SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Irish will look to claim the ACC Coastal Championship on Friday in Chapel Hill, as they take on UNC in the regular season finale at 4:30 p.m. ET. The match will air on ESPNU.
#11 NOTRE DAME at UNC
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Dorrance Field
TV: ESPNU
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. UNC
WHAT’S AT STAKE
• Notre Dame enters the final day of the regular season in second place in the ACC and atop the Coastal Divsion standings with 14 points (4-1-2).
• With a victory the Irish will win the ACC Coastal Division title for the second time in program history.
• If the Irish win and Louisville draws or loses to Clemson then Notre Dame will be the top seed for the ACC Championships for the second time in program history.
THE UNC SERIES
• The Irish and Tar Heels will meet on the pitch for the 10th time on Friday afternoon.
• The Irish trail in the series with a mark of 3-5-2.
• Notre Dame is 2-3 against UNC when playing the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.
• However, the Irish won the most recent matchup at Dorrance Field, claiming a 1-0 win in OT in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament on Nov. 15, 2020.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Irish battled to a 1-1 draw against No. 18 Duke on Friday, Oct. 22 at Alumni Stadium.
• After allowing an early Blue Devils goal, the Irish found the equalizer in the 48th minute courtesy of a Tyler Shea goal.
• Notre Dame outshot Duke by a margin of 11-7, including a 5-3 advantage in shots on target.
KEEP IT CLEAN
• The Notre Dame defense has come into form in the second half of the season, posting four clean sheets in its last five matches, allowing just one goal over that stretch.
• The Irish have totaled seven shutouts on the season, with Bryan Dowd in goal for four and Thomas Deslonchamps recording three.
• Opponents have scored multiple goals in just three of 15 matches this season.
STACKING WINS
• The Irish are unbeaten in the last seven matches heading into the regular season finale, posting a record of 6-0-1 over the seven matches.
• The seven-match undefeated streak is the longest of the Chad Riley era and is the most consecutive matches without a loss since the Irish won the 2013 National Championship.
• Notre Dame has allowed a total of two goals during the current win streak and has scored multiple goals in five of the seven contests.
STRONG STARTS
• The Irish have made it a habit of getting off on the front foot in the 2021 season, scoring first in 11 of 15 matches.
• Notre Dame has outscored its opponents by a combined 15-5 in first halves this season.
• The Irish have scored a goal in the opening 10 minutes of play in five matches during the 2021 campaign, totaling eight in that span.
• Notre Dame has trailed at the half just one time all season.
LYNN LEADS THE LINE
• Lynn was Notre Dame’s representative on the ACC Preseason Watch List and was recently ranked No. 33 in TopDrawerSoccer’s midseason top 100 players rankings.
• Lynn paces all active Irish players in career goals with 28 in his Notre Dame career.
• The senior leads the team in goals (7) and points (17) on the year.
• Lynn has scored six goals over his last nine matches.
• The forward has seven goals and three assists in the 14 games he has played this season.
• In the final match of the 2020 fall regular season, Lynn recorded the first hat trick of his career, scoring three times in the first half in the 4-1 win over Louisville.
• The forward enjoyed a breakout 2019 campaign, scoring a career-high 10 goals to lead the Irish attack.
• Lynn has led the Irish in goals and points in each of the last two seasons.
BALANCED ATTACK
• Nineteen different Irish players have registered at least one point this season, as the team has totaled 105 on the season.
• Thirteen players have scored a goal through 15 matches, with nine scoring multiple goals.
• The Irish have racked up 37 assists, which ranks ninth in the country.
• Dawson McCartney leads the Irish with five assists while Paddy Burns and Daniel Russo are tied for second with four each. Lynn, Matthew Roou, Ethan O’Brien and Matthew McLaughlin each have three.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
• The Irish have received significant contributions from the 2021 freshman class.
• Thirteen of Notre Dame’s 38 goals have been scored by freshmen.
• Matthew Roou ranks second on the team in goals scored with six while Eno Nto is third on the squad with five goals to his name.
• Michael Rossi has scored two goals in his debut season.
• Josh Ramsey has played in all 14 games, including 13 starts for Notre Dame this season at the center back position.
• Nto and Roou both scored goals in their first career starts, coming in the 2-0 win over NIU.
• Kyle Genenbacher has also logged minutes in 13 matches this season.
2021 CAPTAINS
• Mohamed Omar and Philip Quinton will share the skipper role for the Fighting Irish for the 2021 season.
• Omar has been a staple as a central defensive midfielder over the past three seasons. His 2020-21 campaign was cut short due to an injury that sidelined him for almost all of the spring.
• Omar has racked up 60 appearances for the Irish over four seasons, scoring five goals and adding three assists in his career.
• Quinton has been a mainstay in Notre Dame’s defense four seasons at the center back position.
• The 6-foot-6 defender has anchored the Irish back line the last two seasons. Quinton has scored the first two goals in his Notre Dame career this season, coming against Virginia Tech and Purdue Fort Wayne.