Joseph Lapira woke up at just the right time, scoring two goals to lead Notre Dame back from a 2-0 deficit and help the Irish eventually settle for a 3-3 tie with top-ranked Connecticut in a Big East showdown on Saturday afternoon.
Last season, Lapira scored 22 goals for Notre Dame and won the Hermann Trophy as college soccer’s top player. His phenomenal season earned the Louisianan a callup from the Ireland national team — his mother is Irish — and attracted the attention of a number of British clubs.
But Lapira was held to just two goals in Notre Dame’s first 12 games before matching his season total against UConn at Alumni Field.
Against the run of play, Connecticut had taken the lead on goals by Jamaican O’Brian White (his 15th goal of the season) and Euan Holden (younger brother of Houston Dynamo midfielder Stuart Holden).
“This was an unbelievable game,” said Notre Dame coach Bobby Clark. “We put on a clinic in the first 20 minutes and we could have been up by two or three goals. They conjured up something out of nothing and we went in down 2-0 at the half when we had played so well.”
The Fighting Irish rallied for three goals in 13 minutes early in the second half. Lapira scored from spot after being taken down in the box for the first goal and headed in a cross from defender Jack Traynor for the third goal. Ryan Miller scored the equalizer on a rebound of a Jeb Brovsky shot that was saved.
But the Huskies were able to escape from South Bend with a tie thanks to a goal from Chukwudi Chijindu in the 72nd minute.