Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1349365
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2021 51 ND SPORTS NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Not expected to make the NCAA Championships Season Format: The Irish are scheduled to play in four weekend tournaments before competing for the league championship. Top Player: Junior Claire Albrecht earned team MVP honors after the 2019-20 season when she led the Irish in stroke average and had her card included with the team total in all 14 of her events. Athlete To Watch: Abby Heck, the team's only senior, has been a model of consistency through her first three seasons. Don't Miss: The ACC Championships April 15-18 in Greensboro, N.C. MEN'S LACROSSE Record Through March 8: 2-0 overall, 0-0 ACC ACC Predicted Finish: Fifth out of five teams NCAA Best-Case Scenario: The Irish are currently ranked eighth nationally and should vie for a bid to the 16-team NCAA Tournament Season Format: The Irish are set to play four non-conference games and a six-game conference schedule. There will be no ACC Championship (the regular-season champion will claim the league title). Top Player: Sophomore attacker Pat Kavanagh had two goals, 13 assists and a team-high 15 points through only two games. Athlete To Watch: Fifth-year senior defender Jack Kielty earned third-team All-America honors after the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Don't Miss: Duke, the No. 1-ranked team in the country, April 10 in South Bend and April 22 in Durham, N.C. WOMEN'S LACROSSE Record Through March 8: 2-0 overall, 0-0 ACC ACC Predicted Finish: Second out of eight teams NCAA Best-Case Scenario: A Final Four berth is attainable for the No. 4 Irish Season Format: Notre Dame hopes to play one more non-conference game to go along with its 10-match ACC schedule. The eight-team ACC Championship is scheduled for April 28-May 2. Top Player: Fifth-year senior attack Samantha Lynch earned ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors after matching her single-game career high with seven points in a season-opening win over Vanderbilt Feb. 13. Athlete To Watch: Fifth-year senior defender Kathleen Roe won't stuff the stat sheet, but she is the veteran glue to this team. Don't Miss: North Carolina, the preseason ACC favorite, April 10 in South Bend. ROWING ACC Predicted Finish: Fourth out of nine teams NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Notre Dame is consid- ered a long shot to reach the NCAA Championships May 28-30, in Bradenton, Fla. Season Format: The Irish are scheduled to open the season March 13 and compete in five events before taking part in the ACC Championship. Top Player: Senior Halena Hadi made a quick impact as a freshman and sophomore, and is ex- pected to return and become a valuable member of the varsity eight squad again this season. Athlete To Watch: After transferring from nearby St. Mary's College in 2018 where she played vol- leyball, senior Marielle Corbett took up rowing and immediately became a vital cog on the varsity eight. Don't Miss: The ACC Championship May 14-15 in Clemson, S.C. SOFTBALL Record Through March 8: 7-5 overall, 1-3 ACC ACC Predicted Finish: Third out of 13 teams NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Qualify for the 64- team NCAA Championship Season Format: Each ACC team will play eight four-game series against four league opponents. The Irish also have three remaining non-confer- ence games scheduled. Top Player: Fifth-year senior infielder Katie Ma- rino is a gifted student, a team captain and a pre- season first-team All-ACC selection. Athlete To Watch: Senior outfielder Abby Sweet was batting .487 (19 of 39) with five doubles, three triples, one home run and 14 runs scored through 12 games. Don't Miss: The ACC Championship May 12-15 in Louisville, Ky. MEN'S TENNIS Record Through March 8: 8-7 overall, 3-3 ACC ACC Predicted Finish: Middle of the pack in the 13-team league NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Not expected to qual- ify for the 64-team NCAA Championships Season Format: The Irish will play each ACC team once in a round-robin scheduling format. Top Player: Junior Axel Nefve was a second-team All-ACC selection and a 2018 ITA All-American Championship participant. Athlete To Watch: Senior Richard Ciamarra remains a valuable and versatile winner, and a team leader. Don't Miss: The ACC Championships April 21-25 in Rome, Ga. WOMEN'S TENNIS Record Through March 8: 8-6 overall, 3-4 ACC ACC Predicted Finish: Middle of the pack in the 14-team league NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Not expected to qual- ify for the 64-team NCAA Championships Season Format: Notre Dame will play each ACC team once in a round-robin scheduling format. Top Player: Senior Cameron Corse earned 2020 ITA National DI Player of the Week honors, and is a valuable singles and doubles player. Athlete To Watch: Paired with Corse, sophomore Page Freeman is the second half of a doubles team that knocked off NC State's No. 2 nationally ranked duo last spring. Don't Miss: The ACC Championships April 21-25 in Rome, Ga. ✦ Fifth-year senior attack Samantha Lynch matched her single-game career high with seven points in Notre Dame's 19-5 victory versus Vanderbilt Feb. 13. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Irish Roundup Hockey (14-12-2 Overall, 12-10-2 Big Ten) Notre Dame went 4-0-1 down the stretch to finish in fourth place in the Big Ten standings by virtue of their .542 winning percentage in league games … The Irish suffered a pair of 3-0 defeats at home against Minnesota Feb. 12-13, followed by a 4-2 loss and 5-5 tie at Wisconsin Feb. 19-20, before closing with a pair of 2-0 victories at Michigan State Feb. 26-27, plus 5-2 and 7-1 wins at home versus Penn State March 5-6 … The fourth-seeded Irish will face the fifth-seeded Nittany Lions in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament March 14 in South Bend. Swimming and Diving The No. 14 women's team finished fifth at the ACC Championships Feb. 17-20 in Greensboro, N.C., while the No. 17 men's squad tied for seventh at the ACC Championships Feb. 24-27 in Greensboro, N.C. … The NCAA Championships will also take place in Greensboro, N.C., March 17-20 for the women and March 24-27 for the men. Indoor Track & Field The Irish men finished sixth and the women came in 10th at the ACC Indoor Championships Feb. 25-28 in Clemson, S.C. The NCAA Indoor Championships were slated for March 11-13 at Fayetteville, Ark. — Steve Downey