Second-Half Woes Plague Virginia in 12-7 Loss at No. 9 Notre Dame

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – No. 9 Notre Dame (6-3, 2-1 ACC) scored seven consecutive goals in the second half to pull away with ease and take down Virginia (5-7, 0-3 ACC) by a final score of 12-7 at Arlotta Stadium Saturday evening (April 12). In a physical game that featured 12 penalties, both teams were knotted 4-4 with under four minutes to play in the third quarter before the Fighting Irish orchestrated the second-longest goal streak by a UVA opponent this season. 

Virginia committed 18 turnovers, including four in the clear, and were out-performed on the ground, 34-28. 

Thomas Mencke was the only Cavalier to find the back of the net at least twice, which he did in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. Virginia goaltender Matthew Nunes (3-4) stopped nine Irish shots on net. 

The Cavaliers, who entered Saturday’s game as the nation’s No. 3 man-down unit killed all but one of Notre Dame’s seven extra-man opportunities. Similarly, Virginia’s man-up only scored once of its five EMO chances. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish connected on the first two shots of the game to take an early 2-0 lead. UVA started to find its groove as the opening period progressed and eventually knotted the score [2-2] by the close of the quarter. Will Inderlied got the Hoos on the board less than five minutes in, which extended his goal streak to four consecutive games. With under two minutes to play in the first, Truitt Sunderland finished with his toes on the crease before being pushed in by a UND defender, resulting in a goal that tied the score, 2-2. Nunes was credited with three saves in the first, two of which were virtually at point blank range and provided a spark for the Hoos. 

Virginia grasped a 3-2 lead on quick dodge in space by Ryan Colsey, who fired a high-bouncing shot that snuck past UND netminder Thomas Ricciardelli (13 saves). A crosscheck to the head by UVA led an Irish EMO goal, which tied it once again [3-3]. The Cavaliers were penalized for another high crosscheck, but this one put UVA man-down for two minutes. However, a UND turnover gave the Cavaliers possession and allowed them kill off the remainder of the penalty. 

UVA killed off two more penalties in the middle of the third before the Irish were flagged for a hold. On the Hoos’ ensuing EMO, McCabe Millon found Jack Walshe, who ripped a step-down shot to knot the score [4-4] for the final time. 

After Walshe’s EMO goal, the Irish scored seven straight to run away with the game and get back in the win column after suffering its largest defeat of the season, 14-9, at then-No. 7 Syracuse last week.  

Mikie Harmeyer’s third goal of the season with 2:58 to play in the game broke up the Irish run and marked UVA’s first goal in 18 minutes. Mencke then scored back-to-back goals in under a one-minute span to trim UND’s lead to 11-7. With UVA attempting to apply pressure to the Irish’s offensive players, UND scored its 12th goal of the game with 30 seconds remaining. 

NOTES 

• With the win, Notre Dame took the lead in the all-time series, 12-11, and extended its win streak in the series to four consecutive games. 
• The 12 combined penalties are the most in a UVA game since its 2023 regular-season meeting against North Carolina (13). 
• UVA’s seven penalties also tied its highest mark since the 2023 contest in Chapel Hill, N.C. 
• Virginia, which entered Saturday’s contest at the nation’s No. 3 man-down unit, held Notre Dame scoreless on six of its seven EMO chances. UVA has now killed 41 of its 48 opposing EMO chances this season, a clip of 85.4 percent. 
• Upon scoring UVA’s first goal of the game, midfielder Will Inderlied has recorded at least one goal in the last four consecutive games, the longest goal streak of his career. 
• With a pair of goals, Thomas Mencke notched his fourth career multi-goal effort, all of which have occurred this season. 

UP NEXT
The Cavaliers return to Klöckner Stadium next Saturday to host Lafayette (8-4) for Senior Day. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. 

After tallying five of the game’s first six goals, the Leopards upended No. 15 Boston University, 11-9, Saturday afternoon in Easton, Pa.