February 2016 Volume 2
This second edition of Onward to Victory comes at an exciting point in the athletic season. In South Bend, the transition from winter to spring is always one of guarded optimism, but for Notre Dame Athletics, the excitement and hope are not so tempered. The fencing program captured three ACC titles over the weekend, including the men’s team title, and two individual women’s titles (Sabrina Massialas and Catherine Lee). Women’s basketball closed out the regular season with a sparkling 28-1 record, and for the second time in three years ran through conference play without a blemish. Men’s basketball has produced several of the monumental wins it has come to be known for and now looks to defend their ACC Championship crown. After going through a streak of 12 games without a loss, hockey sits at third in Hockey East. As the calendar turns to March, these teams roll into post-season play and spring sports find their stride in the infancy of their seasons. All of them do so with the incredible support of the Notre Dame Family, and the generous support of benefactors like you. Thank you for all that you do, for those that don the blue and gold. Go Irish! Athletics Advancement Team
The Notre Dame Athletics Endowment
The student-athlete experience at Notre Dame is distinct in its commitment to excellence academically and athletically, while being informed by the University’s Catholic character. It’s also expensive. The Department’s top annual budget items are significant investments in the people who make Notre Dame Athletics what is - student-athlete scholarships and coaches’ salaries. It is now a top priority to endow these annual investments, in order to provide long-term stability and decrease dependency on yearly revenues. Many of Notre Dame’s peers have focused on this area for years , and currently endow a much larger percentage of their scholarship bill and annual department budgets. To learn more about how you can be part of preserving and growing the excellence of Notre Dame Athletics, click here.
Blind Faith
WatchND is collaborating with alumni and athletics on a series of mini films about long time fans experiencing a home game at Notre Dame for the first time. The first episode of the series, titled “Blind Faith,� documents the moving story of an eigth grade boy who has been a die hard Fighting Irish fan since birth, as he takes in the magic of game day. Watch the series here!
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CONTACT US: call (574)631-1353 or email athleticsadvancement@nd.edu
Cari Rocarro
Cari Rocarro, a midfielder and defender from East Islip, NY, just wrapped up an outstanding senior season and career with the Fighting Irish women’s soccer team. Cari was two-time captain for the Irish and was recently drafted 5th overall by the Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League. While at Notre Dame, Cari earned the honor of being named Notre Dame Monogram Club Team Most Valuable Player in 2012, was voted All ACC first team in 2013 and 2014, and served as captain of the U.S. squad that won 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan. Cari’s Fast Facts Dorm: Howard Hall Favorite TV Show: Revenge, The Bachelor, Impractical Jokers Favorite Training Table Meal: Breakfast for dinner or pulled pork mac & cheese Favorite Free Time Activity: Relaxing and doing nothing or playing with puppies at the mall Q&A Q. Why did you decide to come to Notre Dame? A. When I first arrived, I knew nothing about Notre Dame, but when I stepped on campus it immediately felt like home. I came to a football game with my dad, and after the game and meeting with the coaches, I knew it was the right fit. It was my most fun and welcoming visit. Q. What is your favorite memory of Notre Dame Athletics? A. There are so many games that run through my head where I had so much fun on the field playing and cheering. I can’t pick one moment. I think the best memories are the little ones with your teammates. Q.What resource does Notre Dame offer to student-athletes that has been most beneficial to you? A. Definitely the academic resources such as study hall, tutors, and academic ad-
isors. There is no way you can’t succeed if you use the resources available to you. Student-Athlete Welfare and Development was very helpful with my resume and figuring out my schedule so that I could overload my classes and graduate early to play professionally. Q. In what ways are you involved in the community outside of soccer? I always love the community service hours that we do as a team and with other athletes such as our work with Habitat for Humanity and the pediatric Christmas party. But the coolest community service project that I have done with my teammates is the SEGway project that was founded by former ND soccer players. The SEGway project aims to provide girls in developing countries with opportunities in sports through soccer and we have really tried to help with that. I also took a community based learning class that worked with the South Bend Center for the Homeless. At first it was just a large time commitment but I really learned a lot from it. Q. What is the coolest or most unique opportunity that Notre Dame athletics has afforded you? During my time here I was able to partake in the 10th reunion of 2004 national championship team and the 20th reunion of the 1995 national championship team. They all came back and celebrated and it was really cool to hear their stories. Some of the girls played in the Olympics, and others moved on to different things but it was amazing to have them come back and say that Notre Dame was the best thing ever.
2015 Women’s Soccer Highlights 14-5-1 on the season 11-1 at home The Irish made it to the second round of the NCAA playoffs
- Seniors Cari Rocarro and Katie Naughton were drafted into National Women’s Soccer League - Sabrina Flores and Natalie Jacobs will represent the United States and Monica Flores will represent Mexico in the upcoming Under-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup - Anna Maria Gilbertson, Katie Naughton, Cari Rocarro and Natalie Jacobs all received All ACC honors
ALABAMA 3/6-8: Men’s Golf, Opelika 3/11-12: Track, Birmingham ARIZONA 2/28-3/1: Men’s Golf, Tuscon 3/11-13: Women’s Golf, Mesa 4/8-9: Track, Tempe CALIFORNIA 3/5: Men’s Lacrosse, Orange County 4/1-2: Track, Stanford FLORIDA 2/26-28: Softball, Kissimmee 2/27: Men’s Basketbal, FSU 3/5-6: Softball, Ft. Myers 3/6: Women’s Tennis, Coral Gables 3/9: Softball, Florida International 4/22-24: Baseball, FSU GEORGIA 3/17-19: Women’s Swimming, Atlanta 3/24-26: Men’s Swimming, Atlanta 3/25-26: Track, Atlanta 3/27: Men’s Tennis, Georgia Tech ILLINOIS 4/10: Women’s Lacrosse, Northwestern INDIANA 4/9: Men’s Soccer, Ft. Wayne 4/16: Men’s Soccer, Indianapolis 4/26: Men’s Baseball, Indiana IOWA 4/28-30: Track, Des Moines
KENTUCKY 3/5: Women’s Lacrosse, Louisville 3/11-13: Baseball, Louisville 4/16: Track, Louisville LOUISIANA 3/20-22: Women’s Golf,. LSU MASSACHUSETTS 3/3: Men’s Tennis, Boston College 3/24-27: Fencing, Waltham MICHIGAN 3/19: Men’s Soccer, Pontiac 4/19: Baseball, Michigan State NEW YORK 2/28: Women’s Tennis, Syracuse 3/24-26: Softball, Syracuse 4/2: Men’s Lacrosse, Syracuse NORTH CAROLINA 3/2-6: Women’s Basketball, Greensboro 3/4-6: Baseball, Cary 3/13: Men’s Tennis, Wake Forest 3/18-20: Baseball, NC State 3/24: Women’s Tennis, NC State 3/25-26: Track, Raleigh 3/26: Women’s Tennis, UNC 4/1-3: Women’s Golf, Greensboro 4/3: Women’s Lacrosse, UNC 4/3: Women’s Tennis, Duke 4/15-16: Women’s Golf, Greensboro 4/16: Men’s Tennis, Raleigh 4/23: Men’s Lacrosse, UNC
4/24-25: Softball, UNC OHIO 3/12: Fencing, Columbus 3/13: Men’s Soccer, Obetz 3/26: Men’s Lacrosse, Ohio State 4/23: Women’s Lacrosse, Ohio State PENNSYLVANIA 4/28-30: Track, Philadelphia RHODE ISLAND 2/19-20: Hockey, Providence SOUTH CAROLINA 3/11: Men’s Tennis, Clemson 3/18-19: Track, Myrtle Beach 4/1-3: Men’s Golf, Clemson TEXAS 2/25-28: Baseball, San Antonio 3/11-12: Men’s Golf, Laredo VIRGINIA 3/7: Women’s Lacrosse, Virginia Tech 3/8-12: Men’s Basketball, Verizon Center DC 3/12-13: Softball, UVA 3/24-26: Baseball, UVA 3/25: Men’s Tennis, UVA 4/8-11: Fencing, Richmond 4/16-17: Softball, Virginia Tech 4/17: Women’s Tennis, UVA 4/22-23: Track, UVA WISCONSIN 3/28: Women’s Lacrosse, Wisconsin
“Lee”ving his Legacy
Whether it is school or sports, former Irish hockey student-athlete Anders Lee leaves his mark on whatever he does and wherever he goes. As a high school quarterback for the Edina Hornets, he averaged 308.7 yards of offense per game and was named the 2008 Minnesota Gatorade Football Player of the Year. As a high school hockey standout, he won a state championship as a freshman, led his team in scoring all four years, and was named a finalist for Minnesota’s “Mr. Hockey” in his senior campaign. He was also an all-state baseball pitcher. He left his mark in the classroom as well, carrying a 3.97 GPA through his four years in high school. As a 14 year old, he was even able to conquer the world of speed-skating, setting a North American record for his age group and becoming a national champion in the long track competition. “I always loved participating in other sports and activities,” Anders said. “Whatever I did, I tried to put everything I had into it until I could walk away feeling as though I made an impression. When I committed to Notre Dame, though, all I was focused on was devoting myself to hockey and school.” Lee did just that. He was named an assistant captain his sophomore year, captain the next year, earned All-America honors in the 2012-2013 season, and led the Irish in goals all three years he played. Because of his outstanding play, the New York Islanders offered him an NHL contract after his junior season. He was left with one of the toughest decisions of his life. “Turning pro was a very hard for me. On one hand, I would be given the chance to play in the NHL, but on the other hand I was leaving before I graduated and missing out on my senior year. At the end of the day, the opportunity to live out a childhood dream was just too hard to pass up.”
Three days later, Anders was in an Islanders uniform. In typical Anders Lee fashion, he scored on his first NHL shot. However, while he continued to build his hockey legacy, he knew there was still unfinished business at Notre Dame. Signing early meant he would leave school without a degree; Anders was prepared to do anything in his power to fix that. “As a Notre Dame student-athlete, you are given the opportunity to succeed because of so much incredible support. During my three years, the University had given so much to me, and I feel like I would have let them down if I didn’t graduate on time with my classmates. It was a no-brainer to come back in the summer, take classes, and finish what I had started.” So, in June of 2013, as his professional counterparts retreated to their summer homes, Anders came back to South Bend. He woke up early to take classes, trained in the afternoon, and mentored local youth hockey players at night. Because of three previous years of summer classes and a few semesters where he squeezed 18 credits into his schedule, Anders only needed ten more credits to graduate, and by late August, he had accomplished his goal. He had forever etched his name as a member of the Notre Dame Class of 2014. “I ended up walking across the stage with my classmates in the spring of 2014. Being able to accomplish that while being a professional athlete is something I will always take pride in achieving.” To sign your first professional contract, score your first professional goal, earn your remaining college credits, finish your degree, and walk across the graduation stage all in the same year is a pretty impressive feat. When you look at Anders Lee’s history, though, this shouldn’t surprise you. When he starts something- he wants to finish it, and leave his mark on it in the right way. Leaving his NHL legacy is next on his list. Time will tell just how large that legacy will be, but if it is at all indicative of his past, it is safe to say he has nothing to worry about.