SOUTH BEND, IN – Toledo suffered a 3-0 setback at No. 9 Notre Dame on Sunday at Alumni Field. With the loss, the Rockets fall to 1-1-0 on the young season.

The nationally ranked Fighting Irish (2-0-0) were aggressive early, notching two goals in the first 17 minutes of the match. The duo of Kaleigh Olmsted and Sandra Yu each found the back of the net to give the home team a lead they would not relinquish. UND outshot UT 24-1 during the non-conference contest.

First-year head coach TJ Buchholz knows how quality of an opponent the Fighting Irish was.

"Notre Dame was a fantastic opponent," Buchholz said. "There is a reason why they're ranked No. 9 in the country. It was a special opportunity for us to play a team like Notre Dame. There were moments where we played well and worked hard, especially on defense. Overall, this was a test you want to learn from."

The match was physical from beginning to end, as both teams were booked for 14 fouls each. UT sophomore Sydney Vinton was shown a yellow card in the 37^th minute.

The second half played different than the first, as the Rockets' form improved. Toledo applied pressure early in the period and created more chances, but the Midnight Blue & Gold was unable to score. On the defensive third of the pitch, senior netminder Sam Tiongson kept the deficit at 2-0 with an incredible diving save in the 62nd minute to deny Notre Dame from close range. The fourth-year Rocket finished the contest with seven saves.

The Rockets surrendered one additional marker late in the second half on a header from Taylor Klawunder off of a corner kick to make the final score 3-0. Despite giving up the late goal, Buchholz knows how well the defense played during today's match.

"Our entire backline stepped up today," Buchholz said. "They made it tough for Notre Dame to get behind us. Sam also played a phenomenal game in goal. The Fighting Irish aren't an easy team to keep off the scoreboard."

The Rockets kept pressing late in the match and earned a corner kick in the 86^th minute. Moments later, senior Megan Connor fired UT's lone shot on frame, but the blast was unable to find the back of the net.

Toledo will remain on the road next weekend when it travels to takes on Xavier on Friday, Aug. 28 at 5:00 p.m. and No. 16 Kentucky on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 6:00 p.m. Sunday's match against the Wildcats will be shown live on the SEC Network+ and on ESPN3.

Notre Dame 3, TOLEDO 0

UND: Kaleigh Olmsted (N. Jacobs; S. Flores), 11:12
UND: Sandra Yu (K. Olmsted), 16:05
UND: Taylor Klawunder (B. Vib Rueden), 73:39