NOTRE DAME, Ind. – No. 5 Notre Dame welcomes #4 Pitt to town for an early top-5 showdown on Saturday evening at Alumni Stadium. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m. ET. Saturday’s match is technically considered a non-conference game, as the two will play at Pitt on Oct. 30 in a conference matchup. The match will be available to stream live on ACCNX.
#5 NOTRE DAME vs. #4 KENTUCKY
Location: Notre Dame, Indiana | Alumni Stadium
Live Stream: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. Pitt
2020 ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR HOME MATCHES
• Until further notice, while the University is in session during the fall semester, spectators will not be allowed at home sporting events unless otherwise specified.
• The University will monitor the health and safety of the campus and local community throughout the fall semester – working closely with health officials in formulating policies and procedures.
• All home games for men’s soccer will air on ACCN or ACCNX.
THE PITT SERIES
• The Irish and Panthers will meet on the pitch for the 26th time on Saturday evening.
• The Irish hold a commanding lead in the series with a mark of 18-4-3.
• Notre Dame has played Pitt at home 13 times, posting a record of 10-2-1.
• The Irish have won 17 of the last 18 meetings in the matchup.
• The most recent matchup in the series came last season at Alumni Stadium on Nov. 1, resulting in a 1-0 victory for the Irish.
IRISH SWEEP ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
• Notre Dame swept the first installment of the ACC Player of the Week honors on Monday following the season-opening win over Kentucky.
• Senior goalkeeper Keagan McLaughlin earned Defensive Player of the Week status after posting a clean sheet and making a career-high four saves.
• Freshman forward took home Offensive Player of the Week honors following his game-winning goal off the bench in the 62nd minute in the win over the Wildcats, the first goal of his collegiate career.
• Additionally, McLaughlin, sophomore defender Reese Mayer and senior forward Aiden McFadden were named to the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week.
CHALLENGING SLATE AHEAD
• The Irish have never shied away from playing a challenging slate of opponents and the 2020 schedule looks to be no different.
• Notre Dame is set to play eight regular-season matches in the fall, six counting as ACC play.
• All eight matches will feature teams that played in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
• The only team the Irish face from outside the ACC is Kentucky in the season-opener, which Notre Dame won by a final of 1-0.
• The Irish also technically play another non-conference match against Pitt on Saturday, Sept. 26.
RILEY ENTERS YEAR THREE AT NOTRE DAME
• Head Coach Chad Riley is in his third season at the helm of his alma mater.
• Riley has led the Irish to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances since taking the reins of the program.
• The Irish have a record of 22-15-4 during Riley’s tenure.
• Riley became the first head coach in program history to reach the NCAA quarterfinals in his debut season after earning the No. 7 overall seed in the tournament.
OWNING THE OPENERS
• Notre Dame has historically gotten off to a good start to its season, posting a record of 27-9-8.
• The Irish are unbeaten in their last 10 openers to a season, going 6-0-4. Notre Dame has outscored the opposition by a combined score of 15-5 over that stretch.
• Notre Dame has been even better in home openers, recording a mark of 32-8-4.
• Last weekend the Irish won the season and home opener against Kentucky by a score of 1-0 at Alumni Stadium.