SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A stunning goal from Clara Broecker with just 32 seconds left in the game sent the Milwaukee women's soccer team to an improbable 2-2 tie against No. 3 Notre Dame to open the 2023 season Thursday night at Alumni Stadium.
 
"We chose to go and play Notre Dame in the first game of the year because we want to see where the bar is set," head coach Kevin Boyd said. "We want to know what the top end is and what we need to do to get there. So this gave us a really good look at where we need to go, the areas we need to address, and what we have to do to improve."
 
With the clock ticking down, the Panthers (0-0-1) had one last push towards goal. The Fighting Irish (0-0-1) took possession and cleared the ball from near the endline and sent it back towards midfield. That was when Broecker stepped forward from the back, sending a full-volley on frame from over 50 yards away that bounced at the top of the 18, took one hop up-and-over the goalie and settled into the back of the net for the unbelievable draw with the #3 team in the country.
 
"On top of that, we have a good solid team and we have quite a will," Boyd said. "This team does not lose easy – they are battlers, they have grit, and that came out today."
 
Seven saves on the night from goalkeeper Kendall Edwards gave MKE the chance to pull out the deadlock, including two in the closing portion of the contest – a full-out diving stop in the 82^nd minute and then a tough save off a deflection on a close-range attempt by the Irish at the 86:25 mark that kept it 2-1 and set the stage for Broecker.
 
"We were kind of in the lion's den – and some of the statistics show that – and there are some things we absolutely need to work on," Boyd said. "But, wow, incredibly proud of the team's fight today and their ability to find a couple of goals even when the opponent maybe had the upper hand."
 
 
Another impressive goal from distance gave the Panthers the lead in the first half, with Kat Van Booven forcing a turnover and then turning around and converting a laser-shot from over 40 yards out that caught the ND keeper off her line and made it 1-0 at the 25:19 mark.
 
"Kat's goal was an absolute banger," Boyd said. "She hit it from distance and the keeper didn't have a chance at it. And then that one late in the game, we were the beneficiary of rain coming down. I feel for their goalkeeper – the ball took a difficult skip and it went perfectly in the space that made it the most difficult on that keeper. Rough moment for her but great for us and exciting for us to get a result against a legitimate Top-10 opponent. Really happy with the team – very proud of them – and now we move on to the next game and focus on Sunday."
 
A back-and-forth start that saw Milwaukee with the first shot attempt, Edwards and the defense absorbed plenty of Notre Dame pressure early and a spectacular diving save at the post at the 23:00 mark kept the contest 0-0.
 
Van Booven then made it 1-0 with her rocket and Edwards made another great stop in the 28^th minute to keep momentum going into the half, with the defense clearing a corner kick in front of the horn to hold that 1-0 advantage at the break.
 
The Irish, who came into the game ranked No. 3 in the national poll after a 17-3-3 season and went 11-2-2 at home a year ago, made it a new game just into the second half and then worked a 2-1 advantage on a nice finish by Morgan Ray at the 65:41 mark.
 
Edwards punched away a dangerous ball and then made a point-blank save just as the game hit the 60^th minute, with the Panthers nearly going back ahead at the 60:36 mark when Stephanie Recinos was sprung by a Lainey Higgins pass but saw her attempt knocked just wide after getting the shot off.
 
The draw marks the first result that Milwaukee has gotten against a nationally-ranked team since defeating #14 Xavier, 1-0, in November of 2021. The program now has four wins and seven draws all-time against ranked foes.
 
For the game, Notre Dame certainly had the statistical advantage despite just a 58/42 lead in time of possession. The Irish led 25-to-7 in shots, 9-to-2 in shots on goal, and 9-to-2 in corner kicks. Recinos was the only Panther with more than one shot, finishing the night with two.
 
The Panthers close out the season-opening weekend with a road game at SIUE Sunday, taking on the Cougars at 1 p.m. that afternoon.