Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 29, 2018 49 ND SPORTS BY TODD D. BURLAGE A couple of days before the Fight- ing Irish opened their 50th season as a hockey program, junior forward Cal Burke provided a wise assess- ment when asked whether the success achieved last year is still to be savored or something that needs to be com- pletely brushed aside. "It's not necessarily always a bad thing to look back, as you're often told," said Burke, the leading returning scorer from an Irish team that set sev- eral program records last year, swept the Big Ten regular-season and tour- nament titles, and reached its second straight Frozen Four. "I know for a lot of the older guys you use the lessons we learned and our experiences from last year to help motivate us. "But when it comes down to it, we have new guys, so you can't spend too much time dwelling on the past." From a glass-half-empty perspec- tive, Notre Dame lost its top three scor- ers from last year's team: Jake Evans, Andrew Oglevie and Jordan Gross. That trio combined for 38 goals, 77 as- sists and more than one-third of the team's 321 total points. From a glass-half-full perspective, the next nine top scorers from last year's team return — and so does ju- nior goalie Cale Morris, who won the Mike Richter Award last year as the nation's best goaltender. Notre Dame returns 18 players total, including eight that have already been drafted by NHL teams. The Irish also added nine freshmen to the roster this season, a dynamic that Morris admits might cause some early growing pains but will pay huge dividends later on. "With each new team and each new season there are going to be different challenges and different things you have to work on throughout the sea- son," said Morris, who led the nation in save percentage (.944) and victories (27) last season. "But what I've noticed so far is just how fast and mobile we are on the back end." If graduations and player departures from last season have done anything to change the identity of this team, both Morris and Burke agree it's most no- ticeable in the overall team speed. What Notre Dame may have lost in size and muscle on defense, it's made up for with nimbleness and elusiveness. "We all expect the freshmen to hit the ground running and come out strong," Burke explained. "They were recruited here for a reason, and we've been prac- ticing together for a long time. They're pretty accustomed to everything and how we do things around here." The No. 2 Fighting Irish opened the season at the four-team Ice Breaker Tournament, Oct. 12-13 in Erie, Pa. After two games at Nebraska-Omaha Oct. 19-20, they return home for two contests Oct. 26-27 against top-ranked Minnesota Duluth, the team that beat them in the national championship game last season, 2-1. "We have a bunch of guys that are going to step into some big roles right away," Morris said. "But that's why they are here at Notre Dame, and this is why we have such a strong program here." The fire still remains on the ice. ✦ Despite Player Losses, Championship Goals Remain For Hockey The Fighting Irish lost their top three scorers from last year's national runner-up squad, but they do return the next nine point producers and last year's Mike Richter Award winner (nation's best goaltender) Cale Morris. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL MEN'S GOLF Notre Dame placed fifth out of 15 teams with a 14-under-par 838 team score at the Fighting Irish Classic Oct. 7-8 in South Bend. Next up, the Irish will travel to Vero Beach, Fla., to participate in the Quail Valley Collegiate Oct. 14-16. WOMEN'S GOLF The Fighting Irish finished fifth out of 12 squads with a 17-over-par 881 at the Bettie Lou Invitational, Oct. 5-7 in Lexington, Ky. Notre Dame will return to action at the Landfall Tradition, Oct. 26-28 in Wilmington, N.C. HOCKEY (0-0, 0-0 BIG TEN) No. 2-ranked Notre Dame lost 4-1 to the U.S. National Team Development Program squad in an exhibition game Oct. 7, despite a 36-29 advantage in shots on goal. The Fighting Irish opened the regular season against Mercyhurst in the IceBreaker Tournament Oct. 12-13 at Erie, Pa., before traveling to Nebraska- Omaha Oct. 19-20. MEN'S SOCCER (7-3-1, 3-1-0 ACC) No. 4 Notre Dame scored a huge win with a 2-1 overtime triumph at home against No. 6 Louisville Oct. 6. The Fighting Irish head to Durham, N.C., to take on No. 14 Duke Oct. 12, followed by matches at Michigan Oct. 16 and versus Virginia Tech Oct. 19. WOMEN'S SOCCER (6-8-0, 2-4-0 ACC) The Fighting Irish suffered a 2-1 loss to No. 6 North Carolina Oct.4 and a 3-0 defeat at the hands of No. 11 Virginia Oct. 7. Notre Dame starts a three-game road swing with a match at Syracuse Oct. 13, followed by stops at Virginia Tech Oct. 18 and Pittsburgh Oct. 21. VOLLEYBALL (10-7, 4-3 ACC) Notre Dame dropped a pair of 3-2 decisions in its most recent outings, versus Duke Oct.7 and at Louisville Oct. 10. The Fighting Irish were set to host Virginia Tech Oct. 14, before traveling to Pittsburgh Oct. 19 and to Virginia Oct. 21. — David McKinney Irish Roundup