NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame women’s soccer team is set for their only home match of the spring season as they welcome the Missouri Tigers to Alumni Stadium this weekend. The Irish and Tigers are set to square off on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET with the game being aired on the ACC Network Extra. The Irish opened the spring season with a 2-0 win against Cincinnati on March 11 and look to keep the momentum going this weekend.
KNOW THE OPPONENT: MISSOURI TIGERS
- The Irish and Tigers will meet for just the second time in program history, with the first meeting taking place on September 4, 2016.
- The Irish came away with a 1-0 victory after Jen Westendorf scored the game winning goal in the 61st minute.
- The Tigers head into the matchup with a 5-4-2 mark on the year and finished SEC play with a 3-2-2 record. Their marquee win of the season came in a 2-1 win against the eventual SEC Champion Vanderbilt Commodores on Oct. 3.
- In the spring season, the Tigers are 1-1 after a 1-0 win against Creighton and a 3-0 defeat against No. 14 BYU.
IRISH BLANK BEARCATS
- In their first matchup in over four months, the Irish took down the Cincinnati Bearcats 2-0 to open the spring season.
- After 45 minutes of scoreless play, the Irish offense erupted in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
- The Irish opened the scoring in the 51st minute after Eva Hurm sent a low driven cross into the box. Brooke VanDyck beat the Bearcat defender to the ball and smashed it into the back of the net for her first goal of the 2020-21 season.
- Just three minutes later, the Irish doubled their lead. Kati Druzina made a strong run into the box and cut back towards the middle of the field with her defender even with her. After the cut back, she sent a low shot that beat the keeper inside the near post as the keeper was screened by the defender for her first career goal.
- The Irish defense was rock solid against the Bearcats, only allowing eight shots and just one reached target.
- Senior Jaina Eckert earned her first career start in net and tallied the shutout and win after making the save on the only shot on target for the Bearcats.
- The Irish picked up their fifth shutout of the season, all five of their wins this season has been via the shutout.
A GIFT LIKE NO OTHER
- Doug and Lisa Jones of Westlake Village, California have made an incredible gift to the University of Notre Dame to endow the women’s soccer head coach position.
- This gift will help underwrite the salary of the coach, provide stability and resources for the long term and create funds for use within the athletics department. Nate Norman will become the first Doug and Lisa Jones Family Head Women’s Soccer Coach. Norman, a 2007 Notre Dame graduate and former soccer student-athlete, currently is in his third season as head coach of the Fighting Irish.
- The Joneses have a strong connection to the Fighting Irish women’s soccer program as their daughter, Ashley Jones Penn, is a 2008 and 2009 Notre Dame graduate and former member of the team. While earning four Monograms with the Fighting Irish, she helped Notre Dame win the 2004 NCAA Championship and advance to the College Cup Final Four in three of her four years. She was a two-time first team Academic All-American as an accounting major.
ALUMNI STADIUM ATTENDANCE POLICY
The University of Notre Dame, in accordance with campus health and safety protocols and with the guidance of local health officials, will limit attendance for sports competing this spring to guests of competing Notre Dame student-athletes and coaches as well as current Notre Dame, Holy Cross and St. Mary’s College students. Students will be expected to show a current I.D. and physically distanced seating will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional student attendance policies can be found here.
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