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Blake Kelly of Notre Dame men’s soccer shouldered an incredible responsibility last season. For a team that had reached the College Cup final a year prior, the Michigan native earned the job of starting goalkeeper to start his freshman year.

For both Kelly and the Irish, 2024 brought ups and downs. Notre Dame missed the NCAA Tournament, electing for a more experienced option in goal down the stretch. Kelly took it all in stride, though, entering the offseason determined to be his best self.

“Just making sure I'm taking care of myself off the field, doing what I need to do to be successful, filling my cup as they like to say,” Kelly described. “I'm a big golfer, very deep in my faith. Those things just help ground me, help me to be present, help me to be in the moment, and that just really allows me to be free and to play freely when I step out on the field.”

With the arrival of his second year, Kelly changed his jersey number from 31 to 1. It’s a fitting adjustment for a sophomore who has returned to the starting lineup and narrowed his attention to a single thing: his team. 

“Now that I've stepped up a role as a sophomore, it's now more shifting my focus less on myself and more on how I can help the team,” Kelly said. “And I think the more that I put my mindset on the team, the less I worry about myself and my own performance.”

Funny enough, Kelly’s performance has been the last thing anyone could possibly worry about. A month into the season, his save percentage matched that of 2023 Bryan Dowd, the TopDrawerSoccer Goalkeeper of the Year on Notre Dame’s most recent College Cup team. He starred in home shutouts of No. 14 Oregon State on Aug. 28 and No. 12 Louisville on Sept. 19, combining for 13 saves in the two matches. 

“It's all about just having the mindset that we're gonna do whatever it takes to keep that clean sheet or to keep the ball out of the back of the net,” Kelly said. “It's that simple.”

The work of Kelly has factored into a compelling year for Notre Dame men’s soccer. After beginning the season unranked, the Irish have entered the national top 25, immediately defeating a pair of ranked opponents to start ACC play. The Irish know what they need to do, and several times already in 2025, they’ve risen to the occasion.

“The job needs to get done, and I think the biggest thing for us is just being together,” Kelly said.

Togetherness was a big reason for Notre Dame’s College Cup runs in 2021 and 2023. Time will tell if the Irish can return to December soccer, but Kelly’s certainly not one to count out another magical ride in an odd-numbered year.

“In terms of [our] potential, who knows.”