Notre Dame women's soccer earns No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament

SOUTH BEND ― The Notre Dame women's soccer team fell short in its goals to win the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships this season.

Now, all focus is on the national championship.

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After winning their most games since 2015, the Irish (14-6-2) were selected as one of four No. 1 seeds in this year's NCAA Tournament and will host Omaha (7-8-6) next weekend in their opening tournament game on Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.

Santa Clara, the No. 8 seed in Notre Dame's region, plays California in the other matchup in the Irish pod. Santa Clara won the 2020 title.

Notre Dame, who hasn't won the NCAA championship since 2010, is also on the same side of the bracket as No. 1 overall seed, and defending champions, Florida State.

Omaha won its first ever Summit League championship this week, earing its first bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Irish are led offensively by Korbin Albert and Olivia Wingate, who have combined for 24 goals this season. Notre Dame's strength is its back line, led by former Penn High School star Mackenzie Wood, a graduate transfer from Northwestern, who has surrendered only nine goals in 14 games.

Last year, the Irish tournament run ended in the third round with a loss to Arkansas.

The first round (Nov. 11-13), second and third rounds (Nov. 18-20) and quarterfinal games (Nov. 25-26) will all be played on campus sites, before the College Cup semifinals (Dec. 2) and National Championship (Dec. 5) game shifts to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.