Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 26, 2026 49 BY TODD D. BURLAGE W hether he's playing soccer, hanging with friends or hitting the books, Notre Dame junior Blake Kelly has al- ways tried to strike a balance between these three important pursuits. But because Kelly's primary goal has al- ways been to become the best goalkeeper possible, improving at soccer inevitably moves to the top of his priority list. So, when Kelly had a chance as a 14-year-old to leave his family and relocate alone from Holt, Mich., to play his high school soccer 1,600 miles away at elite Real Salt Lake Academy in Salt Lake City, opportunity won out over anxiousness. "I was just out there doing my thing," said Kelly, who studied, learned, devel- oped, and ultimately became the vale- dictorian of his graduating class there, and one of the nation's most coveted college recruits at the same time. So while most eighth-graders are worried about acne breakouts and ado- lescent crushes, Kelly's older brother of three years, Zac, explained how Blake's only focus before relocating remained becoming the best. "Blake has always been a very driven, motivated, 'I know what I want, I'm go- ing to go get it,' type of person," shared Zac, a former starting goalkeeper for Michigan State. "So for him, there wasn't any hesitation. Yeah, you're leaving mom and dad. You're going into your freshman year of high school. "You're just a kid not knowing what to expect. But he just fully embraced it." Kelly appreciates the opportunities that his four years in Salt Lake City pro- vided him. But having a chance to return to the Midwest and play his collegiate soccer at Notre Dame closer to his family made his school choice an easy one. "It's been very refreshing to see my family now week in and week out, after being away from home and seeing them twice a year," he said. Academics, spirituality, teammates, classmates and Notre Dame's "4-for- forever" pledge also weighed heavily on Kelly's college decision. "Something I love about being here is the opportunity to be at your best, and to be who you want to be, it's right at your fingertips," Kelly said. "It's just a matter of if you want to do it or not." Kelly is in his third year as the starting goalkeeper for the Irish. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound keeper ranked second in the ACC with 71 saves and was third in the league with 3.55 saves per game in 2025. On Sept. 11, the All-ACC candidate notched a 1-0 shutout with 4 saves in the 2026 league opener against No. 17 Clem- son. Through six matches this season as of Sept. 13, Kelly had a league-high 26 saves and was tied for ninth in the ACC with a 1.17 goals against average. Kelly had already earned ACC Defen- sive Player of the Week honors Sept. 8 after recording 6 saves in a 3-1 victory over Harvard Aug. 31 and 5 more in a 2-1 win against Michigan Sept. 6. Throughout his evolution from being a freshman in 2024 to a veteran leader as a junior in 2026, Kelly has accepted his growing role both on and off the field. "This whole three years has been about prioritizing myself with what I need to do to be my best self," he said. "Because I know being my best self is what's best for the team, making sure that I'm doing what I need for the benefit of the team." And from a proud brother's perspec- tive during the last three years? "Blake has grown into more of a man, and I'm so proud to watch it happen," Zac said. "He was always mature beyond his years at Real Salt Lake. But he's really found his personality at Notre Dame, and that's been so much fun for me to see. Honestly, he's come to life at Notre Dame." ✦ Improvement Means Everything To Irish Goalie Blake Kelly N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Through six matches this season, Kelly had a league-high 26 saves and was tied for ninth in the ACC with a 1.17 goals against average. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Irish Roundup CROSS COUNTRY The men and women both opened the 2026 season with first-place finishes in the National Catholic Invitational Sept. 18 at Burke Golf Course in Notre Dame. MEN'S GOLF Posted a second-place finish with a 5-over-par 857, 10 shots behind New Mexico, in the Canadian Collegiate Invitational Sept. 13-15 at Foot's Bay, Ontario. WOMEN'S GOLF Opened the fall slate by placing fifth with a 16-over-par 880 at the Badger Invitational Sept. 13-15 in Madison, Wis. MEN'S SOCCER (4-1-2 OVERALL, 1-0-0 ACC) Picked up a 1-0 win in their ACC opener at No. 17 Clemson Sept. 11 … Blanked Detroit Mercy 4-0 Sept. 15 in Alumni Stadium … Played at Stanford Sept. 20. WOMEN'S SOCCER (3-0-5 OVERALL, 1-0-0 ACC) Knocked off No. 24 Clemson 2-1 in their ACC opener Sept. 11 at Alumni Stadium … Hosted Boston College Sept. 18. VOLLEYBALL (1-6 OVERALL) Dropped all three matches at the Steve Baumrind Invitational Sept. 11-13 in Charleston, S.C., losing to Northern Kentucky (3-1), Duquesne (3-2) and the College of Charleston (3-0) … Played a home-and- home with Eastern Illinois Sept. 18 and Sept. 20.