SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish opened the 2025 season with a 2-1 win over the defending MAC Champions Western Michigan at Alumni Stadium on Thursday evening.
The Irish improved to an impressive 29-5-3 record in season openers.
The reigning ACC Freshman of the Year and All-American Izzy Engle picked up right where she left off in the 2024 campaign, recording her seventh career multi-goal game as she opened the season with a brace to deliver the Irish the victory. Junior Chase Ying recorded her first career point off an assist on the opening goal.
Sophomore goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica recorded four saves to pick up the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish wasted no time grabbing an early lead, scoring in the 12th minute. Ying fired a shot from outside the box, forcing the Bronco’s keeper to make a save, however, the rebound fell to Engle, who finished into the back of the net to put Notre Dame on top 1-0.
The Irish controlled the run of play for the majority of the rest of the half, taking the one-goal advantage into the break.
After Notre Dame began the second half dictating much of the action, Western Michigan leveled the match in the 63rd minute. The Broncos intercepted an Irish pass in the final third, and scored to make the game 1-1.
The Irish instantly responded. Tessa Knapp’s cross into the box took a deflection off a Western Michigan defender and fell to the feet of Engle, who struck it with her right foot into the bottom left corner to put the Irish back on top at 2-1 in the 66th minute.
Over the final twenty minutes, the Irish held strong and limited the Bronco attack to very few opportunities as they sealed the 2-1 win in the season opener.
UP NEXT
The Irish are back in action on Sunday as they travel to Fayetteville, AR to take on the Razorbacks at 7:30 PM ET (6:30 PM CT) on the SECN.