during ACC Women's Soccer action between University of Notre Dame vs. North Carolina State University at Alumni Stadium on September 30, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana.

Irish Set to Battle No. 3 North Carolina

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s soccer team (6-6, 2-2) continues its four-game homestand and the Irish are set to host one of the top teams of the country is coming to Alumni Stadium. The Irish are set to battle with No. 3 North Carolina Thursday night with first touch scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Thursday’s match with the Tar Heels with be the sixth annual SEGway game for the Irish. 

WHAT: No. 3 North Carolina vs. Notre Dame
WHEN: Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. (ET)
WHERE: Alumni Stadium (Notre Dame, Ind.)
BROADCAST: ACC Network Extra
LIVE STATS: UND.com
TWITTER: @NDSoccer
 
SERIES HISTORY: TAR HEELS     
Two of the most storied programs in women’s soccer will meet for the 28th time in school history Thursday night at Alumni Stadium. The Tar Heels are Notre Dame’s second most common opponent behind UConn but these two teams have meet 10 different times in the NCAA Tournament, with a number of those occasions being in the College Cup. The Irish and Tar Heels have met five times in the College Cup final and twice in the College Cup semifinal. The Irish knocked off North Carolina 4-1 in the 2010 College Cup semifinal en route to the program’s third national title. Last season, the two teams squared off at WakeMed Soccer Park and played to a 1-1 draw in the ACC regular season finale for both teams. After a scoreless first half, Sandra Yu connected with Jennifer Westendorf for Notre Dame’s goal. Yu played a ball up towards the top of the box where a streaking Westendorf out-ran her defender and beat the goalie to the left side for the goal. The Tar Heels broke through in the final minute for their goal to secure a 1-1 draw. The last time the two teams faced off at Alumni Stadium, Notre Dame picked up its first ever win at home against North Carolina, 1-0 on Oct. 14, 2016. The lone goal of the match came in the second half when Westendorf earned a free kick just outside the box. Her shot curled over and around the defensive wall and rocketed into the top right corner of the net for her team-leading sixth goal of the season.

WESTENDORF, MUYA LEAD IRISH PAST WOLFPACK
This past Sunday at Alumni Stadium, the Irish picked up their first win over a ranked opponent when they took down No. 21 NC State. Notre Dame got on the scoreboard first when Karin Muya scored in the fifth minute. Martel-Lamothe sent a header on goal that was saved but Muya got to the rebound first and volleyed it into the back of the net for the goal. In the second half, the Irish got the game-winning goal off of a rebound. Eva Hurm created some space outside the box and lofted a ball in towards the goal. A scramble for the ball ensued and it was Westendorf who got to the ball first and she sent it past the keeper for the game-winning goal. The Irish held the Wolfpack off the scoreboard for the final 30 minutes thanks to a strong performance from the Irish defense.
 
SEGway Game
Notre Dame’s match against North Carolina will serve as its sixth annual SEGway game. Fans will be able to donate to the SEGway project during the game.
Former Irish soccer player Lindsay Brown (’12) founded the SEGway Project, which stands for “Soccer Empowering Girls Worldwide & You.” The SEGway Project is a nonprofit organization that uses soccer to empower girls in the developing world, helping them achieve their potential both on and off the field.–ND–