Print Edition for The Observer: Commencement 2022 (2/2)

Sports

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MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

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Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

HCC MEN’S GOLF

SMC Volleyball

Tight-knit Saints flash potential

By JOSE SANCHEZ-CORDOVA Sports Writer

In their second straight season without a win, the Holy Cross men‘s golf team showed flashes of potential with a few top-three tournament finishes as they looked to get back to winning ways. Head coach T.J. Mannen spoke about the challenges the team faced in putting together a good tournament.

“It‘s all about consistency. The team didn‘t have a consistent two-round score. First-round would be too high and put us out of contention or the second round shot us out of it.” Mannen said.

Despite the lack of wins, Mannen was able to draw positives from the past season. He highlighted team chemistry and the team’s potential heading into the 2022-2023 season.

“We have a great young team that has been competitive,” Mannen said. “Each player is maturing in their own way.

Some are really coming into their game while others are still trying to find that winning formula. The team is very close and has bonded together to help each other out. Great team chemistry will help us win next year.”

This season also stood out for the individual performance of junior Collin Todora. Most notably, Todora put together a great three rounds to win individual honors at the CCAC tournament. The win earned him a spot at the 2022 NAIA National

Championship taking place May 17-20. Coach Mannen believes Todora has a chance to be competitive on the national stage.

“Collin has matured so much this past year and it has showed.

He has been very consistent and composed in all kinds of elements we have played in. He is a very competitive player and he will grind out a good score even when he‘s not at his best. I see him making the cut at nationals and contending for the top spot.

He has the game to be the best.

It‘s just going to take a good week to win it all.” Mannen said.

With Todora and several other experienced players returning, Mannen is hopeful the team can get back to winning ways next season. A successful season for the Saints could mean a return to the NAIA Team National Championships for the first time since 2019.

“We will have a great schedule of PGA Tour venues that will test each one of our players to see how they measure up against some of the best teams in the country. We will be playing courses such as Whistling Straits, TPC Southwind, Grand National, TPC Deere Run, and even here in town at Warren GC and Blackthorn. I‘ll have five seniors playing their last year here and some new faces that will help make it all competitive. It‘s going to be a great year.” Mannen said.

Contact Jose Sanchez-Cordova at jsanch@nd.edu

Belles reflect on disappointing season, prepare for the fall

By ERIN DRUMM Sports Writer

COV ID-19 prevented Saint Mar y’s volleyball from competing in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.

However, the Belles finally returned to the court w ith enthusiasm this past fall. Head coach Denise Van De Walle spoke about the team’s return to the court.

“We certainly did miss that year off because it really wasn’t just a year, it was like three semesters. So it was a really long time to not be training and definitely not competing. It was so fun to be back in the g y m w ith the team,” she said.

The Belles ended the season w ith a 7-15 record as a result of multiple injuries and setbacks. They fell 3-1 to A lbion in the first round of the MI A A Tournament.

“This past season was a little bit of a disappointment because we had so many injuries. We had several players out for a big portion of the season.

That affected and impacted our performance because these were players that were starters and players that we

had been rely ing on in the past,” Van De Walle said. “It was disappointing that we didn’t really get to play at our full potential because a couple of them didn’t come back until the ver y end of the season.”

Despite the struggles the team faced in the fall, they had some stand-out moments this season.

Belles sophomore outside hitter Colleen McCarthy earned Second Team A ll-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MI A A) honors for her performance in the 2021 season.

Van De Walle pointed to McCarthy’s MI A A honors as a highlight of the season.

“I was really, really excited that [Colleen] was recognized for her performance and made Second Team A llConference in the MI A A. It’s extremely difficult to make an all-conference team because Calv in and Hope take so many of those places. And so I was really happy for her.”

The Belles are say ing goodbye to three graduating seniors this year: setter Claire Hennessy, outside hitter Hannah Stacy,

and middle hitter A llison Thornton.

Editor’s note: Allison Thornton is a former photo editor for The Observer.

“It’s tough say ing goodbye. It’s going to be really hard to replace them,” Van De Walle said.

The Belles are looking for ward to the upcoming fall season and have been continuing to train this spring to meet their goals for the 2022 season.

“Right now the whole focus is the fall. I’m looking for ward to making the conference tournament again and hav ing a better finish than sixth. That’s our goal.

We need to improve off that finish but definitely make the conference tournament.”

Van De Walle is excited to see what the upcoming season has in store for the Belles.

“W hen I look ahead to 2022, I’m ver y optimistic. We had a ver y good spring season, and our recruiting class looks good so far. So, the team is bought in.

They’re ready to go for fall and it should be a really good year.”

Contact Erin Drumm at edrumm@nd.edu

HCC women’s soccer

Holy Cross women’s soccer builds ‘trust and grit,’ sets program records throughout season

By MOLLY FERAZANI Sports Writer

The Holy Cross Saints women’s soccer team closed out another strong season last November with an 11-5-3 overall record.

The Saints opened their fourth season under Coach Omar Gallo with a win in a nonconference matchup against Bethel University. The Saints maintained the momentum from their initial win throughout the season. They won five games by at least five goals. All but one loss came by just one goal. They finished 8-4-1 in CCAC play. They also set a program record with four all-conference recipients.

Gallo attributed this success to the discipline and leadership displayed by the girls on and off the pitch.

“On the pitch, they’ve stayed disciplined, especially on the

defensive side...The girls were top 10 in shutouts,” Gallo said.

“They’ve created a mentality of having a high work rate when we don’t have the ball... this style, mindset and discipline allowed the girls to also set [offensive] records.”

This defensive prowess displayed itself as the Saints posted 11 shutouts. While the girls continue to excel on the pitch, Gallo says that off the pitch is where he is most proud of the team. They continue to impress him with the volunteer work that they do within the community and on campus.

Gallo commended team captains Lauren Cernak, Olivia Shaw and Kassidi Puthoff for making possible the team’s collective character and success.

These captains definitely strengthened the team’s bond off the field but also individually performed on the pitch. Shaw

became the program’s all-time goals scored leader when she scored in the seventh minute to begin an 11-0 win versus IUSB. They notched ten goals on senior day, defeating Calumet. Senior Lauren Cernak scored four goals, helping the Saints achieve a 10-0 victory.

‘A group that came together more than ever’ While the Saints walked away from most of their games with victory, the season still experienced some challenging match-ups. The Saints’ final game took place in the CCAC quarterfinals against the No. 3 seed Trinity Christian College.

After being outshot 10-3 in the first half, Saints’ goalkeeper Taylor Primack kept the game at 0-0 entering half. Trinity Christian scored first to take the 1-0 lead and then added another goal in the

67th minute. Shaw and Audrey Filippo responded to tie up the game to 2-2. The game resulted in a shootout as both teams refused to allow any goals in either overtime.

Trinity Christian ultimately edged out the Saints in the shootout and advanced to the next round.

When asked about his favorite or most memorable game from the season, Gallo spoke about this game: “You may be asking why a loss was my favorite moment. We were down 2-0 with 20 minutes left in the season against a team that we’ve never beaten in the history of the program. Until this past season, the women’s program has never scored against them as well... within 10 minutes we scored two goals to tie the match and almost won it in the last seconds… we saw a level of trust, a group that came together more than ever and grit from every player that was on the pitch. It was that

moment where I believe the girls realized they could compete with any team in our conference and despite the result, I knew we were going to have a very determined group come this spring.”

Saints look to build on 2021 Even the disappointment of a loss can not stop the Saints. The team is energized and hungry for redemption. The Saints now welcome a recruiting class that Gallo says they are excited about. The Saints’ 2021 season laid a strong foundation for the future, as the women continue to strengthen their bond and character as a team while developing their skills and mindset to continue to improve on the pitch. They’ll look to build on it with a strong 2022 season.

Contact Molly Ferazani at mferazan@nd.edu

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | The Observer

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SMC softball

Belles reflect on difficult season but prepare for fall

By MATTHEW CROW Sports Writer

Saint Mar y’s softball faced many strong teams during their season, but the opponent that gave them the most trouble came in the form of precipitation.

“The weather has not been in our favor,” Saint Mar y‘s co-head coach Cassie Young said w ith a rueful laugh.

Unplayable weather conditions forced over a dozen of the team’s games to be canceled or postponed.

A particularly disruptive stretch at the end of March left the Belles w ith no games for three consecutive weeks. This forced Saint Mar y’s to adapt while tr y ing to make the best of a tough situation.

“It’s been a little bit of a

struggle hav ing to either cancel games or tr y ing to figure out how to practice inside and make it beneficial,” Young said. “The girls are doing great. They’ve just got to deal w ith what they’re given.”

The season began w ith a trip to Florida during spring break, where the Belles played seven games over the course of the week. After the prev ious two years were disrupted by the pandemic, the team used the early-season games to get comfortable and back into the sw ing of things.

“The biggest goal was just tr y ing to get girls play ing,” Young said. “Most of them lost a year for COV ID, last year we didn’t play any nonconference teams. We really didn’t have a lot of game

experience.”

Belles gain experience, finish strong Saint Mar y’s lost their first five games in Florida but finished on a high note w ith back-to-back w ins.

The Belles carried that momentum w ith them back to Indiana. There, they swept a doubleheader on the road against Manchester in their first games after the trip.

Throughout the season, junior second baseman Caitlin Tra x ler and freshman outfielder A lex is Rauch led the Belles offensively.

Senior Mandi Hettinger and sophomore Libby Bierbaum performed well in the pitching circle. With a largely inexperienced roster, Young called several players into new roles. She was pleased

w ith how they stepped up and improved over the course of the season.

“They’re getting better ever y day,” Young said.

“Ever yone is just getting a little more comfortable in what we’re doing. We have some girls play ing some spots that they haven’t before.”

After a string of difficult losses, the Belles’ bats broke out in a dominant doubleheader in which they outscored conference opponent Adrian 24-7 over a t wo-game sweep.

“Hitting was a little bit of a struggle for a while,” Young said. “There were a couple of days that we played some tough teams and it was not necessarily a good showing of what we can actually do. But Saturday [against

Adrian] we looked good.”

The Belles finished their season 7-9 in conference play. They won three of their final four conference games and closed w ith a Senior Day doubleheader sweep over A lbion. As the Belles closed out their campaign, Young felt strongly they have built a strong foundation for the yearto-year continuit y that is needed to build a consistent, w inning program. “[We’re] setting a standard of what we expect and holding them accountable to that,” Young said. “They’ll learn that and when the next kids come in, they’ll teach them that and then we’ll all be on the same page.”

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Track and field, Cross country

Irish step up to competition on national stage in cross country, track and field

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

Cross Countr y teams win regionals, take fifth and ninth at nationals The Notre Dame men’s and women’s cross countr y teams put together another strong fall season w ith both teams w inning their NCA A regionals.

The men’s team also won the ACC title en route as both squads qualified for the national championships.

Both teams then went on to make a statement on the national stage. The women took fifth, and the men claimed ninth at the NCA A Cross Countr y Championships.

Head women’s track and field and cross countr y coach Matt Sparks discussed how the women’s team didn’t seem to be clicking at the beginning of the season.

“There was a lot of an x iet y in late September and through the conference meet. We knew we had the roster and talent to be really competitive, but the races and workouts and the confidence and the conditioning just weren’t all on the same page,” Sparks said.

Sparks thought the regional meet was when ever y thing started to come together.

“It got all started w ith the regional race w ith [senior] Maddy [Denner] and [junior] Oliv ia [Markezich] really

stepping up and finishing first and second,” Sparks said. “Those t wo gained a lot of confidence that day, but the entire team gained confidence at the regional meet coming away w ith a w in.”

The Irish then followed up this performance w ith a fantastic race at nationals to take home fifth in the nation. The Irish return Denner and Markezich next year, along w ith sophomore Erin Strzelecki. Strzelecki finished fourth on the team at nationals.

Sparks was proud of his team’s patience and trust in the training, despite poor performances early in the season. “They stayed confident in who they were.

They didn’t lose faith in what the v ision was,” Sparks said.

The men’s season was different from the women’s in the sense that they performed well throughout the season. They won the conference and regional meet.

However, they struggled at nationals and came in ninth, despite expecting to finish in the top-5.

Head men’s track and field and cross countr y coach Sean Carlson shared that the conference meet was the high point of the season.

The Irish easily won first place w ith just 32 points and had eight runners earn A llAmerican status.

The team also won the regional meet, but the Irish

did not perform as well at nationals. Despite the poor performance, Carlson took a lot of positives out of the ninth-place finish.

“Bet ween conference and regionals I thought we were on a roll, but nationals did not go quite as we planned.

The thing to take away from it is that even on a bad day, we are still ninth at nationals, which I think says a lot about our program,” Carlson said. “Things didn’t go our way. But for a bad day to be ninth at nationals, that’s still prett y good.”

A lthough the Irish w ill lose some key talent from this season, they should have another competitive team, as they w ill return plent y of top runners and add a strong recruiting class before next season.

“We have a solid four and then we are really going to need another guy to step up,” Carlson said.

Irish indoor track and field finds regular-season success The Irish also had a lot of success in the recent indoor track season as well, and sophomore Jadin O’Brien was one of the highlights w ith her first-place heptathlon performance at the ACC Indoor Championships.

Sparks discussed the impact that O’Brien’s v ictor y had on the whole team at the conference meet.

“Ty pically [the heptathlon]

event is the first event to be contested. And so whenever you can start off w ith a good, positive experience and w in an ACC Championship w ith the first event on the schedule, I think it gives the entire team a lot of confidence for the next day or t wo as they compete,” Sparks said.

The men’s team had some special performances as well during the regular season.

Graduate student Yared Nuguse set the collegiate record in the 3000m w ith a time of 7:38.13. Senior Dylan Jacobs ran the fourth fastest 5000m time in school histor y.

Despite the regularseason success, the Irish men struggled some in the postseason meets. Sparks hopes that this is something the Irish can improve on in coming seasons.

“It’s tr y ing to strike a balance between running fast in the regular season, but also running fast in the postseason,” Sparks said.

“One of the standby goals for the team is to be top 20 in the countr y in all three sports. The men are just on the outside of that from the indoor national meet.”

Irish open outdoor season with early strength W hile the season remains unfinished, the Irish put together some strong performances early in the season.

Senior thrower Gabe

Diederich was a standout in the Texas Relays where she took first place in the javelin throw and broke her ow n school record in the process. She extended the record to 49.92 meters a month later at the Indiana Inv itational.

Diederick finished top three in each meet this season leading into the ACC Championships.

“W henever you can start off the outdoor season that strong, that bodes well for your future,” Sparks said.

Another standout performance came from graduate student Andrew A lexander who broke a school record at the Raleigh Relays earlier this year, running a time of 28:24.42.

Sparks was excited about A lexander’s performance.

“He’s an A ll-American in cross countr y a year and a half ago, and he’s finding his stride in his last season of eligibilit y,” Sparks said. “It’s exciting to see him thrive.”

Jacobs added to an impressive indoor season in the spring. He earned the ACC Track and Field Performer of the Week on April 19. That came after Jacobs broke the school record in the 10K. He won the event at the Mt. Sac Relays in 28: 01.94.

The Irish began their postseason meets w ith the ACC Championships on May 12.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

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The observer | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd men’s lacrosse

HCC WOMEn’s BASKETBALL

Despite tournament snub, Irish lacrosse enjoys resilient season MOLLY FERAZANI Sports Writer

The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team concluded their 2022 season on Saturday, May 7, against Duke. They beat the Blue Devils 16-14 to claim a share of the ACC championship. The Irish endured a demanding yet fruitful season, finishing 8-4 and on a six-game winning streak. They ended the year as the first team out of the NCAA Tournament.

Schedule causes adversity The Irish faced one of the most challenging schedules in the division this season, causing a slow start to their success as they took most of their losses within their first few games. This challenge did not discourage the team, however, and after gathering their strength and confidence they quickly turned the season around.

When asked how the Irish handled their strenuous schedule, Coach Corrigan said, “We didn’t handle it as well as we would’ve liked to earlier in the year and it took us a little time to right the ship. But the good news is we did.

The guys deserve all the credit for that by individually improving.”

Along with the work and individual development by the players, Corrigan attributes their comeback to changes made in the lineup that gave players new opportunities for individual progress in their play and facilitated improvement for the team as a whole.

Turning it around The Irish changed the course of their season in a momentous game against the Syracuse Orange on April 2. That game sparked their current streak.

When asked about his most memorable game of the season, Coach Corrigan further solidified the crucial nature of this game.

“I gotta say the first quarter of

our Syracuse game,” he said. “We felt like we’d been playing well but hadn’t been getting good results so to come out against a team that we certainly have great respect for and score ten goals in the first quarter gave our guys the confidence that they need.” The Irish blasted the Orange 22-6 with immaculate offensive numbers.

While this game delivered the team the necessary confidence to promote their continued success for the rest of the season, it also held an abundance of individual victories for the players. Junior Jake Taylor made his first career start, notching a first-quarter hat trick. Ultimately, he set a program record with eight goals, pushing his career total to eleven goals.

Pat Kavanagh dominated as usual, posting nine points off six assists and three goals. He finished one point shy of the program record that he set against Syracuse last year. Junior Liam Entenmann made thirteen saves and only allowing five goals. The Irish defense also caused 12 turnovers over the course of the game.

Offense, goaltending among standouts When asked which players stood out the most this season, Corrigan commended several athletes. “Liam Entenmann in the goal has been playing as well as anyone in the country. Pat Kavanagh on attack. [Senior] Quinn McCahon has started to play more of a two-way midfield road. His play has allowed [graduate student Wheaton] Jackoboice and [sophomore Eric] Dobson to both improve their play. Jake Taylor coming in on the attack and putting the ball on the back of the net.”

Corrigan also said that “nobody has improved more than our freshman faceoff man Will Lynch.” This improvement will be imperative for next season, as Corrigan will be looking for more depth and consistency at the

faceoff position. Most importantly, Corrigan asserts that “it takes a village” and it’s hard to mention just one or two players because everyone has been putting in work and making improvements that have contributed to the team’s success.

Looking forward

HCC posts best CCAC record in three years

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

Entering the year with eight freshmen and sophomores, youth and inexperience became a storyline for the Holy Cross women’s basketball squad.

However, with a mix of strong upperclassmen leadership and impressive underclassmen contributions, the Saints stayed competitive. They finished 15-15 and 10-12 in conference play.

Looking ahead to next year, the Irish will take the summer to recover and focus on the educational side of being student-athletes. They’ll work on internships and continue their training individually. The team will also graduate three fifthyear defensemen.

“We need people to step up in those roles,” Corrigan said.

In terms of people who can step up, the team is taking on thirteen new players in their 2022 recruiting class. That includes five-star recruit Thomas Ricciardelli from The Taft school. The class will introduce three defensemen, one goalkeeper, five midfielders, two attacks, one faceoff player and one long-stick midfielder.

Corrigan says that he doesn’t start with expectations for the freshman because it’s impossible to know how they will react to their new environment and compete at a higher level. However, looking at their impressive statistics and the elite skills that they hold, it seems that the new class will make great contributions to an already strong team.

The Irish have had a strong season of individual and collective growth. Despite the difficult start, the team proved their resilience and persevered to achieve consistent wins for the second half of their year. The team will take their time to recover and return ready to work towards another impressive run in Spring of 2023.

Corrigan concluded, “We’ll sort that out in the fall.”

Miller, a junior, led the Saints offense again. She notched 13.8 points per game, becoming the seventh 1000-point scorer in Holy Cross history.

She led the inex-perienced roster to the postseason, but not without help.

The Saints’ young talent matured quickly and provided quality minutes.

Freshman guard Jordyn Smith earned CCAC Freshman of the Year.

She backed up Miller’s scoring with 10.3 points per game and facilitated the offense with 4.1 assists per contest as well.

Another young contributor, forward Grace Adams found herself on the conference All-Freshman team.

Adams notched 9.7 points per game thanks to an imposing paint presence. She also hauled in 8.3 rebounds per game.

Contact Molly Ferazani at mferazan@nd.edu

Sara White provides senior leadership

Jayda Miller, freshmen lead the way

The only senior on the roster, White was a muchneeded veteran presence for the Saints.

She led the team with 9.8 rebounds per contest and poured in 8.2 points per game.

With Adams, she helped the Saints rank third in the CCAC in rebounds per game.

Her steady play helped the Saints overcome some early bumps in the road with the young roster.

She recorded 10+rebounds in six of their first seven games, matching that feat in scoring as well.

Saints battle through adversity, finish .500 The Saints’ youth revealed itself in their early results.

They lost four of their first five contests and started 0-3 in CCAC play.

At the end of November, Holy Cross sat at 2-5 (1-4 in CCAC). However, they picked up the pace in December, winning six of seven to start the month.

After returning from winter break, the Saints ripped off three straight conference wins in five days.

That boosted Holy Cross to a 6-6 mark in CCAC contests.

Although they struggled to maintain consistency, the Saints battled down the stretch.

They hovered around the .500 mark all season.

On Senior Day, Holy Cross clinched at least an even record by toppling Trinity Christian.

The Saints even came close to pulling off an upset over St. Francis in the conference tournament, leading in the early stages of the fourth quarter. Miller had 24 points on the game — leading the team — followed by Smith with 12 points.

Returning every starter except White, Holy Cross’s outlook is promising as they look for their first winning conference record since 2018-19.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

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KATE NAESSENS | The Observer

The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team defends the goal during a game against Michigan State in a strong 12-7 showing over the Spartans. The game took place on Notre Dame’s home field in Arlotta Stadium on March 19.

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Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Cheerleading

ND Women’s tennis

Irish face Irish seniors lead cheer squad through challenges adversity head-on

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

The structure of the Notre Dame cheerleading team put a lot of pressure on the senior class in 2021-2022. Many athletes joined the team late in freshman year. Head coach Delayna Myers and her squad spend much of the spring recruiting and holding open practices to fill their roster for the coming season. This means that it‘s not until sophomore year that many cheerleaders get their first experience. So when COVID decimated not only the spring of 2020, but most of the 2020-2021 season, the Irish lost valuable development time.

“The senior class and a couple of juniors were the only ones who had done a normal game day.

That meant we relied heavily on senior leadership,” Myers said.

“They rose to the challenge and understood the role that was expected of them to help get the rest of the team up to the speed.”

On the team as a whole, Myers noted: “They totally developed a whole new skillset.

It took us a little bit to get back into our groove, but given the circumstances, we accomplished what we set out to do.”

It was quite the first full year back for the cheer team. Myers’ squad appeared on some of the biggest stages in collegiate sports. The football team played in the Fiesta Bowl. The men’s soccer team hosted three NCAA Tournament games and then played in the College Cup. Both basketball squads qualified for

March Madness and played in three games.

“I think that my group had a year of gratitude. They were so grateful for the experiences they were able to have and they were able to support our teams on the road,” Myers commented. “Some of their favorite memories, where they bond the most, are on those trips.”

Traveling around the country for these big events also highlighted the Irish leprechauns. The face of the program, four leprechauns represent Notre Dame every year. This year, three leprechauns graduate. Seniors Gabe Ramos and Alex Sampson depart the program, as does graduate student Pat Johnson. Johnson was a high-energy presence at football and men’s basketball games, while Ramos largely cheered at women’s basketball.

“They all played to their strengths in the role and showed other people that the role can really be for them,” Myers said.

She went on to comment on their recruiting efforts to fill the next class of leprechauns.

“They did an incredible job of trying to find the best people and recruit the best people to take on the role after them. Without them participating in outreach and encouraging people to try out, we wouldn’t be where we are.”

Myers highlighted Johnson in particular. The lone graduate student on the roster, Johnson led the program in the first year back from COVID. “Pat has poured so much into this role and created certain

processes and materials so that way the people that follow him can be successful in the role,” Myers said.

However, the leadership didn’t stop with the leprechauns.

Myers complimented her senior class as a whole for setting the stage for a healthy program moving forward.

“The senior class is a big class.

Having so many strong leaders with such a high skill level helped the underclassmen have something to work towards and to know what the standard of our program is,” he said.

Now the seniors wrap up their final spring with the program, putting the finishing touches on another strong recruiting season. They’ll pass on their leadership roles to the junior — now rising senior class, — a transition that Myers is excited for.

“Our junior class has a lot of good energy, they’re very community-driven.

I really look forward to seeing how that continues to positively impact our team culture,” Myers said.

After two tumultuous years, the cheer squad made a full and triumphant return over the 20212022 academic year. With a lot of pressure on their shoulders, the seniors rose to the occasion. They represented the blue and gold on big stages and set up the program for future success.

“They took this year as if nothing was guaranteed and enjoyed every moment,” Myers said.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

The Irish cheerleading team, with the leprechaun at the head, rallies the crowd at a home football game against the Navy Midshipmen as the Fighting Irish run onto the field. The Irish secured the 34-6 win.

By MATTHEW CROW Sports Writer

Notre Dame women’s tennis knew all along that this year would bring challenges. Coming off a season that ended w ith a losing record, and w ith a roster comprised almost entirely of underclassmen, the Irish expected adversit y and chose to face it head-on, never backing dow n and using it as an opportunit y.

“I feel our biggest grow th this season has been our emotional maturit y out on the courts, just dealing w ith different situations that arise, different adversities, being able to manage those tough moments,” Irish head coach A lison Silverio said. “With a young team, obv iously you have to go through those challenging times and those adverse times to figure out some things and really learn some great lessons.”

That mentalit y helped Notre Dame’s early-season performance belie the team’s relative inexperience, as they went on t wo separate three-match w inning streaks during nonconference play. In Februar y, the Irish dominated No. 16 Washington in a 5-2 v ictor y, w inning four singles matches in straight sets.

Silverio said that a commitment to consistent hard work on the practice courts is what allows the team to thrive in big moments. Regardless of the outcome, the Irish always maintain the same focus, trusting that results w ill naturally follow.

“We’ve been taking ever y day and ever y match this season as an opportunit y to get better,” Silverio said.

“Our team and our coaching staff are ver y confident in our preparation and in our training. We trust the process that we have been follow ing this season.”

After starting the season strong w ith a 7-3 record, the inception of ACC play brought a challenging stretch of opponents. In the opening week of the conference slate, the Irish were defeated by top-5 teams North Carolina and Duke. Despite the outcome, there were clear signs of their seasonlong progress.

Junior Page Freeman earned ACC Player of the Week honors for her performance in the matches.

Freeman, ranked No. 87 nationally in singles, was a standout for the Irish, consistently battling nationally ranked players in the No. 1 singles spot while also forming the No. 20-ranked doubles pairing w ith freshman Maria Oliv ia Castedo.

The Irish soon began to hit their stride, w inning five of their next ACC eight matches, w ith doubles play prov ing to be a strength of the team. A long w ith Freeman and Castedo, freshmen Carrie Beckman and Nibedita Ghosh were an effective pairing for the Irish. Sophomore Julia Andreach, ranked No. 105, was a crucial contributor in singles, matching Freeman for the team lead w ith thirteen w ins during the year.

Notre Dame’s marquee v ictor y came in a 5-2 w in against No. 8 Miami, which included three singles w ins against top-100 ranked players. Later in the weekend, the Irish dropped a tight match against Florida State, but Silverio praised the team’s toughness, crediting both matches w ith helping to develop the team’s “champion mindset.”

The Irish entered the ACC Tournament w ith a 13-11 record, 5-8 in ACC play, earning the ninth seed and a first-round rematch against eighth-seeded Florida State in Rome, Georgia.

The Seminoles came away w ith a 4-0 v ictor y, knocking Notre Dame, ranked No. 42 nationally, out of the tournament.

W hile the Irish missed the NCA A Tournament this year, after a year in which Silverio says that the team developed on the court as well as “in the classroom and in their social and professional lives,” the Irish program carries a strong sense of optimism into the future while understanding that the work needed to reach their goals is just beginning.

“It’s fun to finally see that grow th and [we’re] looking for ward for what’s to come,” Silverio said.

“The next step for us is continuing to keep that confident presence, keep that confident body language, and be able to do it match in and match out.”

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, May 18, 2018 | The Observer

SMC cross country

SMC LACROSSE

Trifecta of senior captains reflects on squad goals

By JACK SIRIANNI Sports Writer

Three seemed to be the magic number for senior Saint Mar y’s cross countr y captains Riley Swope, Brigid Conmy, Claudia Stiglitz, and head coach Jackie Bauters as they looked back on the 2021 season. Three senior captains led the Belles cross countr y team this year to a fruitful season that fostered the grow th of many of the women on the team, especially those who laced up their spikes for the last time. Swope described the dy namic between the three captains.

“We are three completely different leaders. With us all together, it really just puts the team together and all works out. Brigid has more of the voice and Claudia puts together the team bonding stuff. And I feel like I am a role model encouraging my teammates during workouts or races. Just like cheerful [energ y].”

Swope led the senior captains on the course w ith a team third place and a time of 25: 00.8 in the 6K race of the Great Lakes Regional Championship. In speaking w ith the group, it is apparent how each of these women has inf luenced this team.

The team as a whole finished

39

22nd out of 37 teams at the NCA A regional meet. They finished sixth out of nine teams in an MI A A conference that is one of the strongest in the nation. The conference featured a pair of top-15 programs.

Sophomore Haley Green led the squad at both postseason meets.

She set consecutive personal bests to pace the Belles. At the regional, Green set a personal best by 23 seconds, running the 6K in 23:41.9.

Home races provide special opportunity The magic number three reappears for the Belles as during the season they were fortunate enough to have three of seven meets that were all run in either South Bend or Notre Dame.

This advantage prov ided a special opportunit y for the Belles to feel extra support from family and fans. These extra home meets were a chance for the Belles to demonstrate the work ethic that is so ingrained in the culture of this program.

The Belles are one of only two teams in the MIAA not to have a track program. Any progress is reflective of the work that the team puts in during the offseason. “In Division III, it really comes down to what you do on your own.” Bauters

said. “That’s the end game...It is up to you. how bad do you want it? How much do you want to work?”

Senior captain Brigid Conmy ref lected on what Saint Mar y’s cross countr y has meant to her over the last four years.

“I would not get through the workouts or the races or really any of college w ithout Saint Mar y’s cross countr y,” Conmy said. “These women and Jackie...have been like my rock and I think that comes w ith culture.”

There is an undeniably strong culture on this team, cemented by the three senior captains. Both of the captains that spoke w ith the Obser ver attributed their success to the lessons they learned and the net works prov ided by Saint Mar y’s cross countr y.

Riley Swope is a Fulbright Scholar recipient.

After graduating, she w ill be working on a project in Ecuador teaching English.

She plans to start a youth running program.

Brigid Conmy will head to Uganda to work at a health clinic with the Sisters of the Holy Cross after graduation. After returning, she will work at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Contact Jack Sirianni at jsirian2@nd.edu

Courtesy of SARAH MIESLE/SMC Athletics

The Saint Mary’s cross country team leads the pack of runners in a 5k race during the Notre Dame National Catholic Invitational on Sept. 17. The Belles placed thirteenth with a strong showing from top runners.

Belles take MIAA crown

By MICHAEL PILGER Sports Writer

The Saint Mary’s lacrosse team wrapped up their 2021-2022 season on a high note, coming away MIAA champions after a 19-15 win over Trine on May 7. The Belles finished the season with an impressive record of 11-6 overall and going 5-2 in conference play. Despite some struggles in early March, when they lost 3 matches in a row, the team turned the season around and won 6 of their last 8, outscoring their opponents by 31 points.

When asked about why the team was able to bounce back strongly after this rough start, captain Sarah Frick explained the importance of teamwork.

“We always had the talent, but began working more as a team rather than individuals,” she said.

Offensive production has been a major factor in the team’s success this season.

The Belles averaged more goals, assists and shots on goal this season than in the past six years. Seniors Katie Haas and Bridget Kane and junior Erin Dotson have been the focal points of this powerful offense. However, what sets this team apart from past years is the offensive diversity of the whole team.

It’s difficult to defend one of the Belles tightly since they have so many players that can score. For example, in a dominant 20-2 win over Anderson on March 22, seven different players on the team scored, and nine players took at least one shot.

This wide range of attackers helped Saint Mary’s attain an average of over 16 goals per game.

Frick mentioned that while the offense was powerful, it

was helped by the versatility of defensive players. Frick noted, specifically, the importance of seniorfreshman duo Lindsey Herdsman and Valentina Rubio.

“It is very common for low defenders to be on the slower side and have weaker stick skills… but this is not indicative of Herdsman and Rubio. They play such an integral role in not only defending but also moving the ball during transitions.”

Frick said.

Finally, another reason for the team’s success this season has been their perseverance and endurance.

This year’s emphasis on maintaining possession, then creating and maintaining offensive plays is one of the most important reasons for the Belles’ offensive success and relentlessness.

This strategy was most prevalent in an away conference game at Hope College, where the team edged out a 24-23 win, their highest-scoring game of the season. Despite their opponents leading 23-21 with under seven minutes remaining the team finished strong and pulled out the win.

To close the season, the Belles attended the MIAA tournament. There they faced Hope in the first round and took out the Flying Dutch 1613. In the final, the Belles met the Trine Thunder, who had taken them to overtime just two weeks before. The Belles won then, 14-13, and handled the Thunder much more swiftly this time around.

The Belles hope to continue their success next season and build on their offensive capabilities.

Contact Michael Pilger at mpilger2@nd.edu

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Belles junior attack Gabby Belsito pushes past Carthage opponent during Saint Mary’s home opener on March 5. The Belles lost 5-16.

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Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd softball

Continuity and commitment: Notre Dame softball dominates 2022 season

By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

With a stellar 39-9 record, No. 21 Notre Dame softball w rapped up their 2022 regular season play in a three-game, dominating sweep against Louisv ille.

This final home w in earned the Irish the fourth seed in the ACC Tournament.

The Irish ladies faced a tough schedule all year, battling several ranked and powerful teams.

Nevertheless, their strength offensively and defensively, paired w ith a focus on what head coach Deanna Gumpf refers to as the “little things,” contributed to a successful season and created an optimistic postseason outlook.

“Looking back — which is nice to be able to do now that we are finished w ith regular season play — there are so many little things that we did really, really well this season,” Gumpf said.

“It honestly started w ith the commitment. I think this team is on a new level on the commitment spectrum.

Each day, they do things a little bit differently to be a little bit better. That, to me, has been the number one thing this team has done.”

Versatile Irish win in different ways Skill and grit both in the field and at the plate allowed the Irish to w in these ball games and go 16-5 in ACC play. In terms of pitching, graduate student A lex is Holloway shone on the mound, leading the team to v ictor y against teams like No. 16 Clemson. Named ACC Pitcher of the Week for this no-hitter performance, Holloway was a consistent force throughout the season.

Fellow pitcher and senior Pay ton Tidd also earned this ACC accolade as well thanks to her stellar seven-inning performance against No. 6 Northwestern.

Freshman Shannon Becker is on the rise as well, show ing up and delivering when needed, demonstrating sheer dedication and potential.

In addition, attitude was an important part of the team’s success.

Upperclassmen helped to establish a precedent of excellence and encouraged underclassmen to share their love of the game. With seven graduate students and seniors combined, there were several leaders to set an example.

“The super seniors and the senior class — the seven of them — have done a remarkable job of leading,” Gumpf said. “They’ve worked so hard together. Without the seven of those girls being ‘all in,’ it’s really tough on the young ones. But, these seniors have demonstrated they are ‘all in’ and have helped the young ones so much. They have played big roles in our successes.”

ways to w in ball games.”

Looking ahead to the postseason, Gumpf and her team know what they have to do, and are ready to execute confidently. With a team that works together well and “knows how special they are,” as Gumpf says, there is lots of potential for the Irish to perform well.

“I think we’re in a really

good place,” Gumpf said. “I love the way we are play ing the game right now. If we continue play ing the way we are right now, great things are going to happen.”

Though their regular season has come to an end, there is still a chance to catch Notre Dame softball in action. The Irish started their ACC Tournament play

on Thursday, May 12 against Clemson. After the ACC Tournament, they‘ll await their NCA A Tournament placement. There, they‘ll tr y and qualif y for the first Super Regional in program histor y, after falling one game shy last year.

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

Underclassmen provide offensive boost Though the upperclassmen paved this positive path initially, the underclassmen found their footing early and made their presence know n.

Sophomore first baseman Karina Gaskins was named a Top 25 finalist for 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She currently leads the ACC w ith 49 RBI on the season. Freshman infielder Jane Kronenberger proved to be a key offensive piece for the Irish as well, hav ing been named a Top 25 finalist for Freshman of the Year.

“Right there, you are talking about t wo people who have come out w ith a bang,” Gumpf said.

In addition to these t wo standout players, other freshmen and sophomores on the team made a name for themselves w ith big plays offensively and defensively. This proves that there is promise among the freshman and sophomore classes.

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish senior pitcher Payton Tidd winds up during a game against Georgia Tech at Melissa Cook Stadium.

The Irish recovered from their first game loss to win the next two games 13-12 and 15-13 on April 1-3.

Irish move past tough losses However, like any elite team, Notre Dame softball faced challenges along the way. Tough losses against teams like Virginia and Clemson momentarily shook the Irish but did not put them out. “The best times come out the toughest times,” Gumpf noted. It was in turning points like these that the Irish were able to truly find their way and their identit y.

“I think it’s super cool to see how the tough times in our season helped to make us better,” Gumpf said.

“Like the way we recovered from the Virginia weekend and became a better team because of it. I’m super proud of [how] we just found ways. We found it one game in pitching, or hitting or creating great ways to score runs. One day it‘s a huge play defensively.

That’s what makes this team really special. We just find a ton of

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish graduate student outfielder Abby Sweet gets ready to bat during a three-game sequence against Georgia Tech at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Irish successfully locked out the Yellow Jackets after the first game.

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | The Observer

41

nd baseball

Irish overcome inconsistencies during lineup changes, load up for postseason run

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

Notre Dame Baseball entered the 2022 season w ith high expectations.

In 2021, the Irish fell just one game shy of the College World Series. They pushed eventual national champion Mississippi State to the brink in Starkv ille, falling in a three-game super regional.

Additionally, Notre Dame lost just two players.

However, those two players proved to be difficult guys to replace.

Replacing All-Americans Reliever Tanner Kohlhepp and first baseman Niko Kavadas were both drafted.

Kohlhepp anchored the Irish bullpen last year.

“Such an instrumental leverage receiver that was so dy namic that he impacted, in some cases, t wo games a weekend,” head coach Link Jarrett said.

“We were replacing one of the best relievers in the countr y. Replacing someone like that is a challenge for anyone.”

“We’re replacing 22 home runs and 67 RBI in the middle of the lineup,” Jarrett said of Kavadas. “Opponents game-planned a lot around Kavadas.

Know ing that you don’t have that piece, it changes the look of the lineup.

But Kohlhepp and Niko, those are A llAmericans, that’s hard to replace.”

The adjustments led to some inconsistencies for the Irish, but the pieces are coming together, as they maintain their spot near the top of the loaded ACC. The Irish are second in the Atlantic Div ision — 1.5 games behind Louisv ille.

The Irish’s form of late has been spectacular. The Irish have won five of six ACC clashes. The bats, in particular, heated up.

They were struggling after last-place Duke swept the Irish. Notre Dame scored 10 runs in 29 innings.

After seemingly hitting a stride w ith a pair of midweek w ins, Notre Dame pushed across 54 runs in a three-game sweep of Wake Forest.

In that series v ictor y, they came back from deficits of 8-2 and 12-8.

“They like to compete.

There’s not antics and all kind of stuff going on,” Jarrett said. “They compete

and they fight.”

At the plate The experience makes itself present in the Irish lineup. Graduate students Dav id Lamanna and Ryan Cole are two of the four Irish hitting at least .315.

The other two are seniors — first baseman Carter Putz and left fielder Jack Zyska.

Putz leads the team in RBIs (37). Zyska and fellow senior outfielder Brooks Coetzee are tied for the team lead w ith eight home runs. Cole also has stolen 17 bases, good for the team lead. Jarrett spoke on the contributions of his upperclassmen.

“Putz has done a great job at first [base]. He was an all-conference hitter last year at DH. Cole, Coetzee … impressive, complete players … Dav id gives you tough, competitive at-bats, sprays the ball around.”

Zyska in particular has added another dimension to the Irish lineup. He entered the year seemingly the odd man out in a loaded Irish lineup. His play ing time decreased after starting 30 games as a freshman.

However, Zyska has improved his consistency and added a much-needed power stroke to the lineup.

“He’s dangerous.

He’s strong. He can hit the ball to all fields, he can run,” Jarrett said. “Sometimes he tried to do too much up there and start oversw inging.

Just containing the effort and movements was what we focused on a lot.”

Ultimately the Irish boast 10 players w ith at least 14 starts and a .262 or better batting average.

On the bump On the mound, the Irish have leaned on a pair of graduate transfers to start.

John Michael Bertrand continues to be the ace of the staff. He’s 6-1 w ith a 2.35 ER A. Jarrett called Bertrand “as good as anyone in the countr y” when the southpaw is on his game.

Austin Temple is 3-1 w ith a 3.68 ER A. Aidan Ty rell, a captain, began the year as a starter, but Jarrett now uses him as a jack of all trades. He’s 5-0 w ith a 2.72 ER A. “He’s a ver y even-keeled athlete. He exudes comfort whether he’s starting or coming in the middle or at the end. It took him a while to get his command of

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Senior first baseman Carter Putz launches off the base during a strong showing of skill on the plate during a game against Butler on April 5. The Irish defeated the Bulldogs with a score of 5-2 at Frank Eck Stadium.

ever y thing in check,” Jarrett said. “We’re starting to see him find that rhy thm again.

We use [Ty rell] in whatever sw iss-army knife role we can find.”

Out of the bullpen, senior A lex Rao leads a young group.

With graduate transfer Ryan McLinskey out w ith injur y, Rao ser ves as the veteran presence. He boasts a 3.62 ER A. “Rao’s velocit y has crept up. He’s been up to 98.

His changeup has been effective,” Jarrett noted.

“He’s worked ver y hard … he’s found his form.”

Freshmen Jack Findlay, Roman Kimball and Radek Birk holz are key cogs dow n the stretch if they continue to mature.

Findlay leads all Irish hurlers w ith a 0.72 ER A in 25 innings. He’s started five games and come out of the bullpen five times. Birk holz

has been solid w ith a 3.60 ER A. Kimball, the top prospect of this freshman class, features strong stuff, but he has struggled w ith inconsistency. His 5.66 ER A ref lects that, despite a 4-0 record.

“Their outings have trended for the most part in the right direction.

Learning that [bullpen] role is different for freshmen,” Jarrett said.

Omaha hunting Now, as the regular season w inds dow n, the focus moves to the postseason.

The Irish are in position to host a regional and maybe a super regional. After falling a game shy of Omaha last year, Notre Dame looks to challenge for the national title. Jarrett believes that the cutthroat ACC schedule prepares his team for the

postseason.

“The teams are so talented that the margin of error and the difference bet ween the w in and the loss is slim,” the Irish head coach said. “W hen we’ve played well, we’ve seen the rewards.

And when we haven’t, we’ve seen exactly what can happen. That’s the nature of this. Ever y weekend is tough.”

The Irish finish w ith three home games versus Pitt and a trip to the ACC-leading Miami Hurricanes. Jarrett kept it simple when asked what the Irish needed to improve.

“Bullpen pieces [must] continue to mature. Rao has got to continue to solidif y what he does. We need the young bucks to mature and be consistent.”

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

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Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, May 18, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND men’s basketball

Veterans, new faces lead Irish to tournament

By LIAM COOLICAN Associate Sports Editor

In a resurgent year for Notre Dame basketball, behind a veteran group and some fresh faces that injected much-needed energ y into the program, the Irish returned to the NCA A Tournament for the first time in five years.

W hen they gathered at head coach Mike Brey’s house over a year ago for Selection Sunday, they knew they would not be hearing their name called that night. This year, despite a slow start and some ups and dow ns throughout the season, the team returned to Brey’s house this time know ing they were headed to March Madness for the first time since 2017.

“I‘m extremely proud of this group because Selection Sunday a year ago, they were at my house and we watched the show, and that was kind of a miserable day, and it was a 365-day countdow n to get back to be part of Selection Sunday. And that they‘ve done it is prett y cool,” Brey said after the team fell in the ACC quarterfinals to Virginia Tech.

The 2018 recruiting class, w idely considered one of Brey’s best, largely fell short of expectations, hav ing not made a tournament heading into their senior season. That class consisted of four top-100 recruits in the ESPN 100 : Nate Laszewski, Dane Goodw in, Robby Carmody, and Prentiss Hubb.

It all came together for that group this year, though.

Carmody has battled injuries throughout his tenure w ith the Irish, but the other three seniors stepped up to lead the team this year. They were helped

by Brey’s judicious use of the transfer portal.

He added Cormac Ryan from Stanford and Trey Wertz from Santa Clara before last season and added graduate transfer Paul Atkinson, Jr. from Yale prior to this year.

Atkinson wasn’t the only addition that helped kickstart the Irish, however.

Freshman Blake Wesley made an immediate impact upon his arrival on campus. Wesley became the first player to graduate from a South Bend public school to sign w ith the Irish since 1985. Wesley, a four-star recruit and the No. 82 player nationally, was highly touted but few expected him to

make the impact he did so quick ly. He scored 21 points on 7-10 shooting in his first collegiate game, a 68-52 w in over Cal State Northridge to open the season.

However, after that hot start for Wesley and the team, they quick ly fell into a rut.

They traveled to Las Vegas for the Maui Inv itational and dropped the first game of the tournament 62-59 to Saint Mar y’s despite holding a late lead. After dominating div ision-two foe Chaminade in their second game, the Irish advanced to the fifth-place game of the tournament, where they subsequently blew a double-digit second-half lead and fell to Texas A&M 73-67.

The Irish returned home disappointed after heading to Las Vegas w ith high expectations.

It didn’t get any easier after the inv itational, though.

The Irish immediately hit the road again, heading to Illinois for the Big 10/ACC Challenge, falling by 10 points, and dropped their first conference game in a blowout road loss to a Boston College team who would finish 13th in the ACC. But the season would turn quick ly for the Irish. Two teams heading in opposite directions met in South Bend, Dec. 11: Kentuck y entered the contest 7-1 and ranked No. 10 nationally while the Irish were still searching for a spark early in the season.

It was Notre Dame, however, who came out on top, and it was Wesley’s introduction to the national stage. He hit the gamew inning jumper w ith 12 seconds left, and after Goodw in threw dow n a dunk at the buzzer to seal the game, the student section rushed the court.

“We certainly needed a night like this,” Brey said after the w in. “You can’t draw it up any better.”

W hile the Irish did drop their next contest to Indiana in the Crossroads Classic, the team would w in 11 of the follow ing 12 games, including 8 ACC v ictories.

It was one of the nonconference games amidst this streak, however, that proved most impactful for Brey and his players.

The team traveled to Washington, D.C. to take on Howard in the MLK Classic.

Notre Dame prevailed 7168, but it wasn’t the result on the court that the team would remember most.

“It’s an honor to be on an [historically Black college and universit y] campus, a prestigious universit y in Howard, and to be in that setting,” Brey said prior to the trip. “I think it’s a great educational opportunit y for our players. I think it’s an unbelievable message for our Universit y.”

The w inning streak set up a showdow n w ith No. 9 Duke which would determine first place in the conference and was one of the most anticipated games in South Bend in years. However, the game didn’t live up to expectations. Notre Dame scored just 43 points and was left chasing the Blue Dev ils for the remainder of the year. It was the team’s only loss at home and they finished 14-1 in South Bend on the year. The defeat didn’t derail Notre Dame’s prospects for first place in the conference. The Irish won five consecutive conference games to stay in the chase, but the Blue Dev ils continued their strong play to stay just ahead. Notre Dame finished second in the ACC despite late-season road losses to Wake Forest and Florida State.

The Irish entered the ACC tournament in Brook ly n w ith a double-bye to the

quarterfinals and high expectations, but their hopes were almost immediately dashed by Virginia Tech.

They went dow n by double digits early in the first half, and couldn’t recover.

The follow ing Sunday, the Selection Committee elected to send Notre Dame to Day ton, Ohio, for a First Four matchup w ith Rutgers.

“They deser ve it, man.

They‘ve been just an amazing group to coach.

They‘ve chased it together since last year,” Brey said.

In arguably one of the best games of the tournament, the Irish prevailed in a double-overtime thriller to advance to the Round of 64. Atkinson had a career game, scoring 26 points including the game-w inner w ith less than t wo seconds remaining.

“Coach Brey said it more times than I count, it’s a battle-tested group,” Atkinson said after the w in.

“We‘ve been through a lot of tough battles, had a couple of overtime games during the regular season. We stuck it out a couple games, sometimes it didn‘t go our way but we know how to w in games.”

Notre Dame then had to travel across the countr y to face sixth-seeded A labama less than 48 hours after

dispatching Rutgers.

They were able to use the momentum of the prev ious game to their advantage, however, riding a strong second half to a 78-64 upset v ictor y.

“People were say ing double overtime, long f light, legs are going to be tired.

We were gunning and we were ready to go, and it just feels special,” Ryan, who led the team w ith 29 points in the w in, said after ward.

The Irish advanced to the round of 32 to face thirdseeded Texas Tech. The Irish led late in the contest, but ultimately, the Red Raiders, who had one of the top defenses in college basketball, proved too much to overcome.

The team w ill look different next year, w ith Hubb, Laszewski, Wesley and Atkinson all likely headed for professional careers. But the team brings back plent y of talent as Ryan and Goodw in have already announced their return, and McDonald’s A ll-American J.J. Starling headlines a strong recruiting class.

They w ill look to build on Notre Dame’s success and lead them back to the tournament.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish senior guard Prentiss Hubb maneuvers around a defender during Notre Dame’s defeat of rival Boston College on Feb. 26. The Irish pulled through with a close score of 99-95 at home in Purcell Pavilion.

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | The Observer

43

nd women’s basketball

Notre Dame women’s basketball takes major steps forward in year two under Niele Ivey

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

To say Notre Dame women’s basketball took a step forward in 2021 would be an understatement. In year two under Niele Ivey, the Irish rose to 24-9 with a Sweet 16 appearance. That followed a 10-10 conference record in 2020-21 and a first-round exit in the ACC Tournament. Last year’s Notre Dame team lost to Ohio in the season opener.

This year, the Irish beat the Bobcats by 35. That win set the stage for some high-profile wins, including a victory over third-ranked North Carolina State. The Irish were seconds away from repeating the feat in the Sweet 16.

Maya Dodson instant impact

makes

The difference between year two and year one for Niele Ivey and her squad?

Among others, the arrival of graduate student center Maya Dodson.

After opting out of the 2020 season, Dodson arrived in South Bend with a highly proven resume from her time at Stanford. Averaging five points, three rebounds and a block per game for the Cardinal, Dodson brought a post presence to Purcell Pavilion that few teams could match.

Dodson averaged 12.6 points as well as 7.3 rebounds per game for the Irish. That anchored Notre Dame’s offensive and defensive output in the paint. When the team needed her most, Dodson was often at her best, displaying her experience and senior leadership.

In a December game, the

Irish struggled to close out against Depaul on the road, for instance, the graduate student was a consistent force.

She notched a team-high 28 points as well as 8 rebounds.

In Notre Dame’s first ranked conference game against North Carolina Dodson lodged a double-double. Just weeks later against No. 3 NC State she repeated the feat. This time, she also led the team in scoring with 20 points.

A defensive cog with a penchant for shot-blocking, Dodson was named to the ACC all-defensive team as well as her general OK second team all ACC honors at the end of the year.

“Maya’s a once-in-a-lifetime player. She’s a special player,” Ivey said. “I don’t think there’s really anyone that can really even replace the intangibles that she brought us.”

Mabrey shines beyond the arc

from

Dodson wasn’t the only senior who proved to be a driving force for the Fighting Irish in 2021, though. Guard Dara Mabrey was another vital member of the Notre Dame lineup. She added both ball-handling skills and a reliable shooting capability to Coach Ivey’s rotation.

Notre Dame fans are plenty familiar with the Mabrey name. Michaela Mabrey was a two-year team captain for the Irish and is currently an assistant coach on Ivey’s staff. Marina Mabrey is Notre Dame’s all-time leader in three-pointers and played a major role in bringing home the Irish’s most recent national title in 2018. After arriving as a transfer in 2020, Dara became the third

ANYA RUFFINO | The Observer

Irish graduate forward Maya Dodson navigates through two opponents to go for a layup during a January game against Syracuse at Purcell Pavilion. The Fighting Irish secured a 83-62 victory over Syracuse.

Mabrey to don the blue and gold. She wasted no time carving out her own space in Notre Dame lore.

Averaging 10.3 points per game, Mabrey also posted 76 assists, second on the team. A vocal presence on the court and an experienced hand on a relatively young Irish roster, Mabrey rose to the occasion as a senior leader for the Irish in some of the team’s biggest games.

The senior from Belmar, New Jersey led Notre Dame

in scoring during the NCAA tournament. She averaged 18.7 points per game in a stretch that included an explosive 29-point performance in the round of 32 against Oklahoma.

On the road in Norman, Mabrey was near-unconscious from deep.

She drilled seven of 12 three-pointers (including five of six in the first quarter) to help the underdog Irish notch a statement win.

Such an offensive outpouring was only the high

point in a year of impressive efficiency for Mabrey. She shot a team-high 37% from beyond the arc on the year. The senior was also an underrated defender, only committing 42 fouls in 2021, 20 less than any other starting player.

Mabrey will be using her additional year of eligibility to return for the 2022 season. Her prowess adds another weapon to an Irish lineup that will look to thrive see ND WBB PAGE 44

SMC tennis

Belles grow as a team, set high expectations

By DOMINIC GIBSON Sports Writer

Despite a shorthanded start to the spring season, the Saint Mary’s tennis team found a way to display resilience and earn a 5-3 conference record in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIA A).

The Belles also earned postseason accolades. Junior Lucy Chamberlin and freshman Alayna Campbell were named to the All-MIA A second team, setting up a bright outlook for the team next year. The pair play as Saint Mary’s No. 1 doubles pair. Chamberlin

plays at the No. 1 singles spot as well while Alayna Campbell closed the season at No. 2.

Despite a rather tough season, head coach Dale Campbell highlighted some high points throughout the year.

“There were a few big moments, but a favorite was when we were playing Trine in our conference who we had lost to last year. With the match tied, we had seniors Meredith Heckert and Nikki Rust playing close matches,” Campbell said.

“With all of our eyes on her match, Meredith came up with a close two set win to clinch the

team win. We went on to win 6-3 as Nikki won as well.”

Campbell also mentioned the team’s win against Adrian as another high point during the season.

“We also had to win against conference foe Adrian and won five close matches to win in a dramatic fashion,” Campbell said.

“Our one and two doubles teams won after being down 2-5 early, and we had three singles matches finish within 10 minutes of each other, all coming down to a third set or 10-point tiebreaker.”

Hardship is something that every team faces and this

Saint Mary’s team was no different. While the squad lost a few players early in the season, they found a way to rally and come together, something Campbell was very proud of.

“About one month before we began the spring season, we lost three players for various reasons,” Campbell said. “We had to quickly regroup and challenge ourselves to play above any adversity. We came together as a team and played above expectations.”

Looking ahead to next season, Campbell said he is looking forward to having

some much needed depth on the team and hopes that his squad might be able to improve their seeding position in the conference tournament. “We will have four seniors returning and have a fairly large class coming in the fall. We could have great depth,” Campbell said. “It’s early to form those goals, but we would like to set our sights on being one of the top three seeds going into our conference tournament next year.”

Contact Dominic Gibson at dgibson2@nd.edu

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Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

SMC soccer

Despite a losing record, Saint Mary’s soccer boasts a surplus of talent and perseverance

By EMILY DeFAZIO Associate Sports Editor

Saint Mar y’s soccer had a harder season this fall, going 8-9 overall and 1-7 in the conference.

In the 17 games they played, the Belles garnered 21 goals (approx imately 1.24 goals per game) w ith an average of 11 shots on goal per game. Despite this effort, it was not enough to notch a w inning record.

The team went 4-4 at home and 4-5 away, putting up a persevering fight all season long.The schedule started out strong for the Belles, as they were undefeated

in their first four games against Concordia Chicago, Lake Forest, Aurora and Goshen. After an away loss to Frank lin College, the team bounced back and went on a three-game w in streak.

However, when it came time for the start of their conference games, Trine shut them out for a final score of 4-0 in favor of the Thunder. After this, the Belles fell into a bit of a rut.

They lost seven consecutive games, unable to score in all but one. They were able to notch one more w in under their belt against Olivet before ending their season w ith a loss against A lma in

double overtime.

Some players still had indiv idual successes.

At the end of the season, senior Becca Stella was awarded 2021 Senior Sportswoman of the Year, acknowledging her competitive spirit, energ y, and education and ser v ice experiences. She was a t wo-year captain of the team, and founded Belles W ho Believe, an athletic group on campus focused on faith formation and communit y for student athletes.

Another senior — and captain — who was honored was Rose Stack house, who was placed on the A ll-MI A A

Second Team for her work on the field. This is the third time she has received this award. Additionally, at the beginning of the season, Stack house was named MI A A Offensive Player of the Week.

She sits in the top four for goals, assists and points for the Belles soccer program, posting nine game-w inning goals over the course of her career.

Freshman goalie Kara Stacey also received an honor from the MI A A, hav ing been named the Defensive Player of the Week in October. She boasted an 88.9% save percentage at the time, and proved herself

to be a dominant force on the field. The final player to be honored was senior Maya Cole, who also garnered the Defensive Player of the Week accolade in September. She was a cocaptain this year, and this was her first time w inning this award.

Looking ahead, the Belles w ill seek to shore up their technique and fill the holes in their roster being left by the seniors. Their season w ill kick start again in the fall, when the young team w ill go for that w inning record.

Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu

Nd women’s lacrosse

Irish recover from slow start, eye big postseason run

By OLIVIA SCHATZ Associate Sports Editor

The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team finished their regular season on April 23 with a 15-14 win against Louisville. Although their season was up-and-down, they ended with a 9-9 overall record. However, the ACC faces the toughest schedule in the country. Six teams finished the season in the Top 20

by RPI.

Slow start, big rebound This season saw the Irish dominate over teams like No. 21 Jacksonville (20-5) and Pittsburgh (19-7). They also beat No. 18 Virginia, 1210. However, they lost some close games against highly ranked teams such as No. 3 Boston College, No. 13 Duke and No. 4 Northwestern. In addition, the Irish made it to the ACC semifinals where they lost to the eventual ACC champion and top-ranked UNC in a close 14-13 game.

The Irish also upset Duke 1911 in the quarterfinals. The No. 16 Irish now look forward

ND WBB Continued from page 43

in transition and high-scoring affairs.

Young stars return with Mabrey Younger stars surround Mabrey on the 2022 roster. The Irish’s young roster blossomed into one of the best starting lineups in the ACC last year as the season progressed.

Rising sophomore Olivia Miles will handle guard duties in 2022 alongside Mabrey. Miles was

to the NCA A tournament, where they will play No. 21 Michigan. Although the Irish are ranked higher than the Wolverines, Michigan beat Notre Dame 11-7 earlier in the season.

The Irish entered this season ranked as No. 4 after a resilient 2020-2021 season.

However, after being unable to keep up with the tough competition, the Irish saw loss after loss, as well as their ranking dropped outside the Top 20 at some points. Even though their ranking was not as high, the Irish squad never lost heart. They ended the regular season with three straight wins. Their upset of Duke in the ACC Tournament proved enough to crack the NCA A Tournament field.

Midfielder Grace Weigand earned a spot on the AllFreshman team. In addition to these four, the Irish roster was stacked with fierce competitors who are looking to have a long NCAA run.

While Choma has scored the most this season, with a whopping 57 goals to her name, Ahern has claimed the most points at 75 (56 goals, 19 assists). Choma played in every game this year, scoring in all and claiming a hat trick in 12. Her season-high came against Jacksonville, with eight goals. Choma and Ahern are both in the top 50 in the NCAA for goals per game. Deehan has 156 saves on the season, ranked 38th in the NCAA. Weigand is just getting her start, and while she has no goals to her name yet, she started in 17 games and won 10 draw controls. She also scooped 11 ground balls and notched two assists.

At the end of the season, four players earned AllACC Honors. Junior midfielder Kasey Choma was placed on the All-ACC first team while graduate goalie Bridget Deehan and junior attack Madison Ahern were named All-ACC second team.

Choma and Ahern are not alone on the offensive side of the field. Players like graduate student attack Maddie Howe,

senior midfielder Madison Mote, junior attack Jackie Wolak and sophomore midfielder Mary Kelly Doherty all are crucial in adding points to the Irish scoreboard. Howe scored 35 goals this season.

She earned offensive player of the week after assisting the Irish with seven goals in their victory over Yale. Howe also assisted the Irish in their win against Duke, scoring 4 goals.

Wolak might not have the highest number of goals, but she is the glue when it comes to assists. With 30 assists on the season and an additional 6 in the ACC quarterfinals, Wolak has a quick release and incredible ability to find girls in the middle of the eight.

Mote and Doherty have 29 and 26 points on the season respectively.

While the attack gets most of the credit in the media, the Irish defense also holds a punch. Senior defender Hannah Dorney has 26 caused turnovers and 34 ground balls to her name. Graduate student defender Diana Kelly has 20 caused turnovers, 27 ground balls and 59 draw controls,

widely regarded as one of the best freshmen in the country last season. Leading the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game, Miles also dished out 244 assistsgood for second in the entire country.

Miles racked up accolades in her first season playing college ball, being named first-team all-ACC as well as a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award.

She became the first freshman in collegiate basketball history to record a triple-double in a national tournament game, an achievement only made more

impressive by the fact that she nearly held it as an average for Notre Dame’s entire March Madness run (Miles averaged 14 points, 8 rebounds and 9.7 assists for the tournament).

In addition to Miles, the Irish will also bring back combo guard Sonia Citron, whose versatility proved to be an asset as the season went on. Initially coming off the bench at the start of the season, the freshman slowly emerged into a key starter for the squad, adding a nice blend of scoring (11.8 points per game) and rebounding

(6.6 rpg). Rising junior Maddy Westbeld completes the slate of Irish returnees, offering more positional versatility at forward as well as an efficient shooting touch.

Niele Ivey thinks between Mabrey and the young core around her the Irish are primed for an even deeper tournament run in 2022: “I think when you have a point guard like Olivia Miles, you have a chance no matter what. Because of the way that she plays and the way that she leads,” said Ivey. “And I feel like

All-ACC talent

Irish lifted defense

by

depth,

second only to freshman midfielder Kelly Denes with 93.

Other defenders like senior Meaghan Scutaro, sophomore Aine Maseker and sophmore Keelin Schlageter have all made major plays for the Irish.

I have great shooters. I have really good size, and I’m going to add some more size [with the transfer portal]. [Incoming freshman KK Bransford] is another versatile guard. That versatility in multiple positions- I think that’s a recipe for success. And we have the drive, we have the hunger, and I think we have great chemistry. We have the vision, that mindset… that we want to get back and go further. And that’s the one thing that you need to have.”

The road ahead Although the Irish roster is full of determined and capable players, they face a tough journey ahead. If the Irish beat the Wolverines, they will probably go on to play Northwestern.

They dropped a one-goal decision to the Wildcats earlier this season. However, the Irish will not back down and will treat this game like any other before. Notre Dame looks to make program history and win the 2022 NCA A tournament. They’ve advanced past the quarterfinal stage just once in 13 tries. The Irish start their journey on Friday, May 13, against Michigan.

The game will start at 8 p.m. and will be on neutral turf in Evanston, Illinois.

Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

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

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | The Observer

45

hockey

Irish hockey rides Compton crowds, defense in resurgent season

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Associate Sports Editor

Last season was a tough year for ever y sports team. But it felt like most of the Notre Dame hockey team‘s struggles were specifically attributed to COV ID-19.

The Irish uncharacteristically struggled in an uncharacteristically empt y home rink. They didn‘t seem to have a clear identit y.

And the Irish didn‘t even get to enjoy the fruits of their NCA A tournament berth, as their 2020-21 season ended w ith a COV ID-induced whimper.

They forfeited a potential first-round matchup against the Boston College Eagles.

But ever y thing that went w rong last season for the Irish felt like it was righted in 2021-22.

A lack of crowds kept the Irish from gaining momentum at home a year ago, finishing just 5-11-1 at home.

With fans and the Irish band back to, as head coach Jeff Jackson said, “creat[ing] such a great env ironment in the building, and I certainly believe it has a huge impact on creating momentum,” Notre Dame soared to a 17-6 record at Compton Family Ice Arena.

That included a bestof-three series w in over Wisconsin in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. That avenged 2021‘s early ex it when they lost in the first round.

Defense sparks postseason push

strong

That, along w ith their solid regular season and all of the success the Irish earned this year, came from a rocksolid defense.

The Irish allowed just over 28 shots per game. They lead the Big Ten w ith 2.05 goals against per game.

And most impressively, they ow ned a historically dominant penalt y kill. That unit finished first in the NCA A at over 90% . The Irish penalt y kill controlled play so well that they actually nearly scored as many goals (7) dow n a man as they allowed (11). In the NCA A Tournament, Notre Dame suffered no early forfeit. Rather, the Irish came w ithin a single w in of reaching the Frozen Four.

“I think our guys were thrilled w ith that

opportunity,” said Jackson. “It was a tough finish to our season last year. I think that was a bit of an incentive to get back to that situation. It was good.

We actually played prett y well there. We did a lot of positive things. I had a feeling that this team could be one of those teams that was a Frozen Four team. But we got beat by a prett y good team in Minnesota State. But it was frustrating not to be able to find that finish, that goal-scoring, right at the end.”

Notre Dame certainly made strong initial pushes in both the B10 and NCA A Tournaments, building off a strong regular season that saw them finish third in the conference.

But as Jackson said, they just couldn‘t find enough timely scoring to advance. The Irish lost in the B10 semis 2-1 to a Michigan team they beat in all four regular-season meetings. The Irish knocked off Notre Dame in a lowscoring 2-1 overtime thriller. But then Notre Dame dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to Minnesota State in the A lbany Regional Final.

resume, and I think he really showed that in the last couple months of the year. But I think that Bischel took a big step for ward. And the fact that Galajda was here pushed him to another level, which really bodes well for [Bischel] and for us next year.”

If Bischel could be next year‘s breakout star, there‘s no doubt that this year was junior right w inger Ma x Ellis. Ellis had just six goals in 30 career games entering the year.

But he exploded for 16 goals in the first 26 games of the season.

“He made a good off-season effort last summer to get strong physically,” said Jackson about the 5‘9“ for ward. Jackson confirmed that Ellis was “prett y dinged up” in the second half.

That explains the sharp decline in his offensive numbers dow n the stretch.

But Ellis undoubtedly enjoyed a career year in 2021-22.

Irish must replace top talent Unfortunately

for

the

Irish, it w ill also be Ellis‘ last season in the NCA A after signing his entr ylevel deal w ith the Toronto Maple Leafs.

And he isn‘t the only notable player leav ing.

Galajda won‘t be back next season. Nor w ill senior for ward Graham Slaggert, who signed w ith the AHL‘s Toronto Marlies.

Senior defenseman Spencer Stastney signed w ith the team who drafted him, the Nashv ille Predators.

Graduate student defensemen Adam Karashik and Chase Blackmun also won‘t be back next season, w ith the former signing w ith the AHL‘s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

That‘s Notre Dame‘s top center, leading scorer, starting goalie, and three of their top four defensemen leav ing South Bend.

W hen asked how the Irish w ill fill those voids, Jackson said the team has options.

“A number of guys in our sophomore class and junior class [took a step for ward this season],” said Jackson. “I think those t wo young guys that started the year w ith

big Jack [Adams] really took a step the last couple months of the year.

I thought Hunter Strand and Justin Janicke [the t wo players next to Adams], as freshmen, really started show ing signs of being the t y pe of players we think they‘re gonna be in their time here.”

And it‘s not like all is lost. Key players senior defenseman Nick Leivermann, sophomore for wards Ryder Rolston and Landon Slaggert, and more are set to return.

And the Irish certainly won‘t be the only ones losing talent.

After plateauing for a couple of seasons, a strong 20212022 has the Irish back on the rise.

“We‘re just excited about next year, even though we‘re losing a fair amount, we are bringing in a number of good players, and I‘m excited by the guys who are returning,” Jackson said.

“It should be another good year for Irish hockey.”

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

Graduate transfers, goaltenders boost success After stagnating a bit over the last t wo seasons, Jackson said the Irish felt they ”needed to get older.” So for the first time in Jackson‘s 17 years at Notre Dame, the Irish brought in some graduate transfers. They came away w ith four players crucial to their success.

“The impact they had, not just on the ice but off the ice as well, they brought a certain element as far as maturit y and positive outlooks,” Jackson said.

None was more important than goaltender Matthew Galajda. The Cornell transfer made up one-half of one of the best tandems in the nation alongside junior Ryan Bischel. The Irish had a big hole to fill in net after Dylan St. Cy r, who ow ned a stellar .921 save percentage last year, transferred to Quinnipiac.

Galajda and Bischel did that and then some.

“They probably didn‘t get the recognition they were due [indiv idually] just because they split [the net] most of the year. Going in, Galajda had a better

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

Notre Dame hockey plays Minnesota at home in the Compton Family Ice Arena. The Fighting Irish lost to the Golden Gophers 1-5 before Notre Dame won the second game 3-2 during overtime on Jan. 28-29.

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Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd men’s golf

SMC Golf

Irish maintain consistent season going into championships

By MICHAEL PILGER Sports Writer

The Notre Dame men’s golf team ended their regular season in early April, earning second place at the Stitch Intercollegiate golf tournament hosted by North Carolina State University.

The team then competed in the ACC championships and finished fifth out of 12. Junior golfer Palmer Jackson tied for third out of 60 in the competition. The Irish lingered around the top-five for all three days of the tournament but were never able to overcome the first-round lead of North Carolina.

The top-five finish in the tournament is their best since the team moved into the ACC from the Big East in 2013.

And, it’s a huge improvement over the last three years. The only thing more impressive is the consistent top-five regular season performance that the team was able to produce throughout the year. In 10 competitions of 12 or more schools, the Irish finished in the top five in nine and on the podium for seven.

The team‘s consistency during the regular season is even more obvious when looking at the statistics over the course of the year. The Irish never shot a score better

than 16-under-par, but never worse than 9-under-par. It’s that consistency that brought them to the fifth-place finish in the ACC. Coach John Handrigan noted that this consistency comes as a result of the team’s depth.

“Any given player can shoot under par on any given day.

The players back each other up,” Handrigan said.

Additionally, that score of 16-under-par came in the ACC championship, at a time requiring the best play.

The five golfers that competed for the Irish during the ACC Championships were Jackson, graduate student Davis Chatfield, sophomore Angelo Marcon and seniors Andrew O’Leary and Taichi Kho. Jackson and Chatfield finished third and 10th in the pool of 60, respectively. Strong performances over the entire season make Jackson and Chatfield a huge part of the team’s performance. Neither one of them dropped a single round throughout the year.

This means that they both made up two of the top four in every competition they played in throughout the year.

Ultimately, their scores contributed to raising the overall score for the Irish.

In particular, Jackson’s success this year has not gone unnoticed. Named after the

late golfing legend Arnold Palmer, Jackson was invited to play for the U.S. Palmer Cup team. Jackson is the first player from Notre Dame to be selected to the team and will play in Switzerland from July 1 to 3. The tournament contains players at the collegiate level from both the United States and Europe.

Despite the team’s performance over the course of the year, they are by no means satisfied with their results.

“We’re not happy with the result. We’re not satisfied with being fifth in the ACC. When [the team] got back, they were motivated for the NCAA Regionals. They’re not done yet,” coach Handrigan said.

This kind of attitude is a large part of the team’s success this season. Coach Handrigan also mentioned that the culture within the team is a huge factor in their newfound success. They motivate and push each other to their full potential, regardless of recent performance. The Irish have never qualified for the NCAA Championships. Given the third seed at the Palm Beach Gardens Regional, they hope to change that this year.

They’ll tee off for the first round of their regional May 16.

Contact Michael Pilger at mpilger2@nd.edu

Belles speed into championships

By ISABELLA ROGERS Sports Writer

The 2021-2022 Saint Mar y’s golf team advanced to their 11th Div ision III NCA A championship tournament.

They qualified by w inning the MI A A championships. The Belles started their season off strong in the fall, landing in high ranks in their first several tournaments.

The promising results continued, punctuated by their conference championship.

Head coach Jordan Koehler’s second year is looking even better than her first. However, she credits their progression to the NCA A tournament to junior Erin Bennett, sophomore Haley Angel and junior Katherine Hopkins. She says they “have really stepped up and been ver y consistent for us this spring.” Koehler added, “They might not always get the recognition they deser ve.”

Senior Sydney Hruskoci has been another huge asset on the team this year. “She’s really pulled through for us the last three rounds of the season.

Especially the final day shooting 74 to take medalist honors,” Koehler

said. “As our lone senior, her leadership shone through this season.” The Belles have high hopes for Hruskoci this May in her last championship tournament.

A younger member of the team, freshman Isa Patacsil, had career rounds of 78 and 77. “[It] was huge for her indiv idually to pull through and make an impact on our lead heading into the final day.” Koehler said of Patacsil’s efforts.

Some highlights of the season include the Belles w inning all three of the MI A A championship tournaments. Looking at indiv idual averages from the fall to this spring, the roster largely improved their scores across the board.

After their successful spring season so far, the Belles anticipate good results at the NCA A championships this May. After a 17th-place finish last year, their goal is to make the top-155 cut.

“NCA As has a ton of top 25 teams [in Div ision III] there. But it is shaping up to be a great and challenging field that we are excited and ready to compete in.”

Koehler said.

Contact Isabella Rogers at irogers@nd.edu

nd men’s tennis

Irish tennis overcomes injuries with resilience, qualifies for NCAA Tournament

By DOMINIC GIBSON Sports Writer

Despite a series of challenges and setbacks during the season, the Notre Dame men’s tennis team found ways to be resilient and find success this year.

The team faltered a bit during conference play, going 5-7 in the ACC. However, the Irish finished w ith a 16-12 record and picked up some extremely important w ins to earn an NCA A bid.

There, they pushed higherranked Columbia, falling just short of the w in and claiming a 4-2 first-round loss.

Notre Dame head coach Ryan Sachire highlighted a few exceptional performances that came during the season, all of which prov ided confidence and experience for the team.

The first big match Sachire recalled was the 4-3 w in versus SMU. “This was our first big w in in a last match on court scenario,” Sachire said. “[Senior] A xel Nef ve came back to w in after being dow n 7-6, 5-2. Once you succeed in a tough, hotly contested match, you can take confidence and draw on that experience the rest of the season.”

The other memorable match was a particularly important one that came in the middle of conference play against Miami. “This was our first big w in outdoors against a highqualit y team,” Sachire said. “[Junior] Connor Fu did a remarkable job to w in his match 7-5 in the third set w ith the team score tied 3-3. Again, this was an experience our guys have been able to draw on since.”

Irish battle injuries

through

One of the biggest challenges the Irish faced this season was losing Nef ve to injur y. W hile losing a top-end piece is often a worst-case scenario for any team, Sachire found a silver lining in all of it. “Clearly the biggest obstacle was losing our best player...for half of our ACC schedule. During that stretch, we played five Top-25 teams,” Sachire said. “W hile it was a challenge, I believe our guys benefitted from that experience. A ll of them played at higher positions in our lineup than they other w ise would.”

The Irish were no stranger to being shorthanded this season. They were also w ithout Conner Fu for a major ranked matchup against Middle Tennessee

State. Despite the tall task, Notre Dame displayed resiliency, something that Sachire ver y proud.

“This was our first big road w in. It was the first tough w in when we were missing one of our key contributors,” Sachire said. “The mental toughness and resiliency our group showed that day was awesome. To beat a top 20 team, on their home courts, in front of a huge crowd, and dow n one of our best players?

It was a great day for the Irish.”

Irish return strong core Sachire was also ver y proud of the grow th his players displayed this season.

“The grow th made by returning players Matthew Che, Connor Fu, and Jean-Marc Malkowski really stands out,” Sachire said. “Each of these guys

took on a significantly bigger role this year than in past years, and each stepped up to the plate for our team.

The mental and physical improvements show n this year by these three w ill continue to pay div idends heading into next year as well.”

Looking ahead to next season, Sachire is excited to be returning a strong core of players. After a year of grow th, he looks for ward to how they w ill continue to progress.

“I am really excited to build on what we have done to this point this year,” Sachire said. “We w ill return the vast majorit y of our team’s core, and I am excited to see how they continue to mold the culture w ithin our program.”

Contact Dominic Gibson at dgibson2@nd.edu

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | The Observer

HCC men’s tennis

HCC women’s golf

Young tennis team exudes optimism for future success

By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

Demonstrating the momentum they have been carrying year after year, the Holy Cross men’s tennis team recently finished off a successful season. Going 13-8 overall and 5-1 in their conference, the Saints also earned their first-ever Top25 national ranking.

The team placed second in the conference championships, falling short to Cardinal Stritch University.

The Saints are a young team, with underclassmen encompassing 75% of the roster.

This youth means there is lots of room for improvement, yet also lots of room for growth. This is something that head coach Eric Mahone recognizes and hopes to capitalize on.

“Our strength is in the fact that we are young and very talented, but this is always where we need to improve,” Mahone said. “We’re young, we’re starting pretty much all freshmen for the most part. We lack experience but then we are also very talented freshmen and sophomores. We’re optimistic about where we are headed but just need more experience.”

The Saints earned some big wins this season, one being over Saint Thomas (5-2), and the other against Indiana Tech (4-0). Both were

47

nationally ranked teams that the men had never claimed victory over before.

Additionally, a pivotal game for the Saints was their near victory against No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan. Though they fell short at home (24), the closeness of the matchup proved what the team was capable of.

Saints boast top talent, exciting future In terms of capabilit y, there is lots of talent present on the court from the Saints. Freshman Perr y Gregg was credited w ith much success this season, and has the abilit y to make waves in the future.

A true asset to the team, the Chicago native has not lost a single match this year in NAI A play.

“Our No. 1 player is Perr y Gregg who is also the highest Universal Tennis Ranking (UTR) ranked player in the countr y NI A A,” Mahone said. “He’ll be first-team A ll American when it comes out. He is ranked No. 6 in the countr y at the moment, but in terms of UTR ranking which people go by, he is No. 1 in the countr y.”

Two other players that stood out this year were senior captain Dominic Gibson and sophomore William Page, a Michigan International Prep product.

Editor’s Note: Dominic Gibson is a sportswriter with The Observer.

“Gibson played a huge role being the leader of our doubles team all year,” Mahone said. “Page had the most [doubles] w ins this year.”

Looking ahead to next year, Mahone has his sights set on a conference v ictor y.

With a solid underclassmen base, as well as a strong incoming class of recruits, there is lots of potential for the Saints.

“The outlook for next year would definitely be to w in the conference,” Mahone said. “We think we are a top ten team in the countr y next year. We have the No. 1 player in Ireland coming in, and then we have a boy from Great Britain who is top 400 in the world.”

The program has undoubtedly been on an upward trajector y since its beginnings four years ago. And, w ith a combined team GPA of 3.79, the men are excelling off the court as well.

“We’re really excited about the season that we had and the direction the program’s gone,” Mahone said. “Ever y year we’ve gotten better.

We went from sixth place the first t wo years in the conference, to third last year, and now to second.

Hopefully we w ill finish it off next year in terms of our goals.”

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

Saints look forward to bright future

By JOHN KALEMKERIAN Sports Writer

Entering his ninth season coaching both the men’s and women’s golf teams at Holy Cross, T.J. Mannen was ready for a full season of golf after two seasons partially impacted by COVID. “We were very anxious to get out and play competitive golf,” Mannen said.

Luckily, the women’s team was able to play a full season with five events in the fall, starting here in town at the Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame with the Saints Classic in late August. After placing seventh there, Coach Mannen noticed growth in his team throughout the season.

“I was impressed with their improvement over the wintertime,” Mannen said of the team as a whole.

The Saints team had four more events in the spring, capping off the 2022 season with the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship in late April.

The team took fifth place in the tournament, led by sophomore Annika Johnson from Valparaiso, Indiana, who shot a two-day 169, placing tenth individually.

Madison Pool from Surprise, Arizona, tied for 13th place with a two-day total of 184, while freshman Sierra Benge and junior Rachel Scherer placed 20th and 27th, respectively, shooting two-day totals of 183 and 207. Mannen was

very proud of Pool, the lone senior on the team this year.

“Madison has been amazing to coach and be around these last four years. She has matured a lot over the last couple years, becoming a very proven leader and her play was outstanding. [Pool] will be continuing her education at Notre Dame after being accepted into the Mendoza College of Business for this fall,” Mannen said.

The Holy Cross women’s golf team will be returning Johnson and Benge next season, and Mannen looks forward to continuing both team and individual success in tournaments and in the CCAC conference.

“Goals are always to win tournaments and we have a proven structure of preparing for each event that helps us try and execute the plan of attacking each course accordingly.

We want to contend more at conference and take our next steps towards making it to nationals,” Mannen said.

Mannen is excited to have three new recruits coming to campus next fall to join Johnson and Benge.

The new recruits — Sophia Sanchez from Cedar Lake, Indiana, Summer Bonnar from Durango, Colorado, and Kianna Sharp from Peru, Indiana — will round out next year’s team, which looks forward to competing for a conference championship.

Contact John Kalemkerian at jkalemke@nd.edu

Nd women’s soccer

Irish enjoy deepest tournament run since 2018

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

Notre Dame women’s soccer enjoyed a resurgent 2021 campaign, doubling their 2020 win total and making their deepest tournament run since 2018.

The Irish finished fourth in the ACC, a conference widely regarded as the best in women’s soccer. After such an impressive conference performance, the Irish turned in a strong push in the national tournament. Dispatching SIUEdwardsville in the first round, the Irish had to dig deep in the round of 32 against Purdue. Following 110 minutes of play without a decisive winner, sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Naylor stepped up. She made a pair of crucial saves to propel Notre Dame to a shootout victory. Sadly the Irish’s run would come to a close against Arkansas in the Sweet Sixteen. Notre Dame fought back from 1-0, and then 2-1, but a late goal put the Razorbacks

over the top to win.

Playing a major role throughout the regular season and tournament run was graduate student midfielder turned forward Sammi Fisher. The team’s leader in both goals and assists, Fisher finished the season tied for second in the ACC in total points.

Playing upfront as one of two central strikers, the Simi Valley, California, native occupied a uniquely large role in the Irish attack. Fisher was exceptional at linking play between the midfield and forward lines. In any given game it would hardly be a surprise to see Fisher all over the field in an attempt to progress the ball. Head coach Nate Norman remarked on Fisher’s strength of doing more than just tally goals as a center forward.

“Her ability in front of goal is being hungry to score, but also creative,” Norman said. “[She] still has a clear mind of ‘I’m not just trying to take a shot every

single time. How can I help my teammates and set my teammates up as best as possible.’”

Alongside Fisher in the second of the two center-forward roles was fellow senior Olivia Wingate.

Wingate enjoyed a productive 2021 season, notching seven goals as well as five assists. Stretching defenses with an abundance of speed and dribbling ability, Wingate made for a highly compatible partner with a skilled creator in Fisher. The pair linked up numerous times to create goals for each other.

Behind the Wingate/Fisher striker partnership, Notre Dame also got major contributions from senior Brooke VanDyck in attacking midfield. A hometown hero, VanDyck notched two goals and an assist as the tip of the spear in Norman’s 3-5-2 formation.

At the base of that five-person midfield was another graduate student, Camryn Dyke. As Notre Dame’s lynchpin in defensive midfield, Dyke played a tireless

role in protecting the Irish backline and retaining possession. Starting every single game of the 2021 campaign, the graduate student made the number six role her own.

Brianna Martinez was another senior who played an integral role in Notre Dame’s run to the Sweet Sixteen, operating as a wingback.

Offering both defensive cover and skillful crossing on the flank, Martinez’s persistent workrate was central to the Irish system.

In net, Mattie Interian entered the season as Notre Dame’s starting keeper. The senior held that position for every game she was available for before an injury derailed her 2021 campaign. Only allowing two goals in four starts, she posted a 0.867 save percentage on 13 total saves.

A variety of other seniors pitched in for the Irish across the fall in other roles off the bench. Graduate student Hulda Ósk Jónsdóttir made 18 appearances on the wing, offering ample on-ball quality and

a strong workrate. Fellow graduate students Erin Ospek and Julia Ware provided depth at forward and defender, respectively, while senior Nikki Colantuono added to the midfield.

Between a strong cast of seniors returning for their COVID eligibility year and a core of younger defenders and midfielders, Notre Dame is well-positioned for another strong run in 2022. Nate Norman brings back his entire starting trio of center backs, as well as an attacking midfielder in Korbin Albert. Already, Albert has flashed the potential to be one of the best players in her class in her rookie season. With such talent mixed with the added experience of seniors like Wingate and Martinez back for one last ride, the Irish leave 2021 with both a strong foundation to build on and plenty of optimism for the future.

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

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fencing

‘An amazing culture’: Notre Dame fencing reflects on another championship year

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Sports Writer

It was another dominant year for the Notre Dame fencing team in the 2021-2022 season as they claimed their 12th national title — their fourth in the last five championships.

The title triumph followed an excellent regular season where the men’s team (38-0) and the women’s team (42-3) finished ranked first and third in the nation, respectively.

This year brought some different challenges for the team as they got back to a regular schedule follow ing a COV IDimpacted 2020-2021 season.

That meant that the Iv y League — where many of the other top fencing programs like Columbia, Princeton and Har vard compete – was back in action and looking to dethrone Notre Dame.

The Iv y League’s absence at the 2021 NCA A Championships meant a reduced field, something that sowed doubt on the qualit y of Notre Dame’s opposition on their way to the title. According to saber coach Christian Rascioni, the team used that doubt as fuel for the new season.

“Not hav ing the Iv ies there, it worked as motivation. We wanted to challenge a stronger field, a full field. The team was just excited to go out and challenge the strongest programs in the countr y,” Rascioni said.

Rascioni also praised the culture that head coach Gia Kvaratsk helia has created w ithin the team during his tenure.

Since Kvaratsk helia took over as Notre Dame Fencing head coach in 2014, he has led the Fighting Irish to four national titles and five ACC titles and coached 13 indiv idual national champions.

“Coach Gia has built an amazing culture in the team,” Rascioni said.

“It is easy to fit into the culture and together make it even stronger. The kids were ready from the start to work hard, to sacrifice and to act and train like one team w ith just one goal: to w in the championship.”

Rascioni really emphasized the character of the team and

K v a r a t s k h e l i a ’ s role in it, calling him his M V P for the season. He also emphasized the team’s focus on the whole instead of indiv idual fencers.

“One of the best qualities of our team is that it’s not about indiv iduals. It’s one team.”

Rascioni said.

This year was also the first time since 1998 that Notre Dame hosted the national championships.

That year the Irish were runners-up by just two points to a Penn State team that won six consecutive titles from 1995-2000. Coach Rascioni ref lected on the additional challenges this posed for the team.

“It’s ver y different.

There’s a lot of pressure when you have friends and family in the stands supporting you, giv ing you that home-field advantage.

You feel almost a dut y to w in.

There is an expectation that you are going to w in and that makes it difficult.”

Rascioni said.

“It was really different to compete w ith full bleachers and so many people cheering for us. It was just motivating and it fired up the whole team and all the coaches.”

Rascioni spoke about the consistency that the team w ill have going into next year w ith at least ten of their t welve fencers from the national championships returning.

So far, only t wo-time indiv idual foil champion Nick Itkin has said he w ill move on. Rascioni said that of the other seniors, saber Jared Smith is still deciding his future and senior Kara Linder w ill stay and use her final year of eligibilit y.

He also spoke ver y highly of the incoming recruiting class, especially in the women’s epee.

“We are going to have many freshmen and especially in women’s epee we w ill have a ver y strong recruiting class,” Rascioni said. “One of the best young ladies from Hungar y, Eszter Muhari, is going to be at Notre Dame and she is already ver y, ver y good. She’s one of the best in the world at junior levels and ver y competitive at senior levels as well.”

At just 19 years old,

Muhari joins Notre Dame fencing as the No. 79 women’s epeeist in the world for the senior circuit.

She also recently placed sixth at the World Junior Championships that were held in Dubai on April 8. She is currently ranked No. 3 in the world in the junior women’s epee categor y.

Rascioni also commented on the challenge of

stay ing at the top of the fencing world.

He attributed much of Notre Dame’s continued success to the activ it y of their fencers outside of NCA A competition in international tournaments across the world.

“Our best fencers are competing on different levels, on the international circuit where they compete to tr y and make their

senior national teams or junior national teams. They also compete at a national level, in the North American Cup. It helps them to stay focused and to manage that hunger to w in, that motivation to work hard in the g y m and to always give their 100% ,” Rascioni said.

Contact Jose Sanchez Cordova at jsanch24@nd.edu

GRACIE LEE | The Observer

Irish senior foil Andrew Machovek stands ready to fence at the NCAA Fencing Championships on March 24-27. On day two, three Irish fencers make it to the finals, but only Kaylin Hsieh would win individually.

GRACIE LEE | The Observer

The Notre Dame fencing team celebrates wining their 12th national title this year. After winning the 2021 title, the Irish hosted this year’s NCAA Tournament in the Joyce Athletic Center March 24-27.

Sports

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rowing

Irish rowing returns to usual competition

By LIAM COOLICAN Associate Sports Editor

In a year that has been largely a return to normalcy for Notre Dame row ing, the team has found some success but has also been inconsistent throughout the spring row ing season.

“We lost our racing season in 2020, and then last year was just ver y odd,” head coach Martin Stone said of the last two years of row ing marred by the pandemic.

Stone also highlighted it was more difficult to bounce back to a full slate of competition this year.

“It’s been more difficult than I would have thought, just because there’s no institutional knowledge of what it’s like,” he said.

The senior class, especially, has had a strange four years, after a t y pical freshman year before the pandemic

canceled their sophomore year and side-by-side row ing was suspended last year.

“They’re wonderful people,” Stone said. “They’ve had a lot of challenges, more so than others.”

It is a fairly small class, but Stone said they had a great impact on the program. “[They’re] women of really high character and sacrificed a tremendous amount to be part of this team,” he said.

The team opened the season at the Cardinal Inv ite in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where they faced stiff competition from host Louisv ille, A labama and Duke, among others. The second varsit y four boat had the best performance for the Irish, w inning both its races in an impressive show ing on Saturday. However, aside from that boat, Notre Dame finished most of their races

in third or fourth place throughout the weekend.

Stone noted the high level of competition the Irish face ever y weekend. “It’s certainly a challenge, but then there’s no surprises out there,” he said. “W hen we get to the ACCs, we’ll have seen the speed that you need to w in.”

The Irish next competed at the Doc Hosea Inv itational and the OSU regatta. The first was suspended early due to weather, but the varsit y eight and varsit y four boats both finished in second place. At the OSU regatta, Notre Dame once again struggled against high-level competition, especially a dominant Ohio State team.

The follow ing weekend was the Big 10 regatta in Sarasota, Florida, where Notre Dame found a bit more success. The Irish struggled

at first but had an impressive show ing on the second day of the regatta.

“We’ve trained well,” Stone said of the team’s performance. “I think we started to get some racing getting better, especially the Big 10 Inv ite,” Stone said.

He highlighted the team’s positive attitude and hard work as reasons for the shift in momentum.

The last regular-season race for Notre Dame was the Dale England cup in Unionv ille, Indiana, where the Irish raced in five races.

The team now prepares for the all-important ACC Championships this weekend in Clemson, South Carolina.

“Our performance goal is to w in the ACC, and I think right now that’s a little bit of a stretch, but you never know,” Stone said, adding

that the team needs to improve slightly in order to compete against the field that w ill feature the best of the best.

“We’re row ing at the race tactically really well. I think it’s just finding a little bit more speed,” Stone said, noting the team needed to find 1-2% additional speed before the ACC Championships.

He said the team needed to focus on “attention to detail in the boats” and finding the right combination of rowers in each boat in order to find that speed.

It has been a challenging regular season for Notre Dame, but there still remains much to be decided as the team prepares for postseason play.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

nd swimming and diving

‘Leaning on each other’: Notre Dame swimming and diving boasts successful season despite challenges

By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

After the resignation of former head coach Mike Litzinger in October 2021, the Notre Dame sw im and dive team had a w rench throw n in their season even before it officially began.

Additionally, cancellation granted the Irish only five chances to compete before ACCs. Nevertheless, the team was able to accomplish record-setting performances. Graduate student diver Kelly Straub emphasized the importance of the team atmosphere, especially this season.

“We did a really good job of leaning on each other,” Straub said. “There were a lot of hardships and the season tends to drag on. As w ith any sw im and dive team, there tend to be frustrations at the end. It’s been a long season. But, w ith that, I think the team did a really good job of recognizing when we need some positiv it y and turned it around and made sure our mindset was in the right place.”

Regular season After a few v ictories, the Ohio State Inv itational kicked things off in earnest.

Several sw immers picked up NCA A B cut times and school records. Senior captain Josh Bottelberghe had

a particularly incredible weekend. He set school records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke.

Hosting the Tim Welsh Classic in the spring, the sw immers had a strong show ing, w ith a school record-setting performance by the men’s 400 medley relay team composed of Bottelberghe, junior Charles Korndorffer, junior Cason Wilburn and freshman Chris Guiliano.

The Irish swept UIC in a final regular-season dual meet, and all eyes turned to ACCs.

ACC Championships For the men, Guiliano broke the school record in the 50 freest yle w ith a time of 19.17. The quartet of Guiliano, sophomore Kaden Smesko, Bottelberghe and Wilburn broke the school record in the 200 Medley Relay.

They earned an NCA A A cut w ith a time of 1:23.81.

The quartet later earned a school record in the 400 medley relay.

On the next day of competition, Bottelberghe broke his ow n record in the 100 breaststroke. He touched the wall at a 51.61, earning him a second-place finish in the A final.

Similar to the men, the women also earned an NCA A A Cut in the 200 Medley Finals. Freshman Jessica

Geriane, junior Elizabeth Fr y, junior Coleen Gillilan and freshman Madely n Christman finished seventh overall w ith a time of 1:37.53.

Senior Luciana Thomas also earned her berth at NCA As w ith a time of 1:55.06 in the 100 butterf ly. She also qualified in the 500 freest yle w ith a 4:44.96.

NCAA Women’s Championships The Irish women kicked things off dow n in Atlanta, Georgia as the NCA A Women’s Championships took place March 17-19.

Luciana Thomas (500 freest yle and 200 butterf ly) was the lone qualifier for the women sw immers.

Graduate student Kelly Straub (3-meter, 1-meter) and freshman Calie Brady (1-meter) represented the divers. Thomas had a personal best in the 500 freest yle (4:43.52), taking 26th overall. Her 200 butterf ly time of 1:55.12 placed her 19th, marking her last time in the pool for the Irish.

For the divers, Brady finished 37th overall in her NCA A debut. Straub finished 14th overall in both the 1-meter div ing (294.55) and 3-meter div ing (324.25).

The performance earned her t wo Honorable Mention A ll-American titles that weekend.

NCAA Men’s Championships Senior Josh Bottelberghe (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke), sophomore Tyler Christianson (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke) and Chris Guiliano (50 freest yle, 100 freest yle, 200 freest yle) represented the Irish as indiv idual qualifiers at the national meet.

Getting off to a fast start, The 200 medley relay team of Smesko, Bottelberghe, Wilburn and Guiliano broke their ow n school record w ith a time of 1:23.76 as they finished 18th overall in the event.

The squad of Smesko, Bottelberghe, Cason Wilburn and Guiliano set their second school record of the championships, this time in the 400 medley relay.

They finished 21st overall w ith a school-record time of 3: 05.93.

Indiv idually, Bottelberghe placed 12th overall in the 100 breaststroke finals to earn Honorable Mention A ll-American status. Christianson completed the 100 breaststroke (54.37) but was disqualified in the 200 breaststroke. Guiliano made his indiv idual championship debut, posting strong efforts in the 50 freest yle (19.25), 200 freest yle (1:34.03) and 100 freest yle (42.55) throughout the course of the weekend.

Strong performances by

both the men and women at NCA A championship marked the end of an at y pical season for the Irish. Glancing into next season, there seem to be many promising opportunities for both the sw immers and divers.

Outside the pool: Looking ahead In most recent news for the Irish, the long and thorough search for a new sw imming and div ing head coach concluded w ith the introduction of Chris Lindauer. Chosen for his great coaching success, his understanding of the importance of academics and his innate abilit y to connect w ith student athletes, Lindauer is officially the new Peterson Family Head Coach.

Lindauer comes to South Bend after 13 seasons at Louisv ille, most recently as associate head coach.

He has coached numerous Oly mpians, NCA A champions and A ll-American student athletes. Lindauer was a student athlete at Louisv ille himself.

Specifically, he was an A llAmerican and four-time Big East champion.

Lindauer certainly brings a lot of experience to the table, prov iding the Irish w ith a strong base for next season.

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

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The observer | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Fisher

has a better one.

“It was a position where her best attributes could really come out and she could really flourish,” Norman said.

Continued from page 52

important things.”

Fighting through tough senior season

a

Fisher said the onset of COV ID was one of those difficult moments.

“We were making really big strides as a team. We had one spring game that we won by a couple of goals and we felt really good about that,” Fisher said. “The next week, we found out that school was not coming back. So that was really tough to know that the progress we had made during that time was just coming to a halt.”

She said that when the team could play in the fall of 2020, no one took it for granted, and they played every game like it was their last.

“Being one of the only conferences to come back and play during the fall meant everything,” Fisher said. “It had been so much longer since the team had been together. There was a little bit of uncertainty about where it would be at. But looking back, I mean, we took it all and did the best that we could.”

In Notre Dame’s 11 conferenceonly games that season, Fisher matched her freshman season stats with three goals and one assist, again proving her ability despite the interrupted and limited play. But the tone changed when Fisher found out she had the extra year of eligibility.

“I didn’t know I was going to be having a fifth-year obviously [so] I just really wanted to make the most of it in any way I could,” Fisher said. “And then personally, I knew this was… my last season and I wanted to play professionally so I knew I had to have a good season. So I put in as much work as I could to do that.”

With a slew of freshmen coming in, the Irish were excited to have a somewhat normal year. But so many new players coming in had an unexpected effect on Fisher’s field presence.

Switching it up Through her four undergraduate years, Fisher took the field as a midfielder. However, the makeup of the team in her fifth year took the Irish out of their 4-3-3 system and into a 3-5-2. This left Fisher at center forward.

“That was a big change,” Fisher said. “I hadn’t played forward in a really long time.

And I went into this season and coach…thought I’d be really good in front of goal and I hadn’t been in front of goal as much coming from a midfielder position. So it was fun to be able to be in those spots. My teammates took care of the rest and gave me the ball but it was really cool to be able to play a new position in my last year and have fun with it.”

Norman trusted the shift because of how long he had seen her play. He said Fisher has a natural awareness for the best play. She knows where her teammates are, what her angle looks like and who

‘Thankfully, it paid off’ At center forward, Fisher smashed her previous-season successes. In 1,424 minutes, she had 24 shots on goal, earning 32 points with six assists. She also took on a leadership role after two years of captainship despite the Irish not naming captains this year. Her 13 goals ranked 18th nationally while her 32 points ranked second in the ACC and 25th nationally. Norman cited one moment where the Irish needed a win against Brown that embodied Fisher’s field awareness.

“We were actually down 1-0 in the second half. A cross came in and she got to the near post. A lot of people would’ve just tried to finish it. It was a tough angle for her but she knew there was a teammate coming in behind her. She just kind of let it run through her legs and created a much better chance for a teammate who was able to finish it,” Norman said.

She went 3 for 4 on penalty kick attempts on the season.

Leading the Irish in those close wins was always sweeter Fisher said. She cited their regular-season overtime defeat of Clemson and their 4-3 shootout win over Purdue which sent the Irish to the Sweet 16 this year. Making it that far in her last year made all the work worth it, Fisher added.

‘A surreal feeling’ Fisher saw her collegiate career culminate in another goal. On Dec. 18, 2021, the Chicago Redstars drafted Fisher 19th overall.

“It was such a surreal feeling. I remember just sitting on the couch with my family. I didn’t really know where I was gonna end up or when I would get drafted,” Fisher said. “But once I [did], it was such a sigh of relief almost. For all of the work throughout not just college, but looking back on my whole youth career. It was like everything had come together in that moment.”

Back at midfield for the Redstars, Fisher said she’s excited to be representing Chicago. She’ll translate her final season and all it did for her experience and skill to the professional level.

“Whether [I’m] by myself or setting up teammates… it comes in handy when you’re comfortable around goal so I’m trying to mimic that as much as possible,” Fisher said.

Although Fisher is leaving the Irish, she leaves her own legacy.

“Watching her really grow into a strong woman and hearing what she has to say, hearing her opinions and learning from her and her inner wisdom, it was really helpful for our program and [for] me as a coach,” Norman said. “[We’re] certainly much stronger than when she first came in.”

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

Lynn Continued from page 52

in both statistics. There was no lengthy NCAA Tournament run his sophomore season, but Lynn still notched an NCAA Tournament goal. He scored in a 3-2 loss to Wright State in the opening round.

Lynn recalled some of the leaders he learned from early on in his career, including McCabe.

“I think guys that I learned from early on would be Tommy McCabe, [2019 captain] Ian Ascheris. I pick up different things from different guys, even guys in my own class like [Philip Quinton] and [Mohamed Omar],” Lynn said.

He noted he embraced a quieter leadership style. “I tried to lead by example, just staying after practice, working on finishing or penalty kicks. I picked that up from some older guys.”

Lynn shines in later seasons with Irish In a COVID-affected 2020 season, the Irish played in both the spring and fall but didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Lynn continued to impress and develop. He scored eight goals in 16 games. Lynn also took over the role as the primary penalty kick taker on the roster.

“My junior year, the spot was open. I knew it was part of the game I could really help the team. I took two penalty kicks every day after training. When I stepped to the spot in a game, I was super confident, because I saw the ball go in the back of the

Football Continued from page 51

football coach. In his press conference after Kelly’s resignation, Swarbrick stressed the importance of finding a coach that was best for the players.

“I am in an envious position as I go out now and search for the next leader of our student athletes,” Swarbrick said. “We have 118 of the best young men in America who are at the core of our program.”

Only a couple of days later on December 3, defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman was officially announced as the next head football coach.

In an introductory press conference on December 6, Freeman outlined a new standard for his team called the “golden standard.” This standard, per Freeman, focuses on challenging everything, unit strength and competitive spirit.

“This [golden] standard will be unwavering, and this is the standard that will drive this program to its 12th national championship,” Freeman said.

Freeman also placed a lot of importance on winning the upcoming Fiesta Bowl.

“My sense of urgency is for right now. It’s to make sure

net every day,” he said.

That junior year, Lynn scored all three of his attempts from the spot. With three postseason penalty kick shootouts in his senior year, Lynn delivered six penalty kick goals in 2021.

That senior season — for both Lynn and the Irish — was the most successful campaign of Lynn’s tenure with the Irish. He matched his sophomore year total with ten goals, and he set a career-high with four assists.

Notre Dame entered the season picked last in the ACC and started 1-2-1. Lynn scored just once in the first five games. Then, the senior delivered a two-goal effort in a 3-1 win over Michigan, and Notre Dame began to roll.

After a loss to Virginia Tech, the Irish ripped off six straight wins. Lynn scored four goals in the stretch. After a tie and a loss, Notre Dame entered the ACC Tournament as the fifth seed.

One more postseason run They knocked off NC State 1-0 and then Louisville in penalty kicks. Amidst a perfect showing from the Irish, Lynn nailed his effort as the first taker for Notre Dame. In the conference semifinals, Lynn scored late to seal a 2-0 win over top-seeded Pittsburgh.

Notre Dame brought home the conference title against Duke.

“The ACC Championship this year, when we beat Duke in the final. That was probably my favorite accomplishment at Notre Dame, that will be a memory that stays with me forever,” Lynn said.

The tournament win gave the

that this team is prepared on January 1 in the Fiesta Bowl to be victorious against Oklahoma State,” Freeman said.

Marcus Freeman leads the Irish out onto the field before their 37-35 loss to Oklahoma St. in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2022.

Second-half collapse mars Freeman debut In the Fiesta Bowl, the Irish came out firing on all cylinders, and they grabbed a quick 14-0 lead. Jack Coan connected with freshman wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr. and sophomore running back Chris Tyree for touchdown completions of 29 and 53 yards, respectively.

The Irish continued to impress throughout the first half with Jack Coan, completing two touchdown passes to sophomore tight end Michael Mayer. The second gave the Irish a 28-7 lead with just 1:16 to play in the half.

Just when it looked like the Irish were going to dominate, though, the Cowboys fought back. They marched down the field to score a touchdown at the end of the half and cut the lead to 28-14.

The Cowboys then carried this momentum over to the second half and scored 23

Irish the fourth overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They hosted three NCAA Tournament games at home, winning them all. Lynn delivered the eventual gamewinning goal in a 3-0 Round of 32 victory over Villanova.

“That was awesome. Getting to play in front of your friends and family is really cool,” Lynn said. “I was going into every game, thinking this could be my last home game ever. And then we just kept winning.”

Lynn delivered a key penalty kick in an Elite Eight victory over Pittsburgh as Notre Dame advanced to the College Cup. Although the run ended in a penalty kick loss to Clemson, Lynn added one more NCAA Tournament goal and another penalty kick make in the shootout. He finished his career a perfect 9-9 on penalty kicks and with four NCAA Tournaments.

Lynn has moved on from Notre Dame, and he’ll take two more online classes this summer to earn his degree. However, this spring, Orlando City drafted him 18th overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Lynn has been practicing with the first team and earned his MLS Debut on April 24th.

“Having a coach like Coach Riley prepared me. Everything you do matters, every game you play matters.” Lynn said.

“I’ve loved my time in Orlando so far. Just trying to keep my head down and work hard.”

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

more unanswered points to take a 37-28 lead. Despite a late Irish surge at the end, the Cowboys held on to complete a stunning comeback by a score of 37-35. Despite a loss in his opening game, Freeman stressed the importance of moving on and making sure the team is successful in the future.

“All we can do now is start focusing on what we’ll do as we move forward to make sure that we are successful the next time we are on the field,” Freeman said.

The foundation for success is set at Notre Dame and Freeman is prepared to work with his staff and players to produce a winning product in 2022.

“The honeymoon stage is over. The whole new head coach thing, it’s a great story and all. But it’s about having a great product and having a great team,” Freeman said. “We have to make sure that it’s about developing this team for next year. This year’s over, so everything we do now moving forward is going to be about development and making sure that we are prepared to have success.”

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

Sports

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51

football

Season ends with 11 wins and new head coach

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

Between a string of close games and an unexpected late season coaching change, the 2021 Notre Dame football season had its fair share of ups and downs. Despite the obstacles the team faced, however, the Irish still managed to post an 11-2 record and make a New Year’s Six game.

Irish survive nailbiters

early

The season started in Tallahassee against an energized Florida State team playing to honor the late Bobby Bowden. The game saw the Irish blow a 38-20 fourth-quarter lead, but they were ultimately able to hold on. They won in overtime off of a Jonathan Doerer gamewinning field goal. The opening win in Tallahassee set the tone for a string of early-season close games for the Irish.

The following week’s home opener against Toledo was arguably the tensest game of the year for the Irish. Despite coming into the game as massive favorites against the Rockets, the Irish couldn’t put away the visitors. The Rockets even took a 29-24 lead with 1:35 to play. However, graduate transfer quarterback Jack Coan orchestrated a fiveplay, 75-yard drive to give the Irish a 32-29 comeback victory.

The win, although ugly, delivered a wake-up call to former head coach Brian Kelly and the Irish. After the game, Kelly acknowledged that his team had a lot to work on going forward.

“There is just so much work that we have to do,” Kelly said.

“We had three turnovers, one of which was a touchdown.

You don’t usually survive those games.”

The Irish rebounded from their near letdown against Toledo with an impressive 27-13 win against Purdue the next week. Unlike the Toledo game, the Irish had no turnovers. Additionally, they established a run game with junior running back Kyren Williams rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown.

The following weekend, the 3-0 Irish headed to Soldier Field to play the Wisconsin Badgers in their toughest test of the season to date.

The game looked like a lowscoring defensive battle. Coan went down with injury and the Badgers took a 13-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin claimed the momentum. But the Irish captured it back on the ensuing play. Chris Tyree electrified the crowd with a 96-yard kickoff return for the touchdown.

It was all Irish from that point on. Sophomore backup quarterback Drew Pyne tossed a touchdown. Then, a pair of pick-sixes gave the Irish a dominating 41-13 win.

Irish crash and burn, search for answers Although the Wisconsin victory was one of the most memorable of the season, everything came crashing down the following weekend.

Shut out in the first half, the Irish lost at home to Cincinnati by a score of 24-13.

That loss marked the first Irish loss at Notre Dame Stadium since 2017 and ended a 26game home win streak. Pyne replaced an ineffective Jack Coan in the second half.

After the loss, Kelly discussed his disappointment. “When you play a good opponent, you have to match your play with a high level of competency in terms of the mundane things,” Kelly said. “We didn’t take care of the basics today.”

The Irish faced another difficult game the following weekend.

They battled Virginia Tech in a hostile road atmosphere at Lane Stadium. This time, freshman quarterback Tyler Buchner replaced Coan for a large portion of the game.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Irish trailed the Hokies 29-21, but Coan re-entered.

He led the Irish the length of the field in 89 seconds, finding Avery Davis in the endzone with 2:26 to play. Coan then converted a broken twopoint conversion play to tie the game. After stopping the Hokies on the ensuing drive, Doerer nailed a 48-yard field goal with 17 seconds to play to

give the Irish the victory.

After the victory, Kelly applauded Coan for his lategame heroics.

“He was decisive when the ball came out of his hands,” Kelly said. “The reads were correct and it looked like he was shooting fish in the barrel with the timeliness of the ball coming out of his hand.”

Notre Dame graduate transfer quarterback Jack Coan barks commands at the line of scrimmage during Notre Dame’s 45-14 win over Stanford in Palo Alto.

Irish surge after bye week The Irish then headed into a much-needed bye week with a 5-1 record. After the bye week, it was much more smooth sailing. The Irish won each of the remaining six games by more than one possession.

This six-game run to end the season started with a home victory under the lights against rival USC by a score of 31-16.

Kelly discussed after the game how his team implemented a more uptempo, structured offense for Coan during the bye week that seemed to help the offense significantly against the Trojans.

“We spent most of our time putting the offense together with Jack being in much more of a tempoed offensive structure,” Kelly said.

The Irish then followed up the USC victory with another

night game home victory the following week. This time, they beat UNC by a score of 4434. The storyline of that game was Kyren Williams, who had 199 yards on the ground off of 22 carries. That performance included a sensational 91-yard touchdown run. Williams avoided multiple tackles and stiff-armed a Tar Heel player in the backfield before taking it to the house. Kelly reflected on Williams’ sensational run after the game, calling it an “incredible individual effort.”

The Irish then rolled to victory in their next four games, beating Navy, Virginia, Georgia Tech and Stanford by a combined score of 162-23 to complete an 11-1 season and put the team in the conversation for a College Football Playoff spot.

Kelly departure shocks program It appeared the red-hot Irish could enjoy championship weekend and await their bowl game destination. But on November 30, Brian Kelly announced his departure to the team. He left the program to take the open head coaching job at LSU. Kelly’s move sent shockwaves through the program and left question marks about its future direction. Athletic director Jack Swarbrick set out to find the next Notre Dame head see FOOTBALL PAGE 50

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Current Irish head coach Marcus Freeman, the successor to former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, leads the Irish onto the field for their Fiesta Bowl appearance against Oklahoma State. The bowl game on Jan. 1 marked Freeman’s first game as head coach. The Fighting Irish fell to the Cowboys 37-35 at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

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Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Observer athletes of the year

Photo Credit: RYAN VIGILANTE, ND ATHLETICS | Photo Illustration: MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

‘I wanted to make the most of it’: Sammi Fisher dominates fifth-year season, joins Redstars

By MANNION McGINLEY Assistant Managing Editor

Before receiving a fifth year of eligibility due to COVID-19, Sammi Fisher already held a decorated collegiate career. She played every match in her junior and senior seasons as a captain and led the team in several stats.

In her graduate year though, the midfielder shifted into another gear to be named the Observer’s Women’s Athlete of the Year.

Soccer was a part of Fisher’s life even before she knew she wanted to play.

“I had two older sisters who played soccer. And growing up I was always at their games. And they really inspired me to get into it as well,” Fisher said. “My parents were the ones who really drove me to every training and pushed me to do extra training and everything like that. So all the credit goes to them.”

Their support pushed her to excel but soccer seemed to come naturally for Fisher.

Joining the Irish squad “At the beginning, Sammi was someone who certainly was very talented, had a good personality. But I don’t know if she quite knew how to use all that talent and leadership,” head coach Nate

Norman said. “As she grew and got older she learned a lot and figured a lot of things out.”

Fisher said her ability to learn quickly and the mindset she adopted helped her establish a place on the roster.

“Going into my freshman year I had no expectations.” Fisher said, “I knew it was definitely going to be a jump... and it was. So I think going into it with no expectations of playing time or anything like that really helped me develop quickly. I always was told to just ‘work as hard as you can.’ And I went into it doing that.”

The summer bridge program made Fisher that much more comfortable in practice since she had already met teammates. That comfort translated into her playing and, despite her expectations, Fisher hit the pitch running.

In her first year, she saw the field in 20 games, starting 15 of them. Fisher earned seven points through three goals and one assist on the season and played over 1,000 minutes. With the exception of the 2020 season (limited by COVID-19), Fisher never saw less than 1,000 minutes in her collegiate career. Even in 2020, she saw 813. She wasn’t content with this, though.

“I wanted to be the best for them. That way we can all be better,” Fisher said.

Becoming the best Over her sophomore season, Fisher scored four goals and two assists in 1,145 minutes, starting all but one game. Junior year though, she began to take over.

“Between holding high standards within the team and holding players accountable, she’s someone who’s not afraid to have tough conversations with her teammates and push or inspire them.

She’s certainly someone who during her time here pushed this program forward.”

Norman said about Fisher.

In her third season, Fisher upped her stats to six goals and five assists, jumping her point total to 17 (equivalent to the previous two seasons combined). She started in every game she played, logging 1,593 minutes and a .556 shots on goal percentage.

“There were definitely times throughout my Notre Dame career that weren’t always easy,” Fisher said.

“But just staying persistent throughout those times, is always a light at the end of the tunnel in those moments. And stay ing true to that was one of the most see FISHER PAGE 50

Lynn’s senior postseason heroics define Irish career, prep him for Orlando

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

After 79 career games, 57 starts and 21 goals, 12 of the gamewinning variety, senior Jack Lynn punctuated his career with a College Cup run and set a careerhigh in points, earning the 2022 Observer Male Athlete of the Year.

He’s the second Notre Dame men’s soccer player to win the award in the last four years. Tommy McCabe won it in 2019.

When Jack Lynn took a recruitment visit to Notre Dame, he met longtime Irish head coach Bobby Clark. “When I was there, Bobby Clark was unbelievable. Super welcoming to me as a junior in high school,” Lynn remembered.

Lynn recalled feeling at home with the Irish program and players: “Like a lot of Notre Dame student athletes, I was drawn towards getting a good education and having a place where I could pursue high-level athletics.”

However, Lynn’s decision to attend Notre Dame became more uncertain upon Clark’s retirement.

But, in a stroke of good fortune for Lynn, the Irish hired Chad Riley and some of his staff away from Dartmouth.

“I was actually looking at Dartmouth and Coach Riley’s program,” Lynn said. “So there was some uncertainty, but once they announced that, I was really excited with my decision.”

So Lynn stuck with his decision and headed to South Bend.

Immediately, Riley gave the St. Louis product a chance to play.

Lynn partook in 21 games his freshman season, starting three contests.

“I couldn’t have asked for better college coaches,” Lynn said.

“Coach Riley played me a lot as a freshman and he plays a super sound attacking style, which suited me well.”

Lynn contributes early in career Lynn notched assists in two conference games as a role player off the bench. He scored twice in the regular season, but it was in the postseason that he made a name for himself. Lynn again came off the bench, playing 58 minutes in the Sweet 16 against Virginia.

With seconds left in the overtime period, Lynn crashed the box and leaped to meet an arcing cross.

Lynn delivered a striking header into the corner of the net for the golden goal. The Irish advanced to the Elite Eight on the strength of that goal. Lynn recalled that moment as one of the favorites of his career.

However, Lynn didn’t stop there.

The goal against Virginia proved to be just the start of a career full of clutch moments for the Irish striker. In his sophomore season, Lynn started 17 of 19 games, scoring ten goals. He scored on 24.4% of his shots and over half of his shots on goal, setting career highs see LYNN PAGE 50