Match 13 Preview: #8 Virginia

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame travels to Charlottesville for a pivotal ACC tilt against No. 8 Virginia at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 10 at Klockner Stadium. The match will be streamed on ACCNX.

NOTRE DAME vs. VIRGINIA
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia | Klockner Stadium
Watch: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. Virginia

THE VIRGINIA SERIES

• The Irish and Cavaliers will meet on the pitch for the 22nd time on Friday.

• Notre Dame narrowly trails the Cavaliers in the series with a mark of 8-9-4.

• The Irish have won four of the last five matchups, splitting the series in 2020-21 and winning  the 2021, 2022 and 2023 meetings.

• Eleven of the last 12 matches between the two sides have either been decided by one goal or a draw.

• Notre Dame won the most recent matchup in the series by a score of 3-1 during the 2023 regular season at Alumni Stadium. Current midfielder Wyatt Lewis scored one of the three goals in the victory.

• KK Baffour scored a dramatic winner the last time the Irish played in Charlottesville during the 2022 season, scoring in the final 10 seconds on a breakaway to deliver Notre Dame the 2-1 win.

INSTANT IMPACT

• The freshman class has already made its presence felt on the Notre Dame roster, as the group has produced 22 points off seven goals and eight assists this season.

• Luke Burton has led the way from the striker position with three goals and two assists while making eight starts up top for the Irish.

• Ren Sylvester has found his form with two goals and two assists, all coming over the last four matches.

• Alex Rosin has made six starts at left back and has proved capable of going forward in attack with two goals and three assists.

• Karson Baquero has played in five matches as a midfielder, recording an assist in the win over Green Bay.

SET-PIECE SUCCESS

• The Fighting Irish have scored 11 goals off set pieces during the 2025 campaign.

• Three of the goals have come from free kicks, with Mitch Ferguson scoring a direct free kick and Diego Ochoa and Ferguson finishing from service into the box.

• The Irish have been even more lethal on corners, firing in eight goals this season. Ferguson, Burton and Rosin have each scored twice while Wyatt Borso and Martin Von Thun have each recorded one.

BK THE GK

• Blake Kelly has gotten off to a great start to his sophomore season in goal for the Irish, posting four clean sheets.

• The shot stopper ranks second in the ACC in saves per game with a mark of 3.18 per outing.

• Kelly started 12 matches for the Irish in 2024 and became the first true freshman goalie to start the season opener in the last 30 years for the program.

STRIKE FORCE

• The starting striker tandem of Wyatt Borso and Luke Burton has found its form over the last couple of weeks, as the two have combined for eight goals and two assists.

• Borso leads the team in goals with four, scoring in five of the last eight matches.

• Burton has recorded a point in five of the last eight matches, scoring in wins over Pitt, Omaha and Hope and picking up assists in victories over Louisville, Wright State and Hope.

BALANCED ATTACK

• Ten players have scored the 21 goals for the Irish this season, as Wyatt Borso (5), Mitch Ferguson (4), Luke Burton (3), Alex Rosin (2) and Ren Sylvester (2) have each scored multiple times while Nolan  Spicer, Stevie Dunphy, KK Baffour and Diego Ochoa and Martin Vont Thun each found the back of the net once.

• Ten returning Irish players registered at least one point in their Notre Dame career, as the team returns 54 points from last year.

• Nine players that scored a goal during the 2024 campaign are back on this year’s team.

• Junior Jack Flanagan is the top returning goal scorer on the 2025 squad after firing in a career-high four goals during his sophomore campaign.

2025 CAPTAINS

• Mitch Ferguson and Wyatt Lewis will serve as the captains for this year’s Fighting Irish team and Blake Kelly will take on the role of assistant captain.

• Ferguson has appeared in 62 games over his Notre Dame career, scoring seven goals and adding eight assists from the center back position.

• Lewis enters his third season with the Fighting Irish and has three goals and four assists as a holding midfielder.

• Kelly started 12 matches as a freshman in 2024, posting a record of 4-3-5 while recording 26 saves.

THE CHAD RILEY ERA

• McFarland Family Head Men’s Soccer Coach Chad Riley is in his eighth season in charge of the Notre Dame men’s soccer program in 2025.

• Riley became the first head coach in program history to lead the Fighting Irish to two College Cup appearances, coming during the 2021 and 2023 seasons.

• Notre Dame has captured both an ACC regular season and tournament title under his direction, both firsts in program history.