Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM APRIL 2024 49 ND SPORTS tied for the team lead with 15 goals and was tied for fourth in the ACC with 3.00 goals per game. ROAD TO A REPEAT Despite losing several talented scorers and some strong veteran leaders after last season, Notre Dame is still well po- sitioned to defend its national champi- onship and become the first program to win titles in consecutive seasons since Duke did it in 2013 and 2014. Gone from last season are stand- outs Jack Simmons, Quinn McCahon and Brian Tevlin, who combined for 77 points in 2023. But back from last season, along with Taylor, are gradu- ate student attackman Pat Kavanagh and graduate student goalie Liam En- tenmann — two 2023 first-team All- Americans. Add to that list senior midfielder Eric Dobson and junior attackman Chris Ka- vanagh — a couple of other 2023 All- Americans — and the Irish brought back their four top scorers from last season. "I think we have a very good team but we've also got to figure out exactly what we are," Corrigan said. "We lost some very good pieces from last year's team, four-year starters, really important guys. This team has to play a little dif- ferently than last year's team did. "This team has some strengths in ar- eas that maybe we didn't have a year ago but also has to figure out how to adapt to not having some of the strengths that we had last year." For Taylor, he insists that the lessons of last season will help fuel another deep postseason run this time around. The mission now, he said, is to stay grounded and engaged. "It's just a matter of showing up every day, giving everything we have and fully committing to this team and this pro- gram," he said. "We have all the pieces we need. "Now, if we can buy in fully, and ex- ecute everything the way we are capable of, there's nobody who can stop us." ✦ Irish Roundup BASEBALL (9-5 OVERALL, 0-3 ACC) Opened the season with a three-game sweep at Rice Feb. 16-18, outscor- ing the Owls 25-16 … Split four games at Florida International Feb. 24-25 … Swept three games at Tennessee Tech March 1-3, scoring 43 runs in the process … Trounced Purdue 11-2 March 5 … Opened ACC by losing all three contests at Virginia Tech March 8-10. FENCING The women placed first and the men second at the ACC Championships Feb. 24-25 in South Bend … The women captured their third straight team title by defeating Duke in the first-ever two-team fence-off … Notre Dame placed 11 of 12 fencers on the podium — including five gold medalists — at the NCAA Mid- west Regional March 9 in Detroit … The Irish will compete for their fourth straight national title at the NCAA Championships March 21-24 in Columbus, Ohio. MEN'S GOLF Finished eighth at the Watersound Invitational Feb. 19-21 in Panama City Beach, Fla. … Came in third in The Invitational at the Ford Feb. 26-27 at Richmond Hill, Ga. WOMEN'S GOLF Placed seventh in the Spartan Suncoast Invitational Feb. 18-19 at Pompano Beach, Fla. … Finished 10th in the Florida Gators Invitational March 2-3 in Gainesville, Fla. HOCKEY (15-19-2 OVERALL, 9-13-2 BIG TEN) Split two games against Minnesota (6-1 win and 3-2 overtime loss) Feb. 16-17 in South Bend … Closed the regular season with a pair of losses (4-0 and 2-1) at Michigan Feb. 23-24 … Lost 5-4 and 4-3 in its best-of-three series at Michigan in the Big Ten playoff quarterfinals March 8-9. MEN'S LACROSSE (4-1 OVERALL) Opened the season with a 25-3 home victory versus Cleveland State Feb. 14 … Notched a 21-8 win at Marquette Feb. 18 … Suffered a 11-10 overtime defeat against Georgetown Feb. 25 in South Bend … Defeated Maryland 14-9 March 3 … Posted a 13-10 victory at Ohio State March 9. WOMEN'S LACROSSE (5-2 OVERALL, 1-2 ACC) Knocked off top-ranked Northwestern 14-10 Feb. 11 in South Bend … Routed Butler 25-3 at home Feb.18 … Edged 16-14 by Syracuse Feb. 24 in South Bend … Notched a 7-5 victory at North Carolina March 2 … Lost 12-10 to Virginia March 9. SOFTBALL (12-9 OVERALL, 0-3 ACC) Won all three contests in the Jacksonville/University of North Florida Invita- tional Feb. 16-17 … Went 2-3 in the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Feb. 22-24 in Cathedral City, Calif. … Lost all three contests at Virginia Tech March 2-3 … Won four of five games at the Marshall March Madness event March 8-10 in Huntington, W.Va. MEN'S SWIMMING Notched a second-place finish — the highest in program history — at the ACC Championships Feb. 20-24 in Greensboro, N.C. … Won four individual events and the 400 freestyle relay, and broke 12 school records. WOMEN'S SWIMMING Placed eighth at the ACC Championships Feb. 20-24 in Greensboro, N.C. … Notched six top-eight finishes, including four in diving. MEN'S TENNIS (9-6 OVERALL, 1-1 ACC) Suffered a 4-3 loss to Illinois before bouncing back for a 4-0 win against Chicago State Feb. 17 in South Bend … Lost 7-0 to No. 1-ranked Ohio State Feb. 24 … Opened ACC play at home with a 4-1 win over Miami March 1 and a 4-2 loss to Florida State March 3 … Blanked Cleveland State 4-0 March 3 … Defeated Northwestern 4-0 March 8. WOMEN'S TENNIS (11-5 OVERALL, 2-3 ACC) Posted home victories versus DePaul (4-0) Feb. 16, Butler (4-0) Feb. 18 and UIC (7-0) Feb. 18 … Fell 4-2 at home versus Virginia Feb. 23, but bounced back for a 5-2 triumph over Virginia Tech Feb. 25 … Suffered a 5-2 defeat at North Carolina State March 1 and a 4-3 loss at Wake Forest March 3 … Picked up a pair of 4-0 wins over Louisville and Xavier March 10 in Louisville, Ky. MEN'S TRACK & FIELD Finished eighth at the ACC Indoor Championships Feb. 22-24 in Boston … Tied for 44th at the NCAA Indoor Championships March 8-9 in Boston. WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD Placed third in the ACC Indoor Championships Feb. 22-24 at Boston … Came in 10th at the NCAA Indoor Championships March 8-9 in Boston.