Notre Dame boys soccer falls to Farmington 2-0 in C3D1 final

Notre Dame was done when it began the season 0-8.

Notre Dame was done when it lost to Jackson 6-0 in the regular season finale.

A funny thing happened: Every time the Bulldogs looked done, they kept getting better. But on a chilly Thursday night at Farmington High School, Notre Dame's unprecedented season came to an end in the Class 3 District 1 boys soccer final.

In a rematch of the 2023 title game, Farmington used a pair of first-half goals and stifling defensive play to crown itself district champions for the second straight year after beating Notre Dame 2-0 on its home turf.

Sophomore Brody Wilson’s brilliant strike after just five minutes set the Knights (14-6) on their way in the Farmington sunshine before they swept home a second goal 15 minutes later.

Devin Stricklin’s well-timed header off an Ethan Schaupert corner kick extended the lead to 2-0 before the break to put Notre Dame (9-11) in a deeper hole.

That was all Farmington needed on the offensive front, as the Knights held the Bulldogs to just two shots-on-goal in the match to seal the victory.

The final result still did not prevent Notre Dame head coach Matt Vollink from being proud of his team’s resilience and fight in the back half of the year.

“A lot of seasons are different,” Vollink said. “You're going to have ups and downs and there’s things you're going to have to work through. But what I was most impressed with this year was how we started a little rocky, but then they kept working. They never gave up, and it took them to the district final. I mean, that's impressive. That shows the character, the discipline, the hard work that those seniors had and that everybody had on the field. So I was very, very proud of everything they did.”

The saying “you are what your record says you are” does not apply to a Bulldogs team that won seven of its last nine games entering Thursday night, while outscoring their district tournament opponents 9-2.

Vollink credits his team's gradual maturation and chemistry for the late-season ascension.

“I think they matured a little bit as players, but also they figured out their positions a little bit better,” he said. “Some people played in spots they weren't used to, and they stepped up and worked hard and did it. And so I think that's the team effort and the dynamic of them supporting each other, being there for each other. It really was a joy to watch and a joy to be a part of to see that.”

This is no where near being the end of the Notre Dame boys soccer dynasty, either. Thursday night’s contest marked the Bulldogs’ 10th consecutive district finals appearance, and a win would have given the program their eighth district title since 2007.

“When you have some seniors that leave that are as good as the ones that we had this year, that's the always the question of ‘how can you build and how can you move?’” Vollink said. “And that's kind of the hard part about high school soccer. But the fun part is it's a whole new team next year, and with the young guys that we have, there's a lot of good that can come, for sure.”

As for Farmington, the district championship places them in the Class 3 state quarterfinals against District 2 champion Vianney on Saturday, Nov. 16.

Head coach Addae Rique pointed to how this game is tangible proof the program is headed in the right direction.

“Culturally, I think it may be in a good direction,” Rique said. “I really want to thank the youth coaches in the area. We have a club called Mineral Area Soccer Club. So culturally, players that are playing are training two-to-three times a week. So, I think we are on the right track. Obviously it's hard to win districts, so I'm really, really proud of us winning back to back, especially with this young team.”