@CanesFutbol Stuns No. 14/4 Notre Dame in 2OT
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Some things you simply cannot script—like an Indiana native whose brother plays soccer for Notre Dame scoring the match-winner to defeat the Fighting Irish.
That is exactly what happened Friday night at Cobb Stadium though, as junior forward Gracie Lachowecki tallied a goal in the 106th minute to lift the University of Miami soccer team past No. 14/4 Notre Dame, 1-0.
“I took a touch a touch and then I realized that two defenders were on me and I was kind of thinking, ‘Oh, I really need to get on the end of this,’” Lachowecki said of her goal. “So, luckily I got a good touch and got a good shot off. Amy [Schmidt] played me a great ball.”
Miami’s leading goal scorer in 2014, senior midfielder/defender Natalie Moik, as well as redshirt freshman goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce both missed the match due to injury, but their teammates rose the occasion. Redshirt sophomore Catalina Perez made the second start of her career in goal and set the tone defensively for Miami, helping the team post its third clean sheet of the season.
Perez came up big for the Hurricanes throughout the match, making a number of key plays and tied her career high with six saves. None were bigger than her 79th minute stop on a shot off the foot of Notre Dame (8-3-1, 1-3-0 ACC) senior Anna Maria Gilbertson.
The Fighting Irish forward had a stellar open look in the box and put the ball on net, but Perez was up to the task, making a beautiful diving save to keep the match scoreless en route to her first career shutout.
“Catalina made a huge save for us to stay in the game. I am really proud of her,” Miami head coach Mary-Frances Monroe said. “. . . She came up big on a few of the corners [as well]. She has a lot of game experience, she has international experience. With Phallon being hurt I knew that she would be able to step right into those shoes and perform for us and play 90 minutes.”
When the match went to overtime, Notre Dame had a few chances in the first 10 minutes, but Perez and the Miami (4-7-0, 1-3-0 ACC) back line held strong. In the second overtime session, the Hurricanes amped off the offensive attack and it led to the golden goal.
On a counterattack that began after Perez made a brilliant play to knock away a bending corner kick, freshman forward/midfielder Jamie Brunworth played the ball to Schmidt, a senior forward, and she sent it long to a sprinting Lachowecki. The Evansville, Ind. native then calmly slipped the ball near post past diving Notre Dame junior goalkeeper Kaela Little and into the back of the net.
Lachowecki’s team-leading fifth goal of the year sent the Hurricanes bench running onto the field in a frenzy.
“I’m so proud of this team, not just for beating Notre Dame,” Monroe said. “I’m so proud of them because I just feel like we were unlucky in so many games, losing in overtime a couple times this season, losing by one goal [two other times] . . . It just goes to show you that with the limited amount of wins that we had, this team was still so positive in training every day. They’re a joy to work with.”
Each of Miami’s last two victories over ranked opponents have now come against Notre Dame. The Hurricanes downed the third-ranked Fighting Irish 2-0 Oct. 6, 2013. Miami has now earned at least one win over a ranked team in 10 of the past 11 years and owns 10 victories over sides with a top-10 ranking, including five in the last five seasons.
The win Friday was also the team’s first in extra time since a 2-1 double overtime triumph at Milwaukee Sept. 1, 2013.
The Hurricanes will continue their four-match homestand Thursday, Oct. 8 when they host No. 22/24 Duke (6-3-3, 0-1-2 ACC) at 7:00 p.m. at Cobb Stadium.
For more information on the University of Miami soccer program, follow @CanesFutbol.
Celebration photo courtesy of Joel Auerbach.
