Martinez vs. CMU

Irish Begin Four Game Homestand with Florida State

NOTRE DAME, Ind. –  After nearly four weeks without a home game, the Notre Dame women’s soccer team (5-5, 1-1 ACC) returns home to begin a four-game homestand Thursday night at Alumni Stadium. The Irish will face off with No. 10 Florida State (8-2-1, 1-2 ACC) on Thursday with first touch scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET.

WHAT: No. 10 Florida State vs. Notre Dame
WHEN: Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m. (ET)
WHERE: Alumni Stadium (Notre Dame, Ind.)
BROADCAST: ACC Network Extra
LIVE STATS: UND.com
TWITTER: @NDSoccer

SERIES HISTORY: SEMINOLES
Notre Dame and Florida State will meet for the 10th time in school history Thursday night at Alumni Stadium. Florida State holds a 5-4 and the teams are 1-1 in South Bend. The teams faced off last season in Tallahassee and the Irish came away with a 4-3 over the 18th-ranked Seminoles in a back-and-forth affair between two top-25 teams. The Irish took a 2-0 lead at the half after Jennifer Westendorf connected on a free kick and Sammi Fisher scored off of a rebound. The Seminoles roared back in the second half and tied the game with two goals in the opening ten minutes of the half. Then Florida State converted on a penalty kick to gain its first lead of the night at 3-2. Following a switch in formation, the Irish scored the equalizer in the 83rd minute off another free kick from Westendorf. Then as the game was destined for extra time, Sabrina played a ball up to Fisher and she beat FSU’s keeper for the game-winning goal in the 88th minute.

VANDYCK’S GOAL TAKES DOWN DEMON DEACONS
The Irish opened up ACC play with a two-game road trip against Louisville and Wake Forest this past weekend. On Sunday afternoon in Winston-Salem, the Irish picked up their first conference win of the season thanks to a second half goal from Brooke VanDyck. The Irish and Demon Deacons were scoreless at halftime as both team played a physical game. In the second half, the Irish broke through and the play got started in the midfield with Jennifer Westendorf. Heading up the right side into the attacking third, Westendorf got tangled with a Demon Deacon defender. Westendorf stuck with it and kept possession before sending a cross towards the middle of the box. VanDyck came streaking in and volleyed the cross into the back of the net to give the Irish a 1-0 lead. Over the final 30 minutes, the Irish defense kept the Demon Deacons at bay and tallied their second shutout of the season. VanDyck picked up her second goal of the season to tie the team lead and both have been game-winners.

IRISH BEGIN RANKED HOMESTAND
The Irish start off a four game homestand on Thursday with all four opponents ranked in the current United Soccer Coaches poll. Three of the four teams (No. 4 North Carolina, No. 7 Virginia, and No. 10 Florida State) are all ranked in the top-10. Last season, the Irish were 4-4-2 against ranked foes. Thursday’s match against Florida State will be the first ranked matchup at home for the Irish and third ranked foe of the season. Notre Dame faced No. 1 Stanford and No. 12 Santa Clara on the road earlier this month.

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