Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539449
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 20, 2025 49 BY TODD D. BURLAGE S enior midfielder Laney Matriano took a curious route from grade-school soccer superstar to four-year Irish starter and undisputed "quarterback" of the Irish women's soccer team this season. Playing the challenging and often under-appreciated position of center "holding" midfielder for Notre Dame, the Willoughby, Ohio, native is respon- sible for keeping her flanking attack- ers charging up front, while at the same time, protecting her defenders from chasing breakaways behind. "I'm kind of a connector piece. You're just a servant to teammates," Matriano explained. "Which, I love my role be- cause I'm around such talented players. I get to give them the ball, and let them do their thing." There is some irony that this 2023 U.S. Women's Youth National Team in- vitee is in charge of keeping her entire college team organized, considering Matriano never played organized soc- cer in high school. Wanting to maximize her development as a soccer player out of grade school — while realizing at the same time her high school program couldn't provide the im- provement she needed — Matriano traded traditional prep competition for a more intimate and independent training regi- men at nearby Cleveland Ambassadors, an outfit that focuses on intense practice work more than game competition. "I think that was really unique to my experience," Matriano said of her three- plus years training there. Unique, in part, because Matriano's recruitment came mainly with college coaches visiting her practice sessions, rather than high school games. "I never really played on a team where we played organized games when I was being recruited," she said. Even without much organized com- petition, Matriano settled on Notre Dame and became a full-time Irish starter as a freshman in 2022, and she has never looked back. Notre Dame head coach Nate Norman offered a glowing assessment of Matriano. "Laney is the player that connects our team. The more she's on the ball, the more connected our team is," he shared. "Most of all, she's a wonderful person who I am very blessed to be able to coach." Given the "others first" position she gladly plays, Matriano will never stuff the stat sheet in the way many of her teammates will. Still, during a 6-0-1 start for the No. 6 Irish, this invaluable leader was first on the team with 5 as- sists and third with 9 points. Matriano, a three-time ACC All-Aca- demic Team honoree, will graduate this January with a degree in business ana- lytics. And while a bright future awaits in the business world, Matriano hopes to put those pursuits on hold for as long as possible. "God gave me these amazing soccer gifts," she said, "and I'm planning on using those for as long as I am able to." And, as for her unique college career course, and awkward recruitment? All's well that ends well. "I never knew that a decision I made to come to Notre Dame when I was a senior in high school would change my life," she said. "With the soccer, with the people I've met, and the education, everything has just been amazing." ✦ Soccer Star Laney Matriano Takes Her 'Quarterback' Role Seriously N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Matriano, a three-time ACC All-Academic Team honoree, was first on the team with 5 assists through the 6-0-1 start for the Irish this season. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Irish Roundup CROSS COUNTRY The No. 8 men and No. 16 women both notched first-place finishes in the Winrow Valparaiso Open Aug. 29 at Valparaiso, Ind. … The men posted a team score of 15 for the first-place spot ahead of Purdue (48) and Valparaiso (57), while the women had a team score of 22 to finish ahead of Purdue (33) and Valparaiso (69). MEN'S GOLF Opened the fall slate with a second-place showing and a 1-over-par team score of 853 in the Folds of Honor Collegiate Invitational Sept. 8-10 at Grand Haven, Mich. MEN'S SOCCER (1-1-2 OVERALL, 0-0-0 ACC) Suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of No. 4 Indiana Sept. 7 at Alumni Stadium. WOMEN'S GOLF Began the fall slate — the first under new head coach Bre Jenco — with a seventh-place finish at the Wolverine Invitational Sept. 7-8 in Ann Arbor, Mich. WOMEN'S SOCCER (6-0-1 OVERALL, 1-0-0 ACC) The No. 6 Irish continued their hot start to the 2025 season with an 8-0 home victory over Oakland Aug. 31 and a 3-0 triumph at Michigan State Sept. 4 … The Sept. 7 match at Marquette was canceled and will not be made up this season … Defeated North Carolina State 2-1 in their ACC opener Sept. 11 in Raleigh, N.C. VOLLEYBALL (1-3 OVERALL, 0-0 ACC) Opened the season with the Catholic Challenge in South Bend, edging Santa Clara 3-2 Aug. 29 and falling to Villanova 3-2 Aug. 31 … Lost 3-2 to Illinois Sept. 5 in South Bend … Suffered a 3-0 home loss to LSU in the Showdown at the Net, which features the ACC taking on the SEC.