No. 2 Notre Dame earns another huge win, handing No. 5 Florida State their first loss

SOUTH BEND, IN – The No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-0-1, 6-0) handed the No. 5 Florida State Seminoles (8-1-2, 4-1-1) their first loss of the season in an incredible comeback at Alumni Stadium.

Down 2-0, the Irish would score four unanswered goals for an impressive 4-2 win over the Seminoles. Notre Dame’s 10-match win streak is now the longest win streak in the country this season.

Florida State has been known for their defense, conceding just two goals all season long in their previous 10 games. Tonight, the Irish doubled that with four goals in the victory. This is the first time since 2010 that the Seminoles have fallen in a match when they led at the half.

The Irish got contributions from many different players in the attack. Paige Buchner, Izzy Engle, Ellie Hodsden, and Annabelle Chukwu each netted a goal for the Irish, while Laney Matriano, Ally Pinto, Hodsden, and Engle each dished out an assist in the win.

Engle is second in the country with 31 points this season. She also leads the ACC and is third nationally with an impressive 13 goals across 12 games this year.

Sophomore goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica recorded a season-high seven saves in the win.

The Florida State Seminoles dominated the early part of the match, as they posed a 2-0 advantage over the Irish in 23 minutes of play.

Despite the deficit, the Irish continued to battle as they created some looks late in the first half. Morgan Roy had back-to-back shots on goal in the 38th minute but the Seminole keeper was able to make both saves to hold the Irish scoreless.

Notre Dame wasn’t going anywhere though as Hodsden made a quick pass through a pair of Seminole defenders, where Buchner was able to get in front to fire it top shelf in the 44th minute. Buchner’s goal made it a one-goal match heading into the second half at 2-1.

The Irish came out of the halftime break and upped the intensity in the final 45 minutes of play and it didn’t take long for the pressure to pay off, translating in a pair of Notre Dame goals.

In the 63rd minute, a cross from Ally Pinto found Laney Matriano deep in the box before it fell right to the feet of Engle for a quick strike. Her 13th goal of the season was the equalizer the Irish were hungry for to make it 2-all.

Not even two minutes later, the Irish took their first lead of the night. On a throw-in, Engle slid a pass across the box to Hodsden for a quick shot off her left foot as it went past the keeper to the middle of the net to put the Irish up 3-2 in the 65th minute.

The Seminoles netted a goal shortly after, but it was called back after a review for offsides.

Just when you thought it was over, Chukwu had to get in on the scoring action. The sophomore forward worked her defender on the right wing and after getting past them with her shifty footwork, she sent it right into the bottom left corner of the net to extend the Irish lead 4-2 in the 80th minute, putting an exclamation mark on the impressive performance.

The 4-2 victory keeps the Irish undefeated on the season, which is the first time they have been undefeated through the first 12 matches in a season since 2008. It’s also the first time Notre Dame has scored multiple goals in each of their first 12 matches to start a season since 2006.

The Irish host SMU on Sunday, Oct. 12 at 3:30 on ACC Network. Notre Dame will hold their Senior Day celebration by recognizing their seniors just before the start of the match.