Opponent Preview: What to know about 4-1 Notre Dame

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Syracuse has been dominant to open the year, holding a perfect 6-0 record and outscoring opponents 107-50. On Sunday, the Orange crushed Virginia Tech 16-5 to mark the third time in history that Syracuse has won its first six matchups. The Orange also held opponents to five goals or less for the third straight game.

Goalkeeper Delaney Sweitzer put up a career-high 15 saves in the win over the Hokies. Meaghan Tyrrell remained a major contributor, tallying seven points on five goals and two assists. The Orange started off slow, as they were only up 2-1 when the first period ended. Then, they scored six unanswered goals in the second frame to put the game out of reach before halftime.

Now, Syracuse is gearing up for its second consecutive conference game as it welcomes Notre Dame to the Dome on Saturday afternoon. This should be a battle of Atlantic Coast Conference heavyweights. Like the Orange, the Fighting Irish are undefeated in the ACC. They’re also 4-1 and are on a three-game win streak.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of Syracuse’s (6-0, 2-0 ACC) matchup against Notre Dame (4-1, 2-0 ACC).

All-time series

Syracuse leads 17-7.

Last time they played

The Orange last met the Fighting Irish in South Bend in February 2022. Both teams were ranked, but Syracuse ended up squeaking out a 17-16 victory in overtime, improving to 4-0.
Emma Tyrrell racked up seven points on four goals and three assists in the game. Emily Hawryschuk put four in herself, and Megan Carney scored three times.

The game started out quiet, with no teams scoring in the first four minutes until Notre Dame’s Madison Mote put it up 1-0. Then, three straight goals by the Orange gave the team a narrow lead they’d hold for the rest of the night. Syracuse had its biggest lead when the third period expired, up 14-9. But the Fighting Irish clawed back into it, scoring seven goals in the final quarter.

Notre Dame tied it at 16-16 with an unassisted Mary Kelly Doherty goal with 16 seconds left in the game. Although, the overtime period didn’t last very long. Less than a minute in, Meaghan whipped one in to give Syracuse its third win against a ranked opponent that season.

The Fighting Irish report

Notre Dame is tied for first place in the ACC as four teams hold a 2-0 conference record. But of those teams, the Fighting Irish are the only one with a loss this season. The defeat came in Evanston, Illinois, falling 18-14 to Northwestern. The Wildcats were fresh off a 16-15 overtime loss to Syracuse in the opener. The Fighting Irish have captured two ACC wins in the last two games, toppling Clemson 12-9 and Duke 14-6.

Seniors Jackie Wolak and Kasey Choma direct most of Notre Dame’s offense. They’re both top ten in the ACC in points per game and goals per game, with only Meaghan averaging more points than Wolak. Wolak tends to be the team’s facilitator, leading the team in assists. While Choma is the primary scorer, leading the team in goals and landing at fifth in the conference in shots per game.

Overwhelming opposing goalies with shots is typical of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish average the most shots on goal per game in the conference with 28.

How Syracuse beats Notre Dame

SU will have to maintain possession and take care of the ball in this game. Notre Dame has the ability to keep the ball out of Syracuse’s pockets. The Fighting Irish have been causing over 11 turnovers each game, the best in the conference in that category.

Also, Notre Dame is spectacular on the draw. The team is second in the conference in draw controls with 18 per game. Kate Mashewske will have to be on her game against the Fighting Irish’s three draw specialists, featuring Kelly Denes, Emma Shettig and Mary Kelly Doherty.

Syracuse will have to avoid committing fouls, too. Notre Dame has the most goals in the ACC off woman-up opportunities. Syracuse also has given up nearly a quarter of its goals this season on free positions. Once again, Sweitzer will have to step up in net against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish put pressure on goalies with 36.20 shots per game on a .453 shot percentage.

Stat to know: 40

Notre Dame plays some tough defense, allowing only eight goals this season per game. The Northwestern game was the only one where it gave up more than nine scores. ND is the nation’s 10th ranked scoring defense.

Duke and Clemson are two of the top five scoring teams in the ACC in goals per game. Clemson averages 17.43 goals, but the Fighting Irish held them to nine. Duke averages 14.83 scores, but Notre Dame held it to less than half that at six. San Diego State and Central Michigan’s lowest scoring games came against the Fighting Irish.

Player to watch: Mary Kelly Doherty, midfield No. 7

Doherty has been all around the field for Notre Dame this season. The defensive midfielder is coming off an impressive sophomore campaign where she scored 18 goals, caused 14 turnovers, picked up 21 ground balls and won 45 draws in 19 games.

This year, the junior is fifth in the ACC in caused turnovers. She’s also recorded seven goals this year, the fourth highest on the team. The New Jersey native also contributes to draw controls, as she has 19 on the year. That’s 11th in the ACC, just behind her teammate Shettig who has 20.