Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 7, 2020 57 ND SPORTS BY TODD D. BURLAGE L ike every college head coach around the country, veteran Notre Dame hockey skipper Jeff Jackson is facing myriad challenges while preparing his team under COVID-19 protocols for a season that at least tentatively remains on schedule to begin Nov. 13. But one unique dynamic Jackson is working through beyond proper player distancing, team meals and guarding against other close team gatherings — Notre Dame has yet to enter its own locker room — is get- ting his practice message across from behind a protective face mask. Armed with a dry sense of humor and at times a sarcastic approach to coaching up his players, Jackson ad- mitted that his intended tone and coaching style can become lost be- hind his required face shield. "The kids can't see me smiling if I say something sarcastic or I'm joking around, so they don't know if I'm serious or just having fun," Jackson explained. "Some of the guys know my humor so they get it, but I've been trying to be a little bit more un- derstanding of that situation." Jackson's anecdote helps to illus- trate the strange environment his team has worked in since returning to cam- pus in mid-August after losing the traditional spring and summer team workouts during a campus lockdown. At this time last year, Notre Dame had already played seven of its 37 games. This year, it is still working to finalize a schedule that Jackson expects to include 28 games — four non-conference and the usual 24 Big Ten Conference matchups. After three months of "alone" time, Jackson expects that finally playing an opponent will bolster his team's psyche. "They're getting tired of hitting each other. They need to compete and hit somebody else," explained Jackson, who is adding more weekly scrimmages and tactical real game work to his practice routine as the season approaches. "We've tried to do everything to keep them engaged." Another unique challenge Jackson faced in the preseason was simply keeping his roster intact. Jackson, and his six other Big Ten coaching colleagues, have been "pushing the envelope" to make cer- tain university administrators under- stand that their players have other options beyond college hockey to chase future pursuits. Junior Hockey leagues in both the United States and Canada, amateur opportunities in Europe, and even the NHL and other professional leagues are available to elite college players. Harvard University, a perennial NCAA power, lost at least four of its top players for the 2020-21 season after the Ivy League postponed the start of its hockey season until at least Jan. 1. "So, if they don't play, it's a wasted year for development and we've tried to make sure that we don't waste time from a developmental standpoint," Jackson explained. "Ev- erybody is trying to do what's right but we're trying to take [roster pres- ervation] into account." Looking ahead, Jackson also wor- ries about how well his guys will handle an extended 10-week winter break between Nov. 20 and Feb. 3. "All that free time, all that time with- out classes, that's going to be a chal- lenge," said Jackson, adding that golf, paintball and other outdoor activities helped keep the guys safely together and occupied during the summer months. "I have challenged them to come up with ideas and ways to do things together that are safe, and not to get overly engaged in the public arena." Jackson's Irish enter this season off a disappointing 15-15-7 campaign in 2019-20 when Notre Dame lost in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament and failed to reach the NCAA Tourna- ment for the first time since 2015-16, a four-year tourney run that included two Frozen Four appearances. At the time of print, Jackson said that none of his players had tested positive for coronavirus during the preseason, but some were put in two-week quar- antine because of contact tracing. ✦ Irish Roundup MEN'S SOCCER (3-2 OVERALL, 2-1 ACC) The Fighting Irish notched a 2-1 double- overtime victory over Virginia Oct. 24 … Notre Dame's match at Pittsburgh Oct. 30 was can- celed … The Irish close out the regular sea- son with home matches against Virginia Tech Nov. 2 and Louisville Nov. 6. WOMEN'S SOCCER (4-3 OVERALL, 4-3 ACC) Notre Dame picked up a 1-0 win at No. 13 Louisville Oct. 25 … By virtue of the victory, the Irish moved into the United Soccer Coaches rankings at No. 13 … Notre Dame closes out its fall regular-season slate with a contest at No. 1 North Carolina Nov. 1. VOLLEYBALL (6-1 OVERALL, 6-1 ACC) The No. 5 Fighting Irish finished their fall schedule on a high note by going on the road and taking down Boston College 3-0 and 3-1 Oct. 23-24. — Steve Downey Notre Dame's hockey team is set to begin its season Nov. 13 although the schedule has yet to be announced. The Irish expect to play 28 games in 2020-21 — four non-conference and the usual 24 Big Ten Conference matchups. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Irish Hockey Is Ready To Open Its Season, Finally