NOTRE DAME, Ind. – No. 8 Notre Dame (3-1-1, 1-0-0 ACC) lost its first match of the season in heartbreaking fashion on Tuesday evening against No. 2 Indiana (5-1-0) by a final score of 2-1 in overtime.
The golden goal from the Hoosiers was disputed, as an Indiana player appeared to be offside but the official made the decision to allow the goal.
Notre Dame never trailed until the final goal. The first goal of the match was scored by Irish freshman Jack Lynn, marking the first goal of his young career.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish and Hoosiers battled to a scoreless standstill over the opening 45 minutes. Both teams created a number of half chances but neither side put an attempt on target, as the visitors held a slight 4-3 advantage in the shots column. The Irish have now shut out their opponents in the first half in every match this season.
Notre Dame came out of the halftime intermission on the front foot, looking dangerous going forward in attack. The Irish had a great chance in the 65th minute, as Ian Aschieris unleashed a shot to the far post, forcing the Indiana keeper to make a save. Lynn came sprinting in and got another shot off that was pushed out of bounds for a corner.
In the 71st minute Lynn produced a moment of brilliance, as he made a run through the Hoosier defense from the right side and into the box before perfectly placing his shot into the left side netting of the goal to give the Irish the 1-0 lead.
Eight minutes later the Hoosiers leveled the score at 1-1 in the 79th minute. The Notre Dame defender slipped on the right flank, allowing the Indiana player to get to the end line and send in a cross. IU’s A.J. Palazzolo met the cross with a header to score and even the score.
Neither side was able to produce the game winner in regulation, sending the contest to overtime. Just over two minutes into the first overtime period the Hoosiers won a corner and produced the goal to make the final score 2-1.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Lynn made a big impact off the bench for the Irish, scoring Notre Dame’s lone goal of the evening. The freshman’s goal was the first of his career and he finished with two shots, both on target, and one goal.
“I think Jack had a great performance,” said Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley. “He was one that started preseason really well and has been battling. He just scores goals. I think he did a great job, he really doesn’t care who he is playing against and he did really well beating a guy in the box and had a great finish on his goal.”
STAT OF THE MATCH
The Irish have now shut out their opponents in the first half in every match this season. Notre Dame did not allow a shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes of play.
HEAD COACH CHAD RILEY’S TAKE
On the team’s performance…
“Losing games in overtime in questionable fashion is a tough pill to swallow but I think we walk off the field with our heads high. I am very proud with the performance. I thought it was pretty cagey in the first half, definitely a midfield battle. The corners were really the only threatening moments.
“I thought we came out tremendous in the second half. We really responded well and were maybe unlucky to not get another goal. Overall I think Indiana is a quality opponent. I was very proud with the way we played. I think we were a little unfortunate not to get a win or at least a draw because we deserved that.”
NOTES OF THE MATCH
- Notre Dame is now 2-0-0 against ranked opponents during the 2018 season.
- The Irish have scored the opening goal in all five matches in 2018.
- Notre Dame recorded more shots than the Hoosiers on the evening by a total of 11-9.
- Seven different players have combined to score Notre Dame’s 10 goals through five matches.
- The goal from Lynn was the first of his season and career.
UP NEXT
Friday’s match against Virginia has been postponed due to the threat of Hurricane Florence. A makeup date will be announced on a later date. The Irish are back in action at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 17, as they host No. 4 Michigan State at Alumni Stadium.
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