SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 1 seeded Notre Dame women’s soccer team’s (17-3-3) magical season came to a close on Saturday after a hard-fought battle with No. 2 seed North Carolina (19-4-1), falling 2-0 inside Alumni Stadium. The Tar Heels got two goals in the first 47 minutes of the match then faced tremendous pressure from the Irish, who fired off 11 shots in the second half.
Doug & Lisa Jones Head Coach Nate Norman recorded his most wins at the helm with 17 during the 2022 campaign. The Irish earned their first No. 1 seed since 2008 and reached the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2012. They also finished the year 6-2-3 against the nation’s top-25, and before Saturday, went unbeaten in their last 12 matches.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half possession percentage, nearly split at 51/49 North Carolina, but the Tar Heels frustrated the Irish most of the half. UNC outshot ND, 7-2, but most of their shots came off of failed clearances, picking up loose balls and continuing the attack.
North Carolina struck first, as Libby Moore took advantage of one of the failed clearances and fired a shot off the crossbar. Next, Ally Sentnor picked up the rebound at the top-center of the box and put it away in the corner.
The Irish did get one good look in the half courtesy of Olivia Wingate, who used that famous speed of hers to outrun her defender, work herself into the right side of the box and fire off a shot right where the keeper was standing, forcing her to lift the ball over the bar.
The Tar Heels put the Irish in a hole by adding to their score in the 47th minute. UNC dumped the ball deep into the left corner of the box near the goal line. They immediately found Talia Dellaperuta at the top of the box and finished it off.
The Irish had another good look in the 62nd minute when Kiki Van Zanten hit a cross from the left side to the right, finding Ellie Ospeck. The junior beat her defender and fired a shot from the right side of the box near post at the keeper.
A few minutes later Irish fans thought they had a goal. Kati Druzina hit a beautiful cross from the left side towards the middle of the six-yard box, but Wingate’s outstretched leg just missed it.
Another near Irish miss came in the 79th minute off a corner kick. Albert’s cross landed right in the middle of the six-yard box and bumped slightly out to Mercado, who’s spinning kick went just over the crossbar.
The Irish kept pushing in the final minutes…