Boasting a 7-2-4 record and a four game unbeaten streak, the Irish brace for impact against NC State (9-1-2), in what looks to be a highly contested matchup.
The Wolfpack currently sit at No. 6 in the national polls and are coming off a comfortable 1-0 win against Clemson. Their offense is led by junior forward Donovan Phillip, who leads the country with 14 goals on the season, while their defense, led by sophomore defender Nikola Markovic and senior goalkeeper Logan Erb, ranks first in the nation for shutout percentage.
Meanwhile, the Irish are coming off a tightly contested 1-1 game against Virginia (7-1-3), where senior midfielder KK Baffour assisted junior forward Jack Flanagan, who scored his first goal of the season in the 86th minute, stealing a tie in the dying seconds of the game.
Notre Dame’s stingy defense was instrumental in the tie and is led by sophomore goalkeeper Blake Kelly, who registered three saves on the game and is now up to 45 on the season. The offense is led by senior forward Wyatt Borso, who has five goals so far this season, taking his career total tally up to eight.
The Irish lead the head-to-head matchup against NC State 5-2-1. Their most recent encounter ended in a 3-1 victory for Notre Dame. The game was unusually one-sided for the rivalry, in which five of the last eight games have been decided by one goal or ended in a draw.
Notre Dame has kept a clean sheet in three of its last five games against the Wolfpack, and will aim to continue this trend when the teams clash on Friday.
NC State has never won a game in South Bend and has not defeated the Irish since 2019. The matchup proves to be key for both squads, as they are currently 2-1-2 in the conference. The winning team will not only see a boost in the national rankings, but will also gain an advantage in the conference standings.
The ACC has been especially strong this year and has five teams in the top-25 national rankings (No. 1 Stanford, No. 6 NC State, No. 9 Virginia, No. 10 Duke and No. 17 North Carolina). With a plethora of great teams in a difficult conference, every win counts for more, meaning this game will prove pivotal for both squads’ playoff chances.
Kickoff is set at 7:30 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.