Notre Dame and Duke faced off in a women’s soccer matchup for the second time this season. The first game went the way of the Irish, who won 3-2 in a thrilling contest that came down to the final minute. The second matchup between these two teams was no different. Facing off in the ACC Tournament Semifinal, Notre Dame took down the Blue Devils 2-1, advancing to the final, where they will play top seed Stanford on Sunday. Notre Dame, being the No. 2 seed, got a bye into this round, while Duke overcame Louisville 1-0 to set up a date with the Irish. Notre Dame is still seeking its first-ever ACC Tournament Championship. They now only need one more win to bring it home.
The game started with Duke in full control. They had far more opportunities, and their press made getting out of their own half a challenge for the Irish. When a team does those two things well, it normally results in a goal or two, but the Blue Devils were unable to capitalize on the chances they created. About midway through the second half, Notre Dame began creating a few of their own. Sure enough, the 2025 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and team leader in goals, Izzy Engle, netted yet another one to get the Irish on the board in the 27th minute. The sophomore forward received a probing pass from junior midfielder Charlie Codd, leaving her one-on-one with goalkeeper Caroline Dysart. After an extra touch sent her around the Duke netminder, Engle was able to convert. Codd got her fourth assist of the season. Despite Duke having more chances to start the game off, the Irish were more productive with the opportunities they got and ended up with a 1-0 lead.
The next 10 minutes were relatively even and uneventful until Duke produced a response. With four minutes left in the first half, they finally got their first goal. Junior forward Kat Rader positioned herself on the right corner of the box and was able to fire a shot through the outstretched arms of sophomore goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica into the left side of the goal to tie the game. The half ended at one-all, but Duke had all the momentum.
The second half again started with more Blue Devils chances. One actually led to a goal, only for it to be ruled offside after being reviewed. From there, Notre Dame regained control of the game, outshooting Duke and keeping most of the possession. Neither team was able to break the deadlock, and both teams seemed content to let it go to extra time. That was until Anabelle Chukwu had other ideas.
In the 87th minute, the sophomore forward delivered the winner that Notre Dame was looking for. Junior midfielder Morgan Roy drove past a defender into the final third, heading towards the goal. At the 18-yard box, she slid a ball through to the on-running Chukwu. Sliding to get a foot on it, she was able to poke it through the legs of Dysart for the game-winning goal. Chukwu’s goal was a continuation of her season-long attacking play, as she picked up her 12th goal of 2025, second on the team behind only Engle. Roy tallied her eighth assist, as well, good for second-best on the team behind only sophomore midfielder Grace Restovich.
Duke wasn’t going to go away easily, though. With two minutes remaining, Rader struck the left post with a rocket of an attempt – an incredible effort that was just a couple of inches off. Duke ultimately fell 2-1 to the Irish, ending their run in the ACC Tournament. Their season will continue in the NCAA Tournament.
This win was huge for Notre Dame, and not just because they stayed alive in the ACC Tournament. The Irish had finished the season with a tie to Wake Forest and a loss to Pittsburgh, matches that left them behind Stanford in their race for an ACC regular-season title. They needed at least one more win before heading into the NCAA Tournament. There isn’t a much better way to get one than in the thrilling fashion they did. Stanford now stands between Notre Dame and their first-ever ACC Tournament crown. Kickoff is set for Nov. 9 at noon atWakeMed Soccer in Cary, North Carolina, with ACCNetwork providing the broadcast.