Everyone in the Chicago soccer community was expecting a spectacular game. And that’s what both of these teams delivered to the people that came to watch. Saint Patrick Shamrocks coached by Kyle McClure and Melchor Castro ‘05 knew this game wasn’t going to be an easy one especially with the way this season was going.

The Shamrocks were 4-5 and the Dons were 9-1 in their seasons so far. But the record didn’t matter on the field. Although Saint Patrick was behind Notre Dame they gave them all they had on the field and made the Dons go through a very tough game.

The first half was scoreless and the Shamrocks felt like they had a chance at winning this game. Senior captain Ivan Guerrero ‘22 gave a speech in the team huddle and it showed his resilience and determination not to lose this game. Second half started and the game was scoreless but then the referees called a foul in the box so they gave the Dons a penalty.

Senior goalkeeper Bryant Alvarez ‘22 had one of the most needed saves in his career but that wasn’t enough. The referee gave the Dons another chance because the goalkeeper stepped out of the line before he shot. Although the Dons had a second chance, Alvarez made the save again. Shortly after Rafael Ramirez ‘25 received a red card for a smart slide tackle which saved the Shamrocks from receiving a goal.

While the game was really good, Shamrocks were only playing with ten players on the field while the Dons had 11 players. But that gave them a goal with a few minutes left on the scoreboard. Those minutes were not enough for the Shamrocks to convert. The game ended in a 1-0 with the Dons winning the Irish Cup.