Notre Dame soccer looking to fill voids and contend

Despite losing their two prolific goal scorers, the Notre Dame Bulldogs feel they will still be a force to be reckoned with in 2023.

The graduation of Will Dodson and Cole Bruenderman is going to leave a major hole not only on offense but also from the leadership perspective.

“Every year you’re going to have impactful seniors come and go,” Bulldogs coach Matt Vollink said. “Now, Dodson and Bruenderman are bigger holes to fill when it comes to finishing and offense than we’re used to having. I think the seniors that we have coming in are going to have to step up and fill that void. They are big shoes to fill, but I am sure they can handle it.”

The pace at which Dodson and Bruenderman scored goals a season ago is one that will be nearly impossible for one player themselves to match.

“Over the next few weeks we’re going to have to find new positions for certain guys,” Vollink said. “Some of the guys are going to have to step up when it comes to finishing but we plan on doing it as a team. Just like defense is as a team, offense is as a team too. It may be a little bit harder to find some goals without having Will and Cole but I have absolute faith that these guys can do it.”

While every player will be responsible for making sure they are able to make the jump from freshman to sophomore year, sophomore to junior year and junior to senior year, Vollink said a lot of that starts with the incoming seniors.

“That comes with the senior leadership that you have every year,” Vollink said. “They have to buy into that and respect each other and be willing to work hard for each other. Every year I’m always really happy with how well the seniors motivate themselves and motivate the team and do things the right way.”

In 2022, the Bulldogs finished 17-7-1 with the season coming to an end in the Class 3 State Tournament against Webster Groves.

While the Bulldogs are sure to remember the success they had, they won’t rely on it.

“It’s a fresh start and it’s a new group,” Vollink said. “I don’t like putting a lot of pressure on these guys. I think the big thing is to try and focus on all the little things that we can do to be successful.”

The postseason experience from last year is one that is sure to pay off in dividends for the returning members of the Bulldogs roster.

“You hope that they have a little bit more of that hunger to get back there too,” Vollink said. “They have a little bit more faith that they can do it and they know what it takes to get there. I’m sure they have high expectations for themselves.”

Vollink feels that his team has the ability to come together and be very strong as a unit this season.

“It won’t be a lot of individuality,” Vollink said. “I think they will come together as a team really well. Teams are much harder to beat than players. You can always slow down one player but it’s hard to slow down a whole team and I think this team has that ability to come together and be a very good squad all over the field.”

The Bulldogs will begin the 2023 season at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 26, when they travel to take on John Burroughs.

The first home game will be at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 29, when the Bulldogs host Perryville.

Some other important dates are the Notre Dame Soccer Fest on August 31-Sept. 2, the River Region Rumble on Sept. 22-23 and the regular season finale at 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 at De Smet Jesuit.