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ndsmcobserver.com | monday, september 10, 2018 | The Observer
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kick. Freshman midfielder Mohamed Omar was called for a hand ball after a challenge that resulted in the ball popping up and hitting his arm. Syracuse converted the penalty kick to bring the score to 2-1. Just ten minutes later, the Irish extended their lead to 3-1 when Dumas stepped up to take a free kick in the 76th minute. His kick soared over the wall of Syracuse defenders, bending into the top right corner for his first goal of the season. “Feli [Dumas] is great on both sides of the ball,” Riley said. “There are not many people who can shoot a set piece like him. He had a really good game over all and he also dealt with a very direct team and handled their long balls.” In an attempt to get back into the game, the Orange sent attackers down the field to put pressure on the defense and found a chance to slip a ball into the net. In the 84th minute Syracuse was able to score its second goal, but Notre Dame held out the rest of the match for the final score of 3-2. “Anytime we win we are excited, and we’re happy to start off like this,” Riley said. “[The] only way we can be successful is to take it a day at a time. We have a few hours to enjoy this win. The team is good at doing that and then mentally moving on to prepare ourselves for the next match.” Observer File Photo
Irish senior defender Felicien Dumas, left, prepares to make a throw-in while former midfielder Blake Townes scans the field during Notre Dame’s 3-1 win over Michigan on Oct. 10 at Alumni Stadium. During Friday’s win, Dumas scored and provided his fourth assist of the season.
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Sanchez recovered a rebounded shot to earn the unassisted goal in the 30th minute. The 1-0 score would remain unchanged until the half’s end. Despite failing to score, the Irish found numerous offensive opportunities in the first half. Notre Dame earned a corner kick and took four shots over the game’s first 45 minutes, including three from Flores. Santa Clara managed six shots and a corner before halftime. Westendorf came out after halftime focused, as she tied the game in the 49th minute with an unassisted goal, firing a successful shot from the top of the box. The forward finished the match with three shots. Santa Clara regained the lead in the 57th minute with another unassisted rebound goal, this time from freshman midfielder Skylar Smith. The Broncos continued their offensive strike, extending the score to 3-1 two minutes
later when sophomore forward Kelsey Turnbow connected on a shot. The Irish tried battling out of the two-goal deficit, bringing the lead back within one by the 73rd minute. Sophomore midfielder Sammi Fisher hit the back of the net on a long shot from several yards beyond the box, making the score 3-2. Fisher took three total shots in the match, two of which were on goal. This goal — her third of the season — made Fisher the leading goal scorer on the season for the Irish. Despite a concerted effort to score again, the Irish were unable to close the gap, and the score remained unaltered as time expired. Notre Dame outshot Santa Clara 9-8 in the second half. The Irish tallied 13 shots (six on goal) overall, just one short of Santa Clara’s 14 (five on goal). The Irish will face another challenge in its first ACC matchup of the year this Sunday against No. 13 North Carolina State (6-1-1). Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Notre Dame’s Alumni Stadium.
Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu
IAN GROVER | The Observer
Irish junior forward Jennifer Westendorf kicks the ball during Notre Dame’s 2-1 victory over Cincinnati on Aug. 30 at Alumni Stadium. Westendorf scored a goal Sunday and picked up an assist Friday.