3-0 win. They did not allow a shot on the road in the 1-0 win over Oakland.
- The Irish picked up their seventh shutout of the season and their fifth at home Friday night.
- The Irish have had a shutout in five of six games at Alumni Stadium and have outscored opponents 18-3 in those games.
Coming Up Next
The Irish continue their three-game homestand when they host the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday, October 10th. It will be Notre Dame’s annual SEGway game where proceeds will benefit the the Segway Project, a nonprofit organization that uses soccer to empower girls in the developing world and helps them achieve their potential both on and off the field. First touch is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra.
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.
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