Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, April 3, 2023

The beginnings of bookstore basketball

By THOMAS DOBBS, LILYANN GARDNER, CADE CZARNECKI

From the a rchives researchers

s ince 1972, the u niversity of n otre d ame has been home to the largest 5-on-5 outdoor basketball tournament — b ookstore b asketball. This annual tradition during the u niversity’s a n Tostal celebrations was created by students Fritz h oefer (‘72) and v ince m econi (‘75), who wanted to provide a platform for average students to pursue athletics on a larger scale than interhall competitions. The first tournament

in 1972 was a massive hit, and the event allowed students to compete against varsity athletes.

a lthough competitive in spirit, the tournament is all in good fun and is known for its strange occurrences, from teams dressing up in costume to calling timeouts to have study breaks. b ookstore b asketball has become an integral part of n otre d ame culture, with over 700 teams competing at its peak. i n this edition, From the a rchives looks back at b ookstore b asketball’s memorable moments and

how it became a cherished tradition.

What is Bookstore Basketball?

The largest 5-on-5 outdoor basketball tournament found its origins at the u niversity of n otre d ame in 1972 and has since become an annual tradition during the u niversity’s a n Tostal celebrations.

s tudents Fritz h oefer (‘72), an a n Tostal chairman, and v ince m econi (‘75), president of m orrissey h all, were the masterminds behind the tournament. The two worked

students spend saturday reading ‘paradise l ost’

By EMMA DUFFY social media e ditor

Twelve books, 10,500 lines and plenty of sinful apples — all were consumed during this year’s m ilton m arathon, an all-day reading of John m ilton’s “ p aradise l ost.” o n s aturday, students and faculty gathered in the p rogram of l iberal s tudies’ third-floor lounge in o ’ s haughnessy h all to spend approximately 10 hours with the epic poem in blank verse. p articipants took turns reading aloud the text, a 17th-century rendition of a dam and e ve’s temptation in the g arden of e den.

This weekend was not the first time students have canceled s aturday plans in lieu of intense reading. The event has transpired four times, but it had a brief hiatus because of covid -19. The tradition made its post-pandemic

return this year.

“ p aradise l ost” was not chosen at random. o ne could assume its length would be a deterrent, but organizer s teve Fallon, an e nglish professor, said duration is the reason to pick the poem.

“ you have to give up a day, meaning it can be tiring,” Fallon said. “ b ut there’s something about doing something you would not otherwise do. i would sit down and read a shorter poem in one sitting, but it’s rare to sit down and read a poem of this length in one sitting.”

The challenge of endurance aside, Fallon considers the text not only the most regarded work of m ilton, but one of the best texts ever written in the e nglish language.

“ i think as for most of us who are native e nglish speakers, it’s one of the great treasures of our language,” Fallon said.

The poem is renowned for its excellence in any format, but students were particularly eager to hear it spoken out loud.

s ophomore Kat r egala remained at the event for 10 out of the 12 books. e ven though she has had past exposure to the poem, r egala said this was her best encounter with the text.

“ i t was for sure engaging hearing people speak out the dialogue,” she said.

“ e veryone added good flare and it was great to listen to.”

a nother student in attendance, sophomore i saac b ernsten, felt the text brought to life by the reading.

“ e ven though i ’ve already read the first 10 books prior to that, i was still underlining new things that i hadn’t picked up because i grasped a greater emotional insight into the states of

see milTon PAGE 4

together to create an athletic event that allowed the average student to pursue athletics on a larger scale than would be possible with any interhall competition.

The opportunity to compete against varsity athletes coupled with the lack of fervor surrounding spring sports during the early 70’s led n otre d ame students to flock toward this event.

“ b esides creating interest on campus, it does something more important. i t allows the frustrated jocks of the u niversity their chance at the big time, their

opportunity to meet a major college athlete on the field of battle. b ookstore basketball is probably responsible for the making and breaking of more egos than any other event on campus,” writes Fred h erbst (‘77) in a 1976 article from The o bserver. a lthough b ookstore b asketball is known for its competitive spirit, the tournament is all in good fun. m arc r amirez (‘85), a feature writer for The o bserver, recalled some of the strange occurrences that took

Panelists weigh Iraq War damage

By LIAM KELLY news writer

l eading a merican and i raqi intellectuals criticized the united states for its invasion of i raq during two “a ftermath” panels held at the university marking the 20th anniversary of the i raq war.

a t the panel on Thursday evening, the guest scholars noted the damage done to the nation of i raq, the entire m iddle e ast and the united states as a result of the war.

“The devastation within i raq to its civil society and social fabric, its ecology, its culture, its people’s hopes cannot be quantified,” e nglish professor roy s cranton said at the first panel.

s cranton pointed to “the rise of isis and subsequent civil war in i raq from 2014 to 2017, which killed more than 67,000 civilians and displaced more than 5 million people, persistent chronic civil and regional

see iraQ PAGE 4

Liam Kelly | The Observer

NDTV broadcasted two “Aftermath” panels which discussed the consequences of the U.S. invasion of Iraq on the 20-year anniversary.

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Monday Lenten Small Groups

Le Mans Hall

5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

A time for community, prayer and reflection. Open to SMC students.

Japanese Language Table Hagerty Family Cafe

6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Join fellow Japanese speakers over coffee.

Tuesday

Notre Dame Men’s Baseball

Frank Eck Stadium 12 p.m.

Notre Dame takes on Northwestern.

Italian Trivia Decio Commons

4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Hosted by the CLSC.

All are welcome, even non-Italian speakers.

Wednesday

Joel Smirnoff’s violin Masterclass LaBar Recital Hall

1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Lecture: “Thoughts on Species Being”

232 Decio Hall 5:15 p.m.

Presented by Anahid Nersessian.

Thursday

Holy Thursday Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart

5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

A live stream link is online, open to all.

Hope Yuan Junior Violin Recital LaBar Recital Hall

6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Free and open to the public

Friday

Exhibit: “A Century of Irish Book Arts” 102 Hesburgh Library 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Featuring art of books in Ireland. Open to all.

Live Performance: The Passion at ND South Quad 8:30 p.m. - 10:15 p.m.

con T inued from page 1 place at the first b ookstore b asketball tournament he attended.

“The e sophagus c onstrictors were an interesting team,” r amirez wrote. “Their uniforms consisted of white dress shirts, ties, thick-rimmed glasses and calculators strapped to their belts. a t various intervals throughout the game they would call time-outs in order to have study breaks.”

s tudents have continued to dress up in costume and create ridiculous team names over the years, which has undoubtedly led to the tournament’s growth.

a t its inception, there were less than one hundred teams competing throughout the months of m arch and a pril, but the number of teams had doubled by 1976. The numbers continued to grow with the introduction of a women’s bracket to accompany the open bracket in 1978.

The success of b ookstore b asketball reached its peak with over 700 teams competing, and in 1995, the tournament began fundraising for the Jumpball b asketball p rogramme which supports young athletes in Jamaica and h aiti.

The tournament has raised thousands over the past 28 years and there is

no denying that b ookstore

b asketball has become an indispensable part of n otre d ame culture.

Bookstore Basketball’s Memorable Moments

b ookstore b asketball has a storied history as an allweather sport in the most literal of senses. b ut since its inception in 1972, only one game has ever been decided off of the court.

i n 1988, many of the games in the round of 256 took place in a driving rainstorm. f ans were hard to come by and points ever harder. The blacktop courts were soaked, and the players were miserable. The Wedge, a h oosier and 3 o ther Lame g uys were playing 4 g uys from a ir Loomer in the terrible weather when they mutually agreed to suspend play.

a quick consultation with the expert rules officials of b ookstore b asketball informed the teams that a coin toss could relieve them of the miserable conditions. a s such, the history books now reflect The Wedge, a h oosier and 3 o ther Lame g uys as the only team ever to prevail via coin toss in b ookstore history.

The all-weather tournament has also sustained a few traditions throughout the years. o ne notable tradition is the annual h all of f ame g ame to kick off each

tournament. i n 1987, Lou h oltz played on team verkler

c onstruction, seeking his chance to win the most prestigious honor.

a lthough they received less notoriety for competing than the great Lou h oltz, varsity athletes have participated in b ookstore

b asketball throughout the years. i n 1977, future nf L great Joe m ontana played in the historic tournament, allegedly tallying 2 dunks during a game. a dditionally, future multi-time s uper

b owl winner Justin Tuck was a force in the early 2000s.

Yet, some spectators began to complain about the presence of varsity athletes in the tournament. To their credit, it took 12 years for the championship game not to feature any varsity athletes.

b ookstore X ii is remembered fondly as the year that finally bucked the trend, proving the possibility of success for the “little guy.”

While b ookstore

b asketball has become synonymous with world class competition, the campus anxiously awaits to watch athletes, coaches or “little guys” lace up their shoes and hit the blacktop this year.

to Bill Hanzlik: The Legacy of Professional Players in Notre Dame’s Bookstore Basketball

a s m arch m adness heats up, college basketball fans around the country are celebrating their favorite teams, players and traditions. a t

n otre d ame, one such tradition is b ookstore b asketball, a massive tournament in which teams of students compete against one another in a grueling test of athleticism, teamwork and determination. a nd while most of the players are n otre d ame students, some have hailed from the ranks of professional basketball.

f rom an archived story in The o bserver, we learn about some of the professional players who have competed in b ookstore b asketball over the years. Two of the most notable are b ill Laimbeer (‘79) and b ill h anzlik (‘80), both of whom went on to successful careers in the nba

Laimbeer, who played for n otre d ame from 1975-79, participated in b ookstore b asketball in 1976. d uring the ‘76 tournament, Laimbeer “set a b ookstore record with 7 blocked shots.”

“ d r. J trophy.” i t’s clear that Laimbeer’s skills were already impressive back then, and his success in the nba only solidified his status as one of the all-time greats. h anzlik, who played for n otre d ame from 1976-80, participated in the ‘77 tournament, where his team also dominated the competition. h anzlik, a member of “The c humps,” was the third highest scorer among the “ e lite e ight.” g iven that h anzlik notched 33 of 64 shot attempts, it was noted that “The c humps are awesome on the boards, and that’s where their advantage lies.”

b ut even with the overwhelming skill and experience of these professional players, the spirit of competition and camaraderie that defines b ookstore b asketball remains strong. f or n otre d ame students, nothing quite matches the experience of watching their fellow classmates compete against future basketball legends, even if it means being humbled by their exceptional skills.

1,

From Bill Laimbeer

f or his success at the rim, Laimbeer was awarded the

Contact Thomas Dobbs at tdobbs@nd.edu, Lilyann Gardner at lgardne2@nd.edu, Cade Czarnecki at cczarne3@nd.edu

Writer discusses experience of women at smc

By CORA HADDAD news Writer

a s part of the v isiting Writers s eries, s aint m ary’s welcomed novelist and poet melissa g insburg Thursday for a reading and book signing in h aggar p arlor.

g insburg started off by reading from her novel, “The house uptown,” which was released during the pandemic. The novel’s inspiration, g insburg said, was both her personal life and imagination.

“The setting for this novel is the house that my grandmother lived in new o rleans

when i was a little kid,” she said. “ s o, things like that are taken straight from life, but all of the characters are made up or are like an amalgamation of people i know and made up stuff and parts of myself too.”

g insburg then read from her most recently published book of poetry titled, “d oll a pollo.”

The musicality of her poems is very intentional, g insburg explained, reading at an intended cadence to demonstrate so.

“They’re very musical,” g insburg said. “ s o i hope that people just enjoy listening to them and also are moved by them. a nd i also hope that

a lot of the sort of emotional tenor of the poems will resonate with people in the audience.”

g insburg also spoke about where the content of her poetry is adopted from.

“i use a lot of images that are just things that i see and i’m interested in or a lot of images that are derived from the landscape of the place where i live, that i’m directly observing and interacting with all the time,” g insburg said.

b ecause of her interest in portraying women, g insburg welcomed the opportunity to speak on s aint m ary’s campus.

“i love speaking at an all girls school,” g insburg said.

“i visited a class this morning that was really wonderful to interact with those women. a ll of my writing is about women and girls. This is my audience, it’s really wonderful just to be able to read these from these books that are so much about art and art making and being a woman in the world. a nd navigating all of these sorts of things that we all have to deal with, like patriarchy, sexual violence, all of that stuff, you know, is such a part of my work.”

c ircling back to “The house

uptown,” g insburg again elaborated on the experience of women.

“The novel is about a woman artist who has had to figure out a way to make her life function. While she’s dedicated to her career, and also a mom and the kinds of sacrifices that she makes to do that and the things that she does, the things that she gives up and the ways that she’s judged. a ll of that comes from the novel. s o i think we’re all still dealing with that.”

Observer Archives

An annual Bookstore Basketball tournament has been held at Notre Dame since the 1970s. In this photo, which appeared in The Observer on April 23, 1976, students compete in front of a large crowd of onlookers.

Observer Archives

On April

1987, The Observer recorded a photograph of a team by the name of “Esophagus Constrictors” deploying the wishbone formation.

con T inued from page 1 the characters,” he said.

The endeavor was far from monotonous, b ernsten explained, as students put careful thought into the way that they read the poem.

“ n obody was truly shouting or anything like that or getting down on their knees or weeping with the characters,” b ernsten said. “ b ut they were doing the inflections of questions and adding more force to certain words.”

a fan-favorite moment was in book nine during the f all — the temptation of a dam and e ve by the serpent. s tudents were given apples and instructed to make their first bite during the scene’s most important moment. The crunch of honeycrisps sounded when e ve bit into the apple, when a dam ate the fruit and even before or after these plot points.

“ i t’s just kind of funny seeing different people’s judgments as to the importance of what’s the most grievous sin, when sin first comes about,” b ernsten said. “That was definitely the funniest part. i t was very judgmental apple bites.”

The text, r egala added, was made more lively by the sounds of apple munching.

Iraq

con T inued from page 1 instability, including the s yrian civil war, increased religious extremism and chronic economic and social chaos.”

Thursday panelists included spencer a ckerman, a national security correspondent for the g uardian, a ndrew b acevich, an a merican historian from b oston university and o mar d ewachi, a professor of medical anthropology at r utgers university.

The panelists discussed the root of causes of what they thought to be a senseless war. u ltimately, a ckerman believed that the motivation for the war had been financial. he recounted a story about how when he had visited a u s . military base in i raq in 2007, he was struck by the “for-profit” nature of the war.

“To my amazement, topping buffets were crab legs, and for dessert, there were six flavors of ice cream,” a ckerman recounted. While to the troops, the food may have been a creature comfort that reminded them of home, “what we were actually experiencing was how profitable the i raq War was,” a ckerman said.

a ckerman explained that the lavish and expensive dining options were only a microcosm of the larger financial forces at play.

“The i raq war had real winners and among them were

“ i t was super engaging in the fact that you could hear everyone eating the apple out loud,” she said.

The fact that students were willing to give up their s aturday to read the lengthy poem, f allon said, reflects strongly on the character of the u niversity’s students.

“ n otre d ame students are very bright and enthusiastic and passionate about books,” he said. “ s tudents have a close sort of intellectual social culture. s o they like to be together, and they like to be together to share something beautiful.”

The dedication of the students, r egala explained, is evidence of a certain culture that persists on campus.

“ i think it says a lot about n otre d ame in the fact that a bunch of students on a s aturday woke up early and were willing to take time out of their day to come and talk and engage in a very intellectual community,” she said. “a lso just as a c atholic university, with everyone’s exposure to g enesis, i think that added an element of understanding and appreciation for the text.”

b ernsten thought that the event was more of a reflection on f allon and other professors around campus.

“ i t demonstrates a certain

the oil companies and the military-industrial complex that benefited from the consistent increases in u s . defense spending,” a ckerman stated.

b acevich argued that the war had been an act by the u s . to reaffirm its supremacy as a world hegemon after it had been shaken by the events of 9/11.

“The united states invaded i raq in order to reaffirm a merican global primacy — political, economic and above all, ideological,” b acevich said.

a ckerman also brought up the effect of 9/11, saying that “the deep fear” caused by 9/11 “made these sorts of paranoid enthusiasms” that the bush administration propagated about i raq much more appealing to a mericans.

a ckerman argued that after the war deteriorated into chaos, a mericans shifted the blame to i raqis for their mistakes.

“You started seeing a mericans blame the i raqis for the failures of the i raq war, not thinking back conceptually, and interpreting structurally what those reasons were, but instead of treating the i raqis as ungrateful,” a ckerman said.

b acevich made the case that the notion of a merica as a liberator that emerged after World War ii and that motivated the war in i raq is greatly flawed.

“[World War ii ] becomes this permanent reference point for

love of beloved teachers,” he said. “ i t demonstrates, i guess, a certain amount of loyalty or a certain amount of gratitude that we feel towards teachers that impact us.”

a s f allon is retiring at the end of the semester, this year is the last time he will be hosting the event as a full-time professor.

r egala said f allon will be missed in future years.

a merica the liberator, a merica the source of freedom. s o yeah, we screwed up in v ietnam. Yeah, we screwed up in i raq. but don’t forget World War ii,” b acevich explained.

The panelists also noted the impact that the war had on the u s . political environment.

“i n comparison with prior a merican wars, such as the c ivil War, World War ii, even v ietnam, i raq really doesn’t rank as all that big, but its impact on a merican democracy has been massive,” b acevich stated.

b acevich argued that the chaos caused by the i raq war fostered a more polarized political environment that allowed d onald Trump to start his political movement and ultimately win the presidency.

“it was the i raq war, in my judgment, that transformed Trumpism from a marginal phenomenon — so-called ‘deplorables’ griping about gun laws and the decline of traditional morality and the loss of decent blue collar jobs into something far more powerful,” b acevich said.

d ewachi focused on the effects of the war on the i raqi healthcare system.

“o ne of the central tragedies of the last history has been the collapse of i raq’s healthcare,” d ewachi said, citing the “destruction of infrastructure, exodus of doctors, loss of sanitation systems and care projects.”

however, the wounds left

“ h e’s done this so many times and this is the last one,” r egala said. “a little part of me hopes that he’ll come back and lead events like this in the future. b ut yeah, it made it extra special.”

i n his last go-around, f allon reflected on what makes the m ilton m arathon so special.

“ i t’s always exciting to see other people being

by the conflict have been both physical and social wounds, d ewachi explained.

“With no accountability or accounting for these injuries or deaths, we are left with invisible accounts of these wounds,” d ewachi lamented.

a ckerman argued that the u s . needs “to pay i raqis reparations for their suffering, and to relinquish its self-appointed claim to police the world under the rubric of a so-called rules-based international order meant to bind everyone but Washington.”

The reflection continued on friday with another panel focusing on the impact of the war on present day i raq. s alar a bdoh, an i ranian novelist and essayist, a mal a l-Jubouri, an i raqi poet, translator, journalist and publisher, mortada g zar, an i raqi filmmaker and novelist, and d unya m ikhail, an i raq-a merican writer and poet, all shared their personal experiences with the war.

“i’m afraid [the war] is too familiar to us,” m ikhail said.

The war, g zar said, “destroyed the memory of a people.”

g zar recounted how his father made his family shelter underneath the stairs when bombing was taking place after seeing only the stairs remaining in houses that had been destroyed.

“You make your own beliefs based on your own experience,” g zar said.

m ikhail reflected on similar

Courtesy of Will Attig

animated by it and to realize that something written so long ago can be both so beautiful and moving and also remain relevant to their lives,” he said. “ i t’s always exciting to see especially young people excited about poetry in general and this poem in particular.”

Contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu

measures that her family took to stay safe during the war. her and her family had a “war room” where they would shelter during air raids with covered windows to shield themselves from shrapnel and to block light.

“i had to turn off the light when we heard a siren. my mom didn’t allow us to go to the bathroom or anything because she wanted us to live and die together,” m ikhail said.

a l-Jobourhi critiqued the a merican desire to establish a democratic regime in i raq, echoing a ckerman’s arguments, saying that “liberation cannot come with invasion.”

“The priority for the people of the a rab world is good governance, not democracy,” a lJobourhi explained. “i want to ask the a merican audience why certain political governance has to be dictated by a superpower country like the united states to be universal.”

a bdoh argued that a more complex and nuanced discussion is necessary in the u s . in order to fully understand the war.

“The conversation is very reductive,” a bdoh said, “people don’t want to see the layers and layers of things that exist. it’s so complicated, you just need to put a whole lifetime into it.”

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

Students pose with retiring English professor Steve Fallon during Saturday’s Milton Marathon. The 10hour event took place in the Program of Liberal Studies lounge on the third floor of O’Shaughnessy Hall.

By ALLISON ELSHOFF scene Writer

Last Friday, the center for Italian studies hosted its annual Italian community concert in the debartolo Performing Arts center. singers included notre dame faculty and students, who came together to perform an array of fantastic Italian music for a sold-out crowd.

The center for Italian studies, in conjunction with the nanovic Institute for european studies and the department of romance languages and literatures, has sponsored this concert each spring since 2016. every year, the event is framed around a different theme or artist.

This year’s theme was “diversitàlia: Italian cities and their soundscapes.” The two-set performance took audience members on a tour of various Italian cities, celebrating each one’s rich history and distinct culture. every song was introduced by an accompanying voiceover or a professor to provide context to the mix of famous traditional, pop, rock and folk music performed. escaping the thundering storm outside, concertgoers huddled into a buzzing and cozy Leighton concert hall. The show kicked off with a lively performance of dean martin’s “on an evening in roma” by notre dame graduate sean Leyes. Professor Lesley marcantonio, the concert’s producer and a favorite in the Italian department, then came on stage to give a brief introduction to the rest of the concert.

“Let’s use this evening’s experience to demonstrate

that we can freely choose to live together, a nourishing moment of our shared intentions,” she said. “Together in one place, experiencing one moment in time, breathing one moment of this music, we immerse ourselves in the Italian passion for spectacle, for beauty and for music.” With this intention set, audience members were truly immersed for the rest of the show. A screen above the stage projected pictures of the featured cities and song lyrics so that viewers could sing along, adding to the warm and engaging atmosphere.

returning performers included singers Patrick vivirito, colin mccarthy and marcantonio herself, who were accompanied by musicians Anthony monta, Joseph rosenberg, Tom Guinan, benjamin nelson, sean raming and rachel Keynton. english professor Anthony mota’s introduction to the city of Geneva included an anecdote about his grandfather; likewise, Italian professor Alessia blad introduced the city of milan, drawing on her pride for the city she grew up in and that she said she feels shaped her. These personal introductions to the songs emphasized the strong connections to Italy alive and well at notre dame.

highlights of the show included both serene, belting songs along with spirited performances and little skits. Italian professor v ivirito’s performance of “r iccione” had the audience clapping along, while a show-stopping performance of “Frosinone” by mitch speer and a comical skit of “ho v isto Un re” added levity and

laughter to the night.

A dance number by sarah Kanczuzewski, marisa Lantigua, diana Perynska and Teresa Tompkins gave the audience a taste of a typical summer night in the city of Puglia, where tourists and locals come together in the Piazza at night to dance La Taranta.

Two powerful solos closed both acts of the show. Graduate student Joseph oparamankuie ended act one with an impressive opera performance of “Firenze sogna,” and holy cross student Tompkins closed act two with a moving performance of “maledetta Primavera.” After an insistent chant for an encore from the crowd, the show ended with a sneak peek of next year’s concert, which will celebrate iconic female voices of Italy.

Anyone involved with notre dame’s Italian department will tell you how special a place it is. Professor Alessia blad acknowledged the value of their work.

“While learning a new language, you are set to gain the priceless ability to see the world from a different perspective, while becoming part of a global community that encourages mutual respect and tolerance” she said.

This annual concert is a must-see for anyone looking to learn more about other cultures and celebrate wonderful talent, all while having fun doing it. “bravissimi!” to the performers, and make sure to experience this wonderful night next spring.

Contact Allison Elshoff at aelshoff@nd.edu

By ARI DENNING scene Writer

“dungeons & dragons: honor Among Thieves” debuted in theaters Friday to a packed house, utterly crushing the box office this past weekend. It was an homage to the time-honored game, “dungeons and dragons,” that has ratcheted up in popularity in recent years with lockdown and its depiction in popular T v shows, such as “stranger Things.” Fans of “d&d” were rather afraid that this depiction of our beloved game would be a corporate cash grab that capitalizes on its recent traction. did it include many “d&d” stereotypes? Yes. Was it extremely cheesy? Yes.

did I also enjoy it immensely? Also yes.

As a “d&d” enthusiast in my personal life, I was nervous that there would be none of the shenanigans, friendly banter and emotional depth that lives at the heart and soul of any campaign. however, the movie and its phenomenal cast did a great job at capturing those aspects of the game. chris Pine stars as one of the titular thieves, edgin darvis, a bard who’s trying to right the wrongs of his tragic past. he delivers an honestly hilarious, quip-filled and, at times, emotionally touching performance. The movie breathes in his surprisingly great comedic timing within his conversations with his crew. Additionally, he especially shines when it comes to his sentimental relationship with his daughter Kira, portrayed by the talented chloe coleman.

however, the entire cast creates a great ensemble that

has an undeniable chemistry with one another. michelle rodriguez plays a barbarian with a heart of gold, sophia Lillis is charming as a tiefling druid who has the ability to shapeshift, regé-Jean Page is wonderfully tight-laced as a paladin knight and Justice smith won my heart with his portrayal of an amateur sorcerer who’s learning to have confidence in himself. hugh Grant and daisy head portray the villains of the plot, a truly unlikable conman and an irredeemable wizard. my only disappointment would be the lack of dimension in the villains, specifically head’s character. While she depicts a red Wizard of Thay (a classic d&d villain), there was limited development of her backstory or character arc in the film. she is depicted as almost cartoonishly evil from the beginning and stays that way through to the end.

A zany adventure filled with obstacles to overcome and monsters to tackle, the quest that the gang embarks upon is filled with references and easter eggs that are sure to reward viewers who are “dungeons & dragon” players. The characters tend to embody typical class stereotypes, such as the bard being way overconfident, paladins being an utter wet towel to any group antics and barbarians having the tendency to eat well and smash their way out of any situation. classic creatures from the “monster manual” such as a gelatinous cube, a displacer beast, a mimic and a Themberchaud — the extremely rotund dragon — were lovely treats to see on screen and were depicted accurately. however, you don’t need to play “d&d” to enjoy the movie. It makes a valiant effort to recount any lore behind the plot and keeps the story very fun and light-hearted for

newcomers to “dungeons and dragons.”

The basic plot follows a bard and his crew on their grand adventure to not only break into a vault and steal a magical item to resurrect the bard’s dead wife, but also rescue his daughter, who has been turned against him. Along the way, they must retrieve various other artifacts, compete in gladiator-style games and become true heroes as they foil a plot to turn the world into an army of the undead. sounds fun? It was. even though the plot was fast-paced and jam-packed with every obstacle imaginable, it never failed to take a beat and build relationships between the characters. Through their absolutely hilarious banter, there shines an emotional core to the movie that makes you root for them to succeed. You want chris Pine to reunite with his daughter, you realize that michelle rodriguez’s barbarian has become a surrogate mother and the blossoming flirtation between Justice smith and sophia Lillis is incredibly sweet.

“dungeons & dragons: honor Among Thieves” did a great job delivering a movie that puts a lot of effort into paying its respects to the beloved role-playing game it’s based on. While not the most revolutionary in its plot lines or character development, the humor and antics that echoed a real “d&d” session more than makes up for the deficit. In conclusion, if you’re a fan of d &d or just want to see a hugely entertaining and laugh-out-loud film, then “dungeons & dragons: honor Among Thieves” will fit the ticket.

Contact Ari Denning at adenning@nd.edu

An open letter to my archnemesis

Meghan Lange saint mary’s news e ditor

You hear the term “archenemies” and you think of some big rivalry between good and evil, maybe b atman vs. Joker or s herlock h olmes vs. Professor m oriarity.

b ut now I also want you to think: m eghan Lange vs. spell-check.

This may seem melodramatic, but let me just tell you how this supposedly helpful tool has come to ruin my life. I never thought I would have an archenemy. A rival? s ure. An opponent? o f course. b ut an archenemy?

c ome on, we’re not living in a movie or a comic book.

b ut no, I was wrong. s pell-check will now and forever, always be the bane of my existence.

Just last week, I was texting a friend and it changed the word “sec” into “sex.”

I ask you, WTF! What if that had been to someone less understanding?

n ow you can say: “ m eg it only changed one letter. It’s an honest mistake. Quit whining.”

I’ll grant you that this column is one giant rant and is all about complaining, but then again, you don’t have to read it.

I digress, this is not the first time I’ve been grammatically screwed over by spell check, and I highly doubt it will be the last. I’m just simply done with spell-check. It’s just a pain in the butt and never actually helpful.

e ven when you want to use spell-check, it doesn’t know what you’re trying to say. n ow, I’m not the best speller. You can ask any of my kindergarten through eighth grade teachers to confirm. (Yes, eighth grade. Thank you Archdiocese of c hicago for requiring all eighth graders in the c atholic school system to have vocabulary tests.) I never won any awards or even got many 100 on my spelling tests.

s o, when I’m writing a paper or even a text now, I sometimes need a little help from this all-knowing, light-up screen currently sitting on my lap called a m acbook when I’m trying to type out a word from my extensive college vocabulary. b ut more often than not, it has no idea what I’m saying.

Again you interject, “ m aybe that’s because you spelled it so wrong that the algorithm can’t recognize it.”

To that, I say, “Its job is to recognize it.” h ow come when I know what I’m trying to say, spell check doesn’t understand and wants to change it, but when I don’t know the correct way to spell or say something, it doesn’t either?

And don’t even get me started on the names. m y name is spelled m eghan Lange, not m egan or m egyn or m aygan. It’s not that hard.

In the grand scheme of things, my name is pretty simple to spell. Yet, every time I type out my name, it says I’m wrong.

e xcuse me, sir, I think I know how to spell my own name, I’ve been perfecting this spelling for 22 years now.

I can’t even imagine the trouble and frustration people with more than two syllables in their names have to deal with.

In conclusion, spell-check has it out for me, and it can go screw itself. (And I meant sec!)

Contact Meghan at mlange03@saintmarys.edu.

The views expressed in this Inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Ain’t no envy for the wicked

Andrew Sveda c hurch and state

“Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart” (Psalm 73:1 esv ). These opening words summarize the conclusion of Asaph’s struggle with “the prosperity of the wicked” (v. 3) amidst the sufferings of believers in this psalm. This struggle has been, felt by every believer in various degrees, and our response to it is not of mere philosophical interest and should not be taken lightly. Asaph almost fell into terrible danger when he “[envied]... the arrogant” (v. 3), and, through these verses, God seeks to warn us of the peril of such thinking. b ut why is envying the prosperity and ease of unbelievers so bad?

m ost importantly, it maligns God and h is character, suggesting that h e does not truly love and care for h is people. n otice that such a lie is thoroughly unbiblical (e.g., r omans 8:28-39; e phesians 1:3-14, 2:1-10; Psalm 23) and has been used by s atan from the beginning (Genesis 3:5). It is the sentiment of the Israelites who, despite their deliverance from the bondage of slavery, considered the things of e gypt greater than their journey amid God’s presence ( n umbers 11:4-6, 14:34). s uch perverse sentiments should make us shudder. Let us also note what a short walk it is from envying the wicked to practical atheism, which denies that God “rewards those who seek him” ( h ebrews 11:6), and even despising God.

When we envy the wicked, we effectively say that it is better to live a life of sin and rebellion than one of faith, growing in holiness and glorifying God. If we find ourselves thinking this way, alarm bells should be going off, lest we continue in this path, fall away, and “[trample] underfoot the s on of God, and [profane] the blood of the covenant by which [we are] sanctified and [outrage] the s pirit of grace” ( h ebrews 10:29).

h ow do we know, though, that God is uniquely good to h is people?

The first reason the Psalmist gives is that destruction will befall unbelievers. While calamities do strike some unbelievers in this life, all those who do not repent and believe in Jesus will face eternal punishment in h ell ( m atthew 25:46; John 8:24, 14:6; Acts 4:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:9).

“For what will it profit a man,” Jesus said, “if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” ( m atthew 16:26).

If we truly believed this, we would find it foolish to envy the ungodly. I assure you that none of those who failed to board the Titanic ultimately envied those who did, yet this is a pitiful comparison to the prospect of eternal damnation! b ecause we do not look with an eternal perspective, we so often fail to see what a strange thing it is to envy the condemned.

This is a very good reason not to envy unbelievers, but it may not excite c hristians about God’s goodness to them. m any often feel that God has not treated them as h e ought.

b ut what, I ask, do you deserve from God?

The answer is not what we want to hear: h ell.

We, too, “were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” ( e phesians 2:3).

Yet God, according to h is grace and nothing we have done, saved us ( e phesians 2:4,

2 Timothy 1:9). We who were once God’s enemies ( r omans 5:10) and children of the devil (1 John 3:10, e phesians 2:1-3) have now been reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus ( r omans 5:9-11), born again by the s pirit ( e phesians 1:13), united to c hrist ( r omans 6:4-5) and are children of God (John 1:12).

As Paul writes, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” ( c olossians 2:13-14).

The wrath of God that we deserved was poured out on Jesus on the cross ( r omans 3:24-26, Isaiah 53:4-6) so that our sins would be forgiven and we can now stand reconciled and have peace with God ( r omans 5:1). b y believing and trusting in c hrist’s wholly sufficient and finished work ( h ebrews 10:10-18), we have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only s on, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in c hrist Jesus” ( r omans 8:1) not because of our moral record — before or after conversion — but because our standing is secure since we rest in c hrist’s atoning work and h is righteousness (cf. r omans 4:4-8).

It is a terrible thing that many c hristians, myself certainly included, who understand this, who realize that even our best works deserve h ell and who rest in a salvation that is purely by grace alone, treat “such a great salvation” ( h ebrews 2:3) as a small thing. When we read lengthy verses in s cripture describing it, we often begin to skim through the words; this is to our utter shame. What makes it worse is our sheer excitement about so many other things that draw so much of our attention, passion and love, simply do not matter.

b ut when the c hristian turns from such things again and again and beholds c hrist, he can see nothing more lovely.

The world cannot truly understand why Jesus — the true, biblical Jesus — is lovely, but the c hristian, through the s pirit’s working in him, does. h e is the pearl of great price, the o ne who created and sustains all things, the b read of life, the Light of the world, our great h igh Priest, the Lamb of God, the King of kings, the coming Judge and the s avior of sinners. If a man is united to h im, he has everything; if he is not, he has nothing. c hristian, Jesus is our s hepherd, and we “shall not want” (Psalm 23:1, cf. John 10:11).

b ut even more, h e is infinitely glorious and beautiful and all that truly matters. Let us pray that we will see that and believe it more deeply.

Andrew Sveda is a senior at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in political science and theology. In his free time, he enjoys writing (obviously), reading and playing the piano. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Farewell NDH

Pablo Lacayo reliable r amblings

1,256.75 hours, scattered throughout 403 shifts worked over the last four years.

That amounts to more or less 54 entire days and is the total sum of my time spent working at n orth d ining h all since I first came to n otre d ame.

After eight semesters in ndh , last week was the last one I worked before “retiring.” Without a doubt, the dining hall had a profound impact on my n otre d ame experience. After all, once you withhold weekends, finals, my two stays in quarantine during the throes of the pandemic and the random times here and there I had something in the way, I worked nearly every weekday dinner since freshman year up until now.

I must admit, I have no idea what I will do with the sudden explosion of free time in the weeks that lie ahead. h owever, I look forward to them with great excitement, as for the first time in my college career, I will have the ability to make dinner plans at normal, convenient hours without having to incorporate things like the band practice schedule or the regular dinner rush into account.

As I look back and reflect on the variety of lessons and experiences fate chose to give me over the years, I can only smile with gratitude for the cornucopia of blessings that came with the job.

c ertainly, it has given me a unique perspective on student life at n otre d ame. In my eyes, the dining hall is the most democratic place on campus. n o matter your dorm, major, friend group or background, the dining hall opens its doors for everyone to come in and enjoy a meal. e veryone swings by, and you get to see a little bit of everything. h aving worked through the years has allowed me to bear witness to the many ways one can live their time at n otre d ame. Whether it’s athletes eating an amazingly early dinner before practice at 4:30 or an awkward dining hall date between classmates tucked away in a corner right before close, working at the dining hall allows you to discover parts of the n otre d ame experience in a way no other place can. This has certainly made the last eight semesters amusing and entertaining, as I have been living in the background to the rise and fall of friend groups, the blossoming of relationships and much to a random couple’s misfortune, a very obvious breakup during my sophomore year.

b y far, my favorite part of working at the dining hall has been the social component of the job. s ince most of my social network at n otre d ame lives on the n orthern side of campus, I am blessed to have had the opportunity to see 90% of my friends, every single day I work. It allows you to stay in the loop with the people you care about and guarantees time in the day for you to see your friends, update each other and catch up. Losing out on this part of my social life will be one of the most challenging things to adapt to, considering it has provided me with easy access to my friends from all over campus.

As my time working at the dining hall draws to a close, I can’t help but extend all my thanks and gratitude to the wonderful people I have worked so closely with all this time. They were the ones that taught me the ropes of n orth d ining h all ( ndh ) and have constituted the backbone of my experience there.

The dining hall has been a cornerstone throughout my time at n otre d ame. As I finally turn the page of this chapter, it feels disconcerting to walk into uncharted waters for me that are more than charted waters for those around me. I walk away with the most amazing memories and hope that students that continue to work at ndh , present and future, get the enjoyment and satisfaction I have attained throughout the past 4 years.

h asta la victoria siempre.

Pablo Lacayo is a senior at Notre Dame, majoring in finance while minoring in Chinese. He enjoys discussing current affairs, giving out bowl plates at the dining hall, walking around the lakes and karaoke. You can reach him at placayo@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Notre Dame be strong

Jack Sirianni The notre dame nitty-Gritty

For as long as I can remember I have always been a sorter.

I used to sort my Thomas the Tank e ngine trains by color and my college mail by geographical location. s imilarly, with my laundry, I make sure that all of my T-shirts are organized by theme. I am always shocked by the number of T-shirts that seem to come out of the woodwork of my closet, which has led to the creation of many new themes to arrange them. o ver spring break, I began to sort my shirts by category with the college tour shirts sitting next to the high school shirts and the travel shirts sitting next to the athletic shirts. h owever, as I folded and sorted, a new theme emerged in the piles of my shirts.

The three T-shirts that I had set aside were in support of communities ravaged by mass shootings.

Unconsciously to me, I had gathered a small collection of shirts all bearing the same saying with different iterations, “[insert location] strong.” o ne T-shirt from the 2017 Las vegas shooting read “ vegas s trong.” Another from my first year of college acclaimed “o xford s trong” in honor of the shooting at o xford h igh s chool in southeast m ichigan. m y newest shirt, still with the factory creases on it, came from the shooting at the first school I ever loved and said “ s partan s trong.” s taring down at these folded shirts all bearing the same phrase filled me with rage and prompted me to ask myself the question, “how much stronger do we have to be?” Why is it that communities must bear the brunt of this trauma that brings them together to grieve? When will these mass shootings stop? Why have these tragedies become so commonplace?

This is a uniquely American problem that plagues this country in a way that is foreign to the rest of the world. here in the United s tates, the land of the free and home of the brave, the war waged on our soil pulls the American flag down to half-mast in a way that has become all too standard. m ass shootings have become far more deadly and far more frequent in the last twenty years. The coincidence of this increase with the perception of those who are currently college undergraduates results in a cohort of students who have never known a world without rampant mass shootings.

holding my shirts in the yellow light of my childhood bedroom, I shuddered to imagine the fear and helplessness that my peers must have felt in these instances across the country. While I am blessed enough to have never experienced gun violence in my life, these T-shirts made me have a morbid thought.

What would the shirt designed after a school shooting at n otre d ame look like?

Would it say notre d ame strong or Irish strong? Which one of o ur Lady’s University colors would be selected to unite the n otre d ame family?

What is to stop notre d ame from being the next school to be ravaged by violence? Where would the shooter go? Would I be safe in my dorm? Would it make international news and cause a political firestorm? Would the attack on the University of notre d ame with its representation of America’s values be the last straw for a change to happen? Would it prompt more than a two-sentence response from other university presidents, more than Father Jenkins released after the m ichigan

s tate shooting? What would happen if the unthinkable came to pass here in our pristine little corner of the world?

Pulling myself away from this rabbit hole, I knew well that these were thoughts that no one should have to think about. n o student or individual should fear entering large public spaces, checking to make certain of their nearest exit. e lementary school students should not have to worry about lugging their bulletproof backpacks around during school shooting drills. These thoughts and fears that so many Americans are faced with every day have not been and should not be normal. m any students who lived through that haunting night on the campus of m ichigan s tate University had seen violence like that before. The mass shooting on campus on the night of Feb. 13 marked the second school shooting for many students in the span of only a few years. h iding in the dorms and buildings at m ichigan s tate, were the survivors of the shootings at s andy hook e lementary and o xford h igh s chool, who once more feared for their lives at the hands of gun violence. n otre d ame students should not have to hope and pray in the candlelight of the Grotto with the uncertainty of whether or not their friends would survive the night. moreover, no one should have to survive a school shooting only to be met with their worst fears relived a few years later.

r ather than waiting for the day when violence penetrates this campus and the shirts read “ notre d ame s trong,” now is the time for notre d ame to be strong.

This university is in a fortuitous situation, poised as a top c atholic institution to lead the change in America that prevents this plague of grief and terror from spreading. The time for “prayers and support” has come and gone, but rather it is in the spirit of honoring those who have been struck down by this violence that n otre d ame must demand change.

The University and all of the individuals that make up the n otre d ame family must demand change from legislators and those who would resist protecting Americans in the besmirched name of freedom. There is a litany of policy solutions that have repeatedly been scientifically proven to be effective in stopping gun violence. m any lawmakers have given up on preventing school shootings or are actively fighting the for needlessly lethal weapons in communities across America.

I urge the University to advocate for progressive changes to combat gun violence and protect its students. In addition, it is also important for the average student to call your lawmakers and demand a change for your protection and that of the American people.

I hope for the day when we will not have to light candles at the grotto or fold T-shirts to mourn the loss of innocent people killed by gun violence. m ore importantly, I invite you to challenge the status quo and fight for this necessary change, no matter what it takes and know that you are not alone.

Jack Sirianni is a sophomore studying political science, journalism and public policy. He is a proud Michigander who appreciates jamming to Pete Seeger, scouring eBay for vintage Notre Dame paraphernalia and collecting stickers from everywhere he goes. On campus, Jack can often be seen by the Founder’s Monument or in the line for Southwest Salad. For your favorite tidbits of knowledge or any other musings, his inbox is always open at jsirian2@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Irish split series with Panthers

By J.J. POST

Associate sports e ditor

n otre d ame softball split a doubleheader s unday afternoon, concluding a three-game series against Pittsburgh. The Irish fell in the overall series two games to one but ended on a high note. n otre d ame cruised to a dominant 10-2 win in game three of the weekend.

After a Friday matchup where the bats largely sputtered and a s unday morning contest where the Irish scored plenty but allowed 13 runs, n otre d ame put it all together in the final afternoon. s ophomore pitcher s hannon b ecker put together a complete game in the circle, striking out five batters along the way.

Karina Gaskins stole the show on the offensive end. The junior infielder came to the plate just three times in five innings. b ut in those three at-bats, she hit three home runs. Those three blasts tied her own program record for most in a single game. The seven runs she drove in also made the record books as the secondmost in a game in program history. Graduate infielder Lexi o rozco pitched in at the plate as well, clubbing a pair of solo home runs.

After the game, head coach d eanna Gumpf remarked on Gaskins’ patience at the plate and the rewards it reaped.

“Karina just dug in today,” Gumpf said. “ s he dug in and she swung at good pitches. And when she does that, she’s so tough.”

Gaskins’ three blasts

ND RugbY

T&F brings home several victories at meets

served as the perfect precursor to a postgame home run derby, held to raise money for n otre d ame’s s trikeout c ancer weekend. The last of a series of fundraising events by the program, the home run derby marked the conclusion of what Gumpf believes to be a special weekend for her team every year.

“What we’re fighting for is so much bigger than softball,” Gumpf said. “I always say softball is a mirror to life. The game is hard sometimes, but it’s a game. Life is hard sometimes, and we’re battling for kids whose lives are really hard right now. And I’m happy to say the girls worked really hard over this weekend and raised over $70,000 so far.”

Though the Irish ended the series with a loss, Gumpf said the consistency her squad displayed in the final game was the more important takeaway.

“Anytime you win a game after a tough weekend, it’s a positive,” Gumpf said. “All I care about right now is that we do all three parts of the game well. When we pitch well, hit well and play defense well, good things are going to happen. We’re not focused on wins and losses right now. We’re focused on the different parts of our game.”

n otre d ame softball will be back in action on Tuesday when the Irish host b all s tate. The game will be broadcast on the A cc n etwork, and the first pitch is set for 8 p.m.

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

nd rugby battles in Invitational

By RYAN MURPHY sports Writer

battling rain, snow and wind gusts well over 20 miles per hour, the notre dame men’s rugby program hosted its annual Fighting Irish 7s Invitational tournament on saturday. The team posted a 2-2 record against the field of 12 in the qualifier division, with wins over the University of Illinois and marian University.

It was two close, two-point losses that dogged notre dame’s championship hopes. After falling in their final game of pool play to Adrian college 14-12, the Irish bowed out of contention for the tournament title with a

By NATE MOLLER senior sports Writer

The n otre d ame track and field team was back in action this weekend, competing at two different meets. The heptathlon athletes competed in the Texas r elays at the University of Texas at Austin, while the throwers and distance runners competed at the Pacesetter s ports Invitational at Indiana s tate University in Terre h aute.

The reigning indoor heptathlon national champion, sophomore Jadin o ’ b rien, took first in Texas, setting a new personal best of 5,942 points. h er finish this weekend places her first in the country in heptathlon for the outdoor track season.

s ophomore Alaina b rady also competed in the heptathlon, finishing in sixth place with a new personal record of 5,650 points.

h ead coach m att s parks was excited that o ’ b rien got another win, but he was also very encouraged by b rady’s performance.

“The added events I think give [ b rady] a little bit of a boost over some of the other national-level people,” s parks said.

s parks thinks b rady is in a great position to make the national meet by the end of the season.

“It’s probably 50-50 if that mark gets her into the national meet. s he will obviously have the conference meet and maybe a regular season meet to improve,” s parks said. “That’s a really good start for her to put her on a national platform, which is something she’s been working towards the last couple of years. s he’s been on the outside looking in, but she’s much closer to getting into the national meet.”

In Terre h aute, junior

m ichael s hoaf won the shot put event with a mark of 19.01m, which will secure his spot in the regional meet.

“ s hoaf stepped up and won the shot put event.”

s parks said. “ h e’s firmly in the regional meet, so the rest of the regular season is setting himself up for the regional and conference meet.”

s hoaf went to the national outdoor meet last year and competed at the national indoor meet this year. s parks hopes he can take the next step at this year’s national meet.

“The next step for [ s hoaf] is to not just make the national meet, but to get to the national meet and find a way to score,” s parks said.

“We are trying to get him to compete at a more elite level once he makes the national meet and not be satisfied and content that he made it there. I think he has gotten to that point now. n ow he needs to go there and make an impact on the competition.”

s parks discussed how o ’ b rien and s hoaf have acted as leaders for the women’s and men’s teams, respectively.

“When you continually win and find ways to get the job done, the rest of the team sees that and recognizes that. With Jadin [ o ’ b rien], I think that’s recognized across the board, especially with our women’s team,” s parks said. “And we need m ichael [ s hoaf] to continue to step up and find ways to win. h e’s doing that more and more often week after week here.”

s parks also described sophomore distance runner c arter s olomon as a leader for the team.

“ c arter s olomon is another guy who can usually find ways to win,” s parks said. “Whether that’s the

conference meet or a smaller meet, he finds ways to get better every time out and that’s contagious.”

Graduate student John Keenan also won the javelin throw in Terre h aute with a mark of 60.48m. s parks hopes Keenan can push for a qualification in the national meet this year.

“ h e competed for us for four years and came back for grad school,” s parks said of Keenan. “ h e’s been an all-conference javelin thrower for us a couple of years ago, and we are hoping to find that magic again and make an impact at the regional meet and make a run at a national qualifier in that event.”

o n the track, sophomores Paige and m olly Grant went one-two in the 1500m run with times of 4:32.53 and 4:33.26, respectively. Junior c atherine c offey also won the 800m run with a time of 2:15.89.

s parks hopes those three athletes gain confidence from their victories, especially with stiffer competition coming down the road.

“For each of them, it was a big step in the right direction for them. It’s always nice to get a win,” s parks said. “For a lot of the group that competed here, they got some confidence from winning or finishing in the top half of their event. We will get into some tougher competitions here at the end of April, which will hopefully push them towards some personal bests as we approach the conference meet.”

The Irish will be in action next weekend at the Jack s haw Invite at Western m ichigan University in Kalamazoo, m ichigan, with the sprinters and jumpers competing.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

7-5 loss to Aquinas college in the quarterfinals.

“our perspective is, like, this is our learning ground. our goal is the end of April and the national championship tournament,” Irish head coach Justin hickey said following his team’s quarterfinal loss. “hopefully, we stumble and learn from these things now so that, come the end of April, we’re back in shape.”

The toughest challenge for the whole squad saturday, other than the fierce competition, was the natural elements. A classic calamity of late-spring weather conditions kept the matches tight and

see rUGbY PAge 10

baseball

con TI n U ed F rom PAGe 10

blowing out to left, the ball carried 448 feet and gave notre dame a 2-0 lead.

The damage continued into the third. sophomore third baseman Jack Penney worked a hitter’s count and launched a skyscraping homer for a three-run lead. Then, with two outs, graduate right fielder brooks coetzee

singled home Putz. That brought up martinez, who capped off an incredible weekend at the plate with his third long ball of the series. The two-run laser put the Irish up six and sent Unc starter Jake Knapp to the showers.

After graduate student southpaw Aidan Tyrell stranded two heels with a strikeout, the Irish offense added on in the fifth. With the bases juiced, sophomore outfielder dm Jefferson plated a pair with a slicing double. moreno

followed with an rbI single, handing the Irish a 9-0 lead. Though Tyrell surrendered a home run to vance honeycutt in the eighth, he finished off the game with 4.1 innings of effective relief.

notre dame will have another one-game non-conference excursion this week. on Tuesday, northwestern will visit Frank eck stadium for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy@nd.edu

Happy Birthday: Take the time to get the facts before you act. Time is on your side, and your ability to come to an honest conclusion before you implement change or confront someone will be essential this year. don’t waste time on people and things that don’t matter to you. seize the moment and make the most of each day. A positive attitude will promote better results. your numbers are 3, 12, 21, 28, 35, 44, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): rethink your strategy and revisit experiences that can help you make better decisions. focus on home, family and taking care of your obligations before someone complains. research positions that interest you and you’ll find an exciting way to bring in more cash.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): make plans with someone who shares your concerns. getting involved in something that can change someone’s life will be rewarding. don’t share your feelings until you are sure it’s warranted. Act in good faith. romance will enhance your life.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Preparation will save you money. Put your heart and soul into something that will bring in more cash. handle your investments and savings efficiently. home improvements will come within your budget if you can and are willing to do the work yourself.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):Your decisions will impact others, and you’ll get better results if you work alone. Look up the latest trends and use what you discover to make life easier. Don’t make empty promises or embellish information. Poor behavior will be costly.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): make a list of what’s important to you and how you can adjust to help you reach your goal. big ideas will excite you, but put a budget in place before you agree to something you may not need.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): An emotional outlook can serve you well if you are dealing with someone you love. express your concerns, honor your promises and vow to work with those you care about most. speak from the heart. romance is in the stars.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Initiate changes at home that will make your life easier. freeing up time will give you a chance to help a cause you believe in or a friend in need. your input may not always be welcome, but it will make a difference.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): make your move. romance is in the stars; how you react will determine what happens next. A lifestyle change will encourage significant cash flow and the chance to start over. update your image to suit the path you choose to travel.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): be honest with yourself and the ones you love. don’t hide your feelings; share them, and you’ll be able to resolve problems. A social event will expand your circle of friends and help you recognize what and who you have outgrown.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): distance yourself from anyone asking too many questions. look inward and consider what you’d like to change. A new look, different surroundings or adjusting your living arrangements will give you a better chance to reach your goal.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): observe, consider your options and be prepared to do things differently. The changes you make will increase your cash flow and give you hope for a better future. refuse to let anyone bully you into something risky physically or financially.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): you’ll accomplish the most if you do your spring cleaning or tidy up loose ends. focus on your money, house and relationships. A proposal or change to your living arrangements looks promising. Propose, then share your feelings and intentions.

Birthday Baby: you are ambitious, intuitive and generous. you are hardworking and adventuresome.

ND BAseBALL

Irish belt eight home runs in U nc series loss

By TYLER REIDY

Associate sports editor

Though no. 13 north carolina took two of three games in south bend this weekend, notre dame baseball got its money’s worth.

The Irish outscored the heels 19-16 overall, launching an octet of homers and leading for the majority of the series. notre dame’s offense continues to thrive at Frank eck stadium, having now launched 14 round-trippers in its first eight home games. With the result, Unc moves to 20-8 overall and 6-4 in the Acc, while the Irish drop to 14-11 overall and 5-7 in the conference.

Game one: North carolina 10, Notre Dame 8

With a healthy wind ripping straight out to left field, Friday’s ball jumped off the bat. Though both teams combined for 18 runs on 21 hits and five homers, the game was even more berserk than the stat sheet could indicate. Unc provided the keynote with two in the first and two more in the second, scoring three runs on productive outs. Irish graduate starter blake hely

ND AND hcc teNNIs

struggled early, walking two and hitting a man within the first seven batters.

As hely settled into the middle innings, notre dame’s offense came to life. In the second, the Irish placed runners on the corners with one out. After junior left fielder brady Gumpf struck out, freshman second baseman estevan moreno stepped in with two away. hunting the first pitch, he launched a threerun homer to dead center, his third of the year.

With the Irish within one and new life in their dugout, the offensive run carried into the third. Facing the same situation as moreno, graduate student catcher vinny martinez went to the opposite field for his first home run in south bend, another three-run shot. Up 6-4, notre dame continued to take batting practice off Unc starter max carlson in the fourth. Graduate shortstop Zack Prajzner jumped on a two-strike fastball and ripped it 430 feet to the top of the center-field batter’s eye.

While the Irish led 7-4, the bullpens took control of the game. both Unc reliever matthew mattijs and Irish sophomore radek birkholz

each tossed two-plus scoreless frames. After the former departed, notre dame grabbed an insurance run on a majestic eight-inning homer from junior outfielder TJ Williams. Leading by four, the Irish turned to graduate student carter bosch to handle the ninth. shockingly, bosch’s 9.1 inning shutout streak was snapped in thunderous fashion, as he surrendered six runs without recording an out. Leadoff man colby Wilkerson cranked a solo shot to right, jumpstarting Unc’s potent offense, which had earned only four hits in the first eight innings.

From there, the Tar heels grabbed three consecutive hits, drawing within two and loading the bases. In stepped Johnny castagnozzi, who previously delivered a key two-run single in Unc’s 2022 Acc semifinal defeat of notre dame. sure enough, he burned the Irish again, powdering his first career grand slam. When the ball — and his bat flip — landed, north carolina had taken a 10-8 lead. The bottom of the ninth added insult to injury for the Irish. both Prajzner and graduate student first baseman carter Putz flew out to the wall in center, allowing Kevin

eaise to hold on for the save.

Game two: North carolina 5, Notre Dame 2

For the second consecutive weekend, inclement south bend weather pushed the end of the series to a sunday doubleheader. A fine starting pitching performance from Unc’s connor bovair allowed the heels to open the twin bill with a series win. he tossed eight innings of two-run ball, punching out eight and walking just one.

early on, however, it seemed that sophomore Jack Findlay would match him. The Irish starter kept the game scoreless through four innings. but Unc’s bottom of the order broke through in the fifth. With two outs and a man on first, Patrick Alvarez doubled and Wilkerson singled, putting the heels up 2-0. north carolina added on in the sixth, as Jackson van de brake homered on the second pitch of the inning. In the meantime, notre dame remained off the board with a close call in the fourth. on a soaring carter Putz fly ball to left, Alvarez leaped high against the wall and made a juggling catch. Finally,

in the seventh, the Irish made a loud entry to the scoreboard. martinez got an elevated breaking ball and hit a moonshot to left with an authoritative bat flip to boot.

The two-run blast pulled notre dame within one, but Unc pushed back in the ninth. After graduate reliever Will mercer walked the bases loaded, van de brake dumped a two-run single into right. From there, eaise again worked the ninth and saved the 5-2 victory.

Game three: Notre Dame 9, North carolina 1

With its back against the wall, notre dame played one of its best games of the season to stave off a sweep. Junior pitcher Jackson dennies, coming off his best outing of the season, did one better in the series finale. In 4.2 scoreless innings, he struck out seven and allowed just two hits.

on the other side, the Irish offense was ready to go right away. carter Putz, the third hitter in the lineup, walloped a fastball in the first inning. With the wind

holy cross, notre dame tennis perform well against conference opponents

By THOMAS ZWILLER sports Writer

April 1 is a time for practical jokes that are often never funny, at least to the person being pranked. And as many people around the country were yelling out “April Fools,” the holy cross college tennis teams were not joking around as they began conference play.

The no. 18 women’s squad started its conference season against the saint Ambrose University Fighting bees, though the bees failed to put up much of a fight falling 4-0. Individual match results have not been posted as of sunday night.

The women have won back-toback matches for the first time this year, improving their record to 6-6 overall with a 1-0 start to conference play. Their next conference match is scheduled for April 11 at the eck Tennis Pavilion as they host olivet nazarene

(0-5). The match will begin at 1 p.m.

historically, the women have struggled against olivet, losing both matches they played against the Tigers last season by a combined 8-1. The Tigers went 6-0 in conference play last season before falling short in the ccAc championship to cardinal stritch.

For the saints, the contest is a chance to see how they measure up against one of the historically better conference opponents. The match could have seeding implications in the conference tournament, which could help the saints take a significant step toward the team’s goal of winning a conference title.

The no. 16 men’s team also hosted conference foe st. Ambrose and also blew them out, winning 4-0. Individual match results have not been posted as of sunday night.

Thanks to their dominant win

over saint Ambrose, the saints have improved to 6-2 (1-0) on the year and have won their last four games. The men will look to keep that winning streak alive when they host olivet (1-5) on Tuesday, April 11.

on the other side of the tricampus, the no. 22 notre dame women’s team had an excellent outing, as it knocked off Louisville by a score of 5-2

The women won the doubles competition 2-1, with senior Page Freeman and sophomore maria olivia castedo winning by a narrow score of 7-5. The other winning duo was sophomore carrie beckman and freshman bojana Pozder, who won 6-3.

Junior Yashna Yellayi and freshman rylie hanford were the only pair to lose to the cardinals in a close loss of 7-6.

In singles play, notre dame continued its domination, winning the competition 4-2. The result gave the Irish their first

back-to-back wins since late February, when they defeated then-no. 29 clemson and chicago state.

The top-25 team is now 13-7 on the year and has moved within one game of .500 in Acc play (45). The women will look to get back to even at Florida state on April 6.

staying at notre dame, the men’s tennis team had a busy weekend, playing both boston college and butler on sunday.

In their second game of the day, the men took down butler by a final score of 4-3. The Irish won the second and third doubles matches 6-2 and 6-3, with the first game ending as a dnF.

The doubles matches earned notre dame a critical point, which it would wind up needing down the stretch.

sunday’s match was a big one for the teams’ sophomores, who helped seal the Irish victory. sophomores Yu Zhang and

Jameson corsillo both won their games in two sets each.

It was the upperclassmen who struggled for notre dame. Graduate student Addy vashistha and senior connor Fu both came up short, losing 6-4, 6-1 and 6-4, 6-2, respectively. match three went the distance, but junior Jean-marc malkowski lost the third set 5-7.

While the game was closer than doubles play suggested, the Irish did what they needed, going 2-0 on sunday.

Thanks to their wins against butler and bc (6-1), the men have a record of 12-11 (2-7 in the Acc). Their 2-7 mark currently has them in the lower third of the Acc standings behind Georgia Tech.

The men’s tennis team will resume conference play on April 7 at clemson.

low scoring.

“It’s tough. I mean, it’s becoming a running joke. We host this thing, and it doesn’t matter the date, the conditions have seemed to be pretty poor,” hickey said. “The biggest thing is that it impacts the spacing. We’ve gotta tighten things down — you can’t make big passes. I think [it’s] just probably

an indicator of the couple of times we lost today. You’ve gotta make smart decisions, you might be able to get an offload away in traffic, but today you’ve got the wind factoring in as well. It just requires you to be a little bit tighter and a little bit more cautious with your play.”

Indiana University took home the qualifying bracket crown with a 19-7 victory over notre dame college (cleveland, ohio) in the title game. Fighting Irish rugby’s

hopes still remain alive for a bid to the 32-team national championship tournament at the end of the month. The Irish need a strong performance at the big Ten rugby championships in order to qualify. notre dame will host the championships on April 15.

Irish top Illinois to open pool play

In their first match of pool play, the Irish defeated big Ten foe Illinois 24-14. Trailing at the end

of the first half, notre dame rode a strong second half to win its first match of pool play.

The match was played to a stalemate until late in the first half when the Illini got the game’s first try. After a botched Illini line-out, junior nolan opalski had the ball fall into his hands. The carlsbad, california, native was able to break free from the Irish defense, grounding the ball over the try line with 1:40 left in the first half. Illinois converted the kick for an

Contact

Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

extra two points and led 7-0. but the Irish responded as time dwindled in the first half. sophomore Andrew Packard broke through at midfield and raced up the right side of the pitch, scoring a try with just fifteen seconds remaining in the half. Although senior James Warren was unable to convert the kick, the Irish were on the board. Illinois led 7-5 at halftime.

d ame that found itself sitting pretty early on, jumping out to a 5-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The i rish led by multiple goals almost the entire contest, going up 3-1 5:38 in on a goal by graduate midfielder

Syracuse

a dobson goal stretched the lead to 8-2 shortly after, the irish looked to be in total command.

but syracuse came into the game riding a three-game winning streak and was not willing to let the irish pull away without a fight. after being stymied by the notre dame defense for more than 20 minutes, the orange scored five of the final six first-half goals. They entered the halftime break trailing 9-7, having quickly turned an apparent blowout into a tightly-contested game.

despite the orange’s strong finish to the first half, it was notre dame who came out hot to start the third quarter. Gray scored his second of the day less than 30

mary Kelly doherty and leading by at least two the rest of the way. o ther than a four-goal flurry early in the third, the i rish prevented the Tar heels from gaining momentum, as north c arolina only scored consecutive goals one other time in the game. That was late in the fourth quarter, with the i rish already in the driver’s seat.

seconds into the half. Then, sophomore attacker chris Kavanagh, the irish’s leading scorer, put his first in the back of the net after a longer-than-usual wait.

Just as they did in the second quarter, though, the orange had an answer, this time in the form of five consecutive scores. The fourth quarter began with the teams knotted at 11-11, and a goal from syracuse’s cole Kirst gave the orange their first lead of the game with just 13 minutes remaining. notre dame, just one week removed from being undefeated and ranked first nationally, was suddenly in serious danger of dropping its second straight and starting acc play with an 0-2 record.

in a crucial moment, the irish remained focused and delivered one of their best extended

game closed as a 24-14 irish win.

Three notre dame players notched hat tricks on the day. s enior attacker madison a hern led the way with five goals, while c homa and junior midfielder Kelly denes had three apiece. e ight different players scored for the i rish and helped them to outshoot north c arolina 23-19. When the Tar heels did have chances, junior goaltender Lilly c allahan

stretches of play all season. The catalyst for notre dame’s big run was sophomore faceoff specialist Will Lynch. Faceoffs have been an area of inconsistency for the irish all season, but Lynch was dominant against syracuse. he was 23-33 on faceoffs in the game and began the fourth quarter with seven straight wins that helped propel notre dame into the lead. eight different irish players scored goals in the final quarter of play. Two came from chris Kavanagh, and Gray and dobson added one each, giving all three players hat tricks along with Taylor, who led notre dame with four goals.

With the irish leading 14-12 midway through the period and looking to pull away, Pat Kavanagh found graduate student attacker Griffin Westlin on the left side of

came through when the i rish needed her. c allahan made seven saves in the i rish victory.

The win is an especially timely one for the i rish, whose next game is against another top-ten opponent: no. 7 boston c ollege. The game marks the end of a season-long threegame home stand for the i rish. it won’t be easy for the i rish to knock off another of the

the field, and Westlin put a bullet into the syracuse goal. That assist was no. 111 for Kavanagh, making him the all-time assists leader at notre dame. he would not linger on that total for long, as his third assist of the game came minutes later when he linked up with younger brother chris Kavanagh to put the irish ahead 17-12. notre dame scored its ninth straight when junior midfielder carter Parlette created space with a nifty pass fake beforew putting a bouncing shot past the syracuse goalie. That score, the irish’s last, was the first of Parlette’s career. it also put notre dame past the 20-goal mark in syracuse’s Jma Wireless dome for the first time in program history. after having trailed in the fourth quarter, the irish left new York as victors by a score of 20-12.

country’s best teams. but having the experience and knowledge that they can take down a top-ten team should give the i rish not just a better chance of beating the e agles but of getting to face more great teams in a deep ncaa Tournament run.

Contact Andrew Mcguinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

They now turn their attention to no. 4 duke, whom they will host on saturday. The blue devils (101, 3-0 acc) come into south bend playing at a higher level than nearly any other team in the country. after falling to Jacksonville on the road in February, duke has won eight straight games, including a road victory against no. 1 virginia on Friday. With the cavaliers and no. 2 maryland having lost over the weekend, the notre dameduke matchup will almost certainly feature a battle of the top two teams in the nation. Fresh off of their dominant closing stretch against syracuse, the irish will look to carry that momentum into what will be one of their most difficult tests of the season.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

notre dame ran away with the match in the second half, scoring three consecutive tries to stun the oft-disorganized illini. sophomore Patrick mcKenzie scored early in the half, taking it all the way from midfield and diving underneath the crossbar for the try. senior christian opperman knocked through the conversion kick. opperman then took things into his own hands, scoring two tries in short succession to put the irish ahead 22-7. a late try by illini sophomore Patrick devereaux could not pull his team close. The

Late push comes up short against Adrian in their second match of the day, the irish met adrian to determine the Pool c champion. in a lowscoring match with a chaotic finish, adrian escaped with a 14-12 win.

adrian began the match by applying pressure to the irish defense right away. notre dame held up adrian on the goal line in the first thirty seconds of the match but could not poach possession from the bulldogs. eventually, sophomore apenisa sailo found space in behind the notre dame defense, breaking a tackle and

diving beneath the crossbar for the try. The conversion kick went through, and adrian led 7-0 a minute into the match. adrian’s defense remained stout as the match wore on, frustrating notre dame. eventually, adrian took a penalty inside the irish 22 that led to an irish try, as Packard picked up the ball and ran the length of the field to the try line. Warren made the conversion kick, tying the game at 7-7. That score held at the end of the first half. Two minutes into the second half, sophomore Tajay myles had a try to put adrian out in front yet again. myles made a quick stutter-step at midfield and broke free of the irish defense, rumbling downhill with notre dame’s Packard in close pursuit. Packard made contact with myles on the try line but couldn’t haul him down. a successful conversion kick solidified the score at 14-7.

The irish responded in short order, though. With precise passing in its own half, notre dame switched the field and set up an opperman. he ran from midfield, shook off a tackle inside the 22-meter line and grounded the ball on the right side for a try. The adrian defense made it difficult for opperman to get to the center of the try line, though, which set up a difficult conversion kick for opperman in an attempt to tie the game. Kicking into the howling wind with extra distance, opperman’s conversion fell well short. adrian still clung to a twopoint lead.

notre dame pressed for the tying — and potentially winning — score as time dwindled down. With just 55 seconds remaining, good irish tackling forced a forward pass against adrian. That set up a scrum for notre dame

inside the adrian 22-meter line, but the scrum collapsed for notre dame, turning possession over to adrian. all was not lost yet for notre dame, though, as the irish forced an adrian penalty just outside the try line. With two seconds remaining and a chance to win the match, notre dame made another critical mistake: a knock-on while picking up the ball. it was a sour way to end a close match for the irish.

Irish fall to Aquinas in quarterfinal

The close loss to adrian seeded notre dame second in Pool c, matching the irish against Pool d champion aquinas in the quarterfinals. despite leading by a try at the half, the irish could not hold on to beat the saints.

notre dame controlled possession for much of the first half but could not break through the aquinas defense. The irish were more unsettled to start this match than in the previous two. There were a number of dropped passes and knock-ons that thwarted scoring opportunities early in the half.

The irish jitters faded away quickly after junior dylan ryan scored the first try of the match. notre dame set up the score from a penalty kick at midfield, which was put into touch well inside the aquinas 22-meter line. With sharp passing off the line-out, senior sean moran offloaded to the onrushing ryan, who muscled his way across the try line. Though opperman’s conversion kick missed wide right, the irish still held a 5-0 lead.

The game continued at a somewhat sloppy pace in the second half, and neither team cracked the scoreboard. That changed with under three minutes to play, when

the saints forced an irish turnover on the left wing. a shovel pass found speedy freshman archie Fleming flying down the touchline. Whizzing by all the irish defenders, Fleming cut to the middle of the pitch and grounded the ball across the try line directly behind the uprights. With the conversion kick an easy one, the saints took a 7-5 lead with 1:50 to play.

The irish again pushed hard for the tying score but were thwarted by turnovers in the final minute of play. after trailing for 12:10 of the 14-minute contest, aquinas held on for the 7-5 win and advanced to the semifinals against notre dame college.

Indiana wins qualification bracket title; Kentucky wins

Open in their final consolation game, the irish topped marian 22-19. The win pulled notre dame to an even two wins and two losses on the day.

in the qualifiers bracket championship, indiana pushed past adrian 24-5 and then beat notre dame college for the title. adrian ended up taking home bronze with a 24-14 defeat of aquinas. in the open division, the Fighting irish b team posted a 1-3 record. The irish were shut out by Wisconsin, 29-0, to open pool play. notre dame then suffered a 33-17 loss to West virginia before bouncing back with a 17-10 win over Trine. in its final consolation match, notre dame b dropped a 20-14 contest to minnesota. Kentucky finished as the open bracket champion over in-state neighbor Louisville. Wisconsin beat Washington university for bronze.

Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu

Irish score signature win against No. 3 North Carolina

By ANDREW MCGUINNESS sports e ditor

e ntering s aturday’s clash with n orth c arolina, the n otre d ame women’s lacrosse team was looking to impress. The Irish had won all of the easier games on their schedule and already pulled out a couple of wins over ranked opponents. b ut when they faced off against the nation’s best, such as n o. 1 s yracuse and n o. 2

n orthwestern, the Irish could not prevail. They had some positive moments, coming especially close to putting the Wildcats on upset alert. b ut an elusive marquee victory to hang their hats on remained out of reach.

o n s aturday afternoon, however, the Irish hugged and celebrated at midfield inside Loftus s ports c enter.

n otre d ame had its signature regular-season victory, beating the Tar h eels 16-12.

It was the first Irish victory against n orth c arolina since m arch 31, 2019 — and the Tar h eels’ first loss in conference play since then, as the perennial powerhouse saw its 27-game A cc winning streak snapped in s outh b end.

The last time the Irish played a top-five team ( s yracuse on m arch 11), the game got away from them in the blink of an eye. The Irish surrendered the first three goals and found themselves down 6-1 less than 90 seconds into the second quarter. b eating an elite team like the o range or Tar h eels requires a consistent effort, one the Irish did not have that day. Against n orth c arolina, things were much different. s enior midfielder Kasey c homa found the back of the net just 67 seconds in, giving the Irish the early lead. This time, it was n otre

Irish men’s lacrosse uses huge fourth quarter to take down Syracuse

By MATTHEW CROW

Associate sports e ditor

When Irish men’s lacrosse lost to then-no. 3 virginia last week, it was their first time tasting defeat in 364 days. on saturday, they got back on track with a 20-12 road win against syracuse, launching what they hope will be a similar streak.

The Irish win played out like three games in one. notre dame jumped on syracuse in the opening minutes, taking a six-goal advantage early in the second period. The middle quarters belonged to the orange, who shook off the slow start and fought back to take the lead in the fourth. but the decisive run ultimately came from the Irish. having seen its big lead slip away, notre dame responded with nine consecutive goals to secure its sixth straight win against the orange and improve to 7-1 (1-1 Acc).

one name on syracuse’s (65, 0-3 Acc) scouting report that was likely written a little larger than the rest was Pat Kavanagh. The Irish senior attacker entered saturday having recorded at least nine points in each of his four appearances against the orange, including a pair of 10-point efforts

that set — and then matched — notre dame’s single-game record. he would not reach those same lofty totals in his fifth time facing syracuse. but he was no less impactful to the Irish victory.

Kavanagh did not waste much time before giving the syracuse defense problems, and the rest of the Irish offense didn’t either.

senior attacker Jake Taylor scored the opening goal of the afternoon off a feed from graduate student midfielder Quinn mccahon. notre dame’s lead doubled soon after when Kavanagh found junior midfielder eric dobson for a long-range score.

syracuse had no answer for the notre dame attack over the remainder of the quarter. Two Kavanagh goals bookended a score from senior midfielder reilly Gray and the Irish led 5-0 before the orange scored two straight to trim the deficit to three. That momentum was short-lived, however, as Taylor sent syracuse back to square one by scoring the final goal of the first quarter and another to start the second. That gave Taylor his first hat trick of the season. When

In a thrilling 16-12 Irish victory against No. 3 UNC on April 1, Junior midfielders Mary Kelley Doherty and Kelly Denes smother UNC midfielder. Doherty tallied one goal and two assists and Denes netted a hat trick. see Unc

MEN’s LAcROssE

Sophomore attackman Chris Kavanagh drives against UVA midfielder. Kavanagh was a menacing force in the Irish contest against Syracuse, tallying a hat trick and an assist to secure a dominant 20-12 Irish win.