Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Big East
Like the other ranked Big East teams, Notre Dame started the season with seven wins before losing their first conference match of the season to fellow Big East team Louisville. They followed it with a loss to Connecticut then later in the season to Northwestern. Notre Dame was able to finish out the season with only those three losses to end with a 13-3-1 record putting them in the top ten. The Fighting Irish sealed their number three spot in the Big East Tournament with a win against Marquette followed by a tie to Marquette, earning a bye for the first round and a berth straight to the conference quarterfinals to take on Syracuse.
2012 Record: 16-3-1, 5-2-1
Coach: Bobby Clark
Good Results: 9/9 Akron (3-1), 10/6 Georgetown (3-0), 10/24 Marquette (3-1)
Bad Results: 9/22 at Louisville (1-2), 9/29 at Connecticut (1-2), 10/9 at Northwestern (1-2)
Why They Can Surprise:
Notre Dame’s offense was by no means a disappointment with the help of Hermann Trophy hopeful Ryan Finley scoring 17 out of the 40 total goals for the Irish offense. With a pair of keepers, Patrick Wall and Will Walsh, guarding the net, it was no surprise the Irish logged 16 wins. The two goalies tallied 58 saves together and, with the help of the defensive front, allowed only 18 goals. But what can they do to surprise? Notre Dame lost to UConn and Louisville in the regular season, so a match between either two teams and Notre Dame coming out on top will be a surprise especially if it comes down to the final match for the crown. A shutout for the Irish defense will put a little icing on the cake as well, especially going against the aggressive offenses of not just the Big East, but the rest of the NCAA. And they have a lot of momentum after winning the Big East Tournament.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Notre Dame has proven to be a contender among the power houses that dominates the ranks but they have already fallen short to other ranked teams. After the conference tournament, Notre Dame will have to continue to be aggressive on offense and stand strong on defense or they can cause plenty of disappointment with a loss to a lower ranked team in the NCAA tournament. As long as Finley and the rest of the squad play to their top performance, Notre Dame can continue far in the tournament but one slip can send them home and disappoint fans.
Key Strikers:
Ryan Finley, Senior, 20 goals, 4 assists
Patrick Hodan, Freshman, 6 goals, 5 assists
Key Midfielders:
Harrison Shipp, Junior, 5 goals, 6 assists
Dillon Powers, Senior, 5 goals, 7 assists
Key Defenders:
Max Lachowecki, Sophomore, 1 goal, 2 assists
Grant Van De Casteele, Senior, 1 goal, 0 assists
Key Goalkeepers:
Will Walsh, Senior, 0.78 goals against average, .765 save percentage, 5 shutouts
Patrick Wall, Junior, 0.98 goals against average, .762 save percentage, 3 shutouts
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 2.44 (6th in nation, 1st in conference)
Goals-Against Average: 0.87 (33, 6)
Shutout Percentage: 0.39 (42, 7)
Save Percentage: 0.765 (84, 9)
2013 MLS Draft Prospects:
#7 Dillon Powers
#16 Ryan Finley
See All Prospects
Recent Postseason Appearances:
Notre Dame 2010 Second Round Lost to Dartmouth
Notre Dame 2009 First Round Defeated Green Bay
Notre Dame 2009 Second Round Lost to Northwestern
Notre Dame 2008 Second Round Lost to Northwestern
Notre Dame 2007 Second Round Defeated Oakland
Notre Dame 2007 Third Round Defeated Santa Clara
Notre Dame 2007 Quarterfinals Lost to Wake Forest
Notre Dame 2006 Second Round Defeated Illinois-Chicago
Notre Dame 2006 Third Round Defeated Maryland
Notre Dame 2006 Quarterfinals Lost to Virginia
Notre Dame 2005 First Round Defeated Western Illinois
Notre Dame 2005 Second Round Defeated Indiana
Notre Dame 2005 Third Round Lost to Clemson
Notre Dame 2004 Second Round Lost to Ohio State
Notre Dame 2003 First Round Defeated Milwaukee
Notre Dame 2003 Second Round Lost to Michigan
*all team stats through 11/4
See All Men’s Soccer Postseason Capsules
