No. 1 Stanford edges No. 2 Notre Dame to claim 2025 ACC Tournament Championship

CARY, N.C. – In a battle of the top two teams in the nation, No. 1 Stanford (16-1-2) claimed the ACC Championship and the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament following a 2-2 draw with No. 2 Notre Dame (14-1-3) that saw the Cardinal win a penalty kick shootout 5-4. (Box Score)

Sophomore Charlotte Kohler clinched the match in penalties, burying her shot following a missed penalty from Notre Dame in the sixth round of PKs.

Andrea Kitahata, Shae Harvey, Y-Lan Nguyen and Mia Bhuta also made penalty kicks, while Stanford goalkeeper Caroline Birkel saved one and saw one off the woodwork while reading the penalty direction correctly.

The Cardinal scored the first two goals of the match, with Allie Montoya breaking the scoreless match in the 29th minute. Jasmine Aikey, who was named Tournament MVP, jostled with an Irish defender before heel-flicking a pass onto Montoya who broke through the box toward goal. Notre Dame goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica came off her line, but Montoya slotted her shot past and into the back of the net for her seventh goal of the year.

Leading 1-0 at halftime, Stanford doubled its lead early in the second half on a strike from distance off the foot of Aikey. The senior lined up her left-footed shot in the 47th minute and deposited it in the upper-left corner of the net for her team-best 15th goal of the season.

Refusing to surrender the title without a fight, Notre Dame got a goal back on a spectacular effort from ACC Offensive Player of the Year Izzy Engle in the 69th minute. Engle’s goal was her conference-leading 19th of the season.

Notre Dame fought all the way back to even in the 75th minute when Charlie Codd connected for her second goal of the year.

Outshot 15-3 in the second 45 minutes, Stanford got a second wind in overtime, settling back in and putting a few quality chances on frame, but the score remained knotted after 20 extra minutes of play.

Both squads converted their first three penalties before Birkel made a save on the fourth from Notre Dame. The Cardinal had an opportunity to clinch the shootout with its fifth kick, but Kasica came up with a huge save of her own to force one extra round. After Codd dinged the left post, Kohler stepped to the spot and sent the Cardinal into celebration.

Following the conclusion of the match, four Cardinal players were named to the 2025 Ally ACC Women’s Soccer All-Tournament Team. The MVP Aikey was joined by Kohler, Kitahata and Elise Evans.

Stanford will now await the announcement of the NCAA Tournament field on Monday at 1 p.m.

2025 ACC Women’s Soccer All-Tournament Team

• Jasmine Aikey, Stanford (MVP)
• Charlotte Kohler, Stanford
• Andrea Kitahata, Stanford
• Elise Evans, Stanford
• Izzy Engle, Notre Dame
• Annabelle Chukwu, Notre Dame
• Leah Klenke, Notre Dame
• Charlie Codd, Notre Dame
• Meredith McDermott, Virginia
• Victoria Safradin, Virginia
• Kat Rader, Duke