Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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50 NOV. 20, 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE W ith graduate transfers growing in popularity throughout college sports, the hope for players and pro- grams everywhere is that these student- athletes make a smooth transition from School A to School B. Grad school relocation can be diffi- cult for some, but not for graduate stu- dent Dawson McCartney. In fact, the decision for McCartney after four years at Dartmouth to fin- ish his soccer career at Notre Dame couldn't have stayed on a better track. In a rare case of a perfect fit, Mc- Cartney explained that the academic demands and campus culture at Notre Dame are similar to when he was at Dartmouth. There was also a built-in familiarity with the Irish soccer pro- gram because fourth-year Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley was coaching at Dartmouth in 2017, when McCartney was a freshman there. Riley explained that his team's need for an attacking forward/midfielder and McCartney's desire to play one more season of college soccer lined up per- fectly. COVID-19 wiped out the entire 2020 Ivy League soccer season, and the conference doesn't provide an opportu- nity for its fifth-year student-athletes to compete in their sports. "To Dawson's credit, he managed that transition very well, and I think our team did a really good job of welcoming him into the group," Riley explained. "And obviously, he's a good player too, so the guys were really excited about that." McCartney is so good, in fact, that the 2017 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Ivy League honoree, im- mediately became a valuable member of the Irish during the 2021 spring season, and through 19 games during this fall season, McCartney was tied for second on the Irish with 15 points (five goals and five assists), and thrilled with his transfer decision and easy transition. "I just tried to be as respectful as I could when I came in. People recog- nized everybody else's hard work," Mc- Cartney said. "The guys on the team made it a lot easier than it could've been at a different school." As a five seed last week in the ACC Tournament, Notre Dame pitched con- secutive shutouts against NC State (1-0), Louisville (0-0, advanced 3-0 on penalty kicks) and top-seeded Pitt (2-0) to reach only its second appear- ance in the league's title game in pro- gram history. The victory at Pitt Nov. 10 ended the Panthers 19-game home winning streak (the second longest in the nation) and set up a matchup against No. 3 Duke for the league title Nov. 14. From there, Notre Dame (11-5-3) learned its opponent and seeding in the NCAA Tournament when the 48- team bracket was released Nov. 15. That tournament begins Nov. 18, and Notre Dame is expected to be a host site for an opening-round match and perhaps a second-round one as well. "We're excited," McCartney said of the team's postseason potential. "We're playing well, and we feel like we can compete with and beat any team in the country." ✦ Soccer Transfer Dawson McCartney Has Been A Perfect Fit McCartney was tied for second on the team with 15 points heading into the ACC championship match against Duke Nov. 14. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS ND SPORTS Irish Roundup CROSS COUNTRY Both Irish squads won their NCAA Regional Nov. 12 in Evansville, Ind. … Sophomore Maddy Denner took the women's title followed by classmate Olivia Markezich in second … The men had four of the top 10 finishers overall. HOCKEY (6-3-0 OVERALL, 0-2-0 BIG TEN) The No. 15-ranked Irish completed a two-game sweep of Holy Cross in South Bend with 4-1 win Nov. 5 … Notre Dame jumped back into Big Ten play with a two-game set with Wisconsin Nov. 12-13. MEN'S SOCCER (11-5-3 OVERALL, 4-2-2 ACC) No. 20 Notre Dame played fourth-seeded Louisville to a scoreless tie through two overtimes Nov. 7 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament before advancing with a 3-0 advantage in penalty kicks … The Irish then went on the road again and knocked off top-seeded and No. 5-ranked Pitt 2-0 in the semifinals Nov. 10 … Notre Dame was set to face third-seeded and No. 11-ranked Duke Nov. 14 in the championship game Nov. 14 in Cary, N.C. WOMEN'S SOCCER (13-5-1 OVERALL, 7-3-0 ACC) The Irish earned a No. 3 national seed in the NCAA Tournament and were set to host Southern Illinois University Evansville in the first round Nov. 8. VOLLEYBALL (10-13 OVERALL, 7-6 ACC) Notre Dame notched a 3-0 victory at North Carolina Nov. 6 but fell 3-2 at NC State Nov. 7 … The Irish will play NC State again in South Bend Nov. 12 and will then host Louisville Nov. 15. — Steve Downey