Cougars' Season Ends with First Round Exit at Notre Dame

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - An incredible run for SIUE women's soccer came to an end on Sunday afternoon, as the Cougars fell 4-0 to No. 3 national seed Notre Dame in the First Round of the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship.

The Fighting Irish found the back of the net early, scoring the match's opening goal in the fourth minute. Notre Dame scored a second time in the 36^th minute and netted their third just six minutes later. The Irish would take the 3-0 scoreline into the halftime break. SIUE goalkeeper Jensen Schoch notched sevens saves in the opening half, the best single-half mark of her career. The second half saw an equally impressive performance from Schoch, who padded away six Irish shots on goal in the final 45 minutes. However, the Red & White let one last goal slip into the back of the net in the 59^th minute to give the hosts the 4-0 advantage.

"Credit to Notre Dame, a very deserving team in this postseason," said SIUE Head Coach Derek Burton following the match. "They were a handful."

"We have been blessed with an amazing group of seniors who really get it when it comes to balancing the competitiveness it takes at this level, with being great teammates and leaders of all kinds," continued Burton. "They've impacted this program immensely and made us better coaches along the way."

Schoch's performance saw her notch registering 13 saves on 30 shots faced. That is the most saves by a SIUE goalkeeper since Juli Rossi padded away 10 shots in September 2016, and is tied for the most saves by a Cougar in the Division I era.

Other notable performances include Lily Schnieders, who registered the Cougars' lone shot on goal, Myah Diekema, and MacKenzie Litzsinger, who both notched a shot attempt in the contest.

"I'm incredibly proud of this team, our program, the coaching and support staff," added Burton. "It's been a fantastic season and one that today's result could never change. I'm delighted to be riding home with a bus full of champions today."

The Cougars finish the 2021 season at 11-7 overall, with three of those losses coming at Power Five opponents.

"There's so many positives and some many great people in our team," Burton closed. "I'm already excited to get back at it with our returning group."

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