HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Lester Machado (Hialeah, Fla.) of Florida Division Champion/No. 10-ranked Florida International University posted eight goals, but University of Notre Dame goalkeeper Xavier Williams (So., Houston, Texas) made 12 saves to notch Player of the Game honors as the Great Lakes Division Champion/No. 16-ranked Irish turned back the Golden Panthers by a 16-12 count in the 2026 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship 11th Place game at the Huntsville Aquatics Center.
Notre Dame – which previously finished 13th (2004), 12th (2025) and 11th (2016, 2019) in the history of the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship coming into the 2026 event – never trailed as the Irish raced out to a 3-0 margin and never looked back to top FIU and post the team’s third 11th Place mark at the event.
Making the program’s inaugural appearance at the National Collegiate Club Championship since placing Second in 2009 at the University of Florida, Florida International has now finished Second (2009), Fifth (2006), Sixth (2007), Seventh (2005) and 12th as the team garners its inaugural mark outside the Top 10.
For FIU, Yovany Marquez (Hialeah, Fla.) posted a pair of goals with Zeyad Zahran (Cairo, Egypt) and Yassin Moussa (Cairo, Egypt) slipping in solo strikes. Connor Altenado (Miami, Fla.) made a case for Player of the Game by stopping 14 Notre Dame shots.
On the other end of the tank, Owen Helenski (So., Conshohocken, Pa.) and Nate Pennington (Sr., Dayton, Ohio) were the hammers for the Irish as the duo delivered for five and four goals, respectively. Brody Sousa (Fr., Orinda, Calif.) and Connor Burke (Jr., Hinsdale, Ill.) chipped in pairs with Zach Jones (Jr., Bellaire, Texas) and Ethan Thomas (Fr., Porland, Ore.) also finding the back of the cage.
University of Notre Dame’s Nate Pennington (#12) draws the attention of Florida International University’s Yassin Moussa (#11) & Connor Altenado (#1)
Florida International University’s Ronny Rueda (#8) lobs a ball forward as the University of Notre Dame’s Zach Jones (#8) defends
Florida International University’s Lester Machado (#2) tries to get a pass over the University of Notre Dame’s Owen Helenski (#12)
