Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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56 NOV. 8, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE W ith his Catholic upbringing and a lifelong love for challenging aca- demics and top-notch athletics, Notre Dame junior Nolan Spicer probably had a future course set for Notre Dame be- fore he had even heard of the school. Hailing from Bay Village, Ohio, which is near Cleveland, the Notre Dame junior attended St. Raphael Grade School and St. Ignatius High School where he be- came the best soccer player in the Buck- eye State and a coveted college recruit after leading the Wildcats to consecutive high school state titles in 2021 and '22. "I didn't know much about [Notre Dame]," recalled Spicer, who had never been on campus before a high school recruiting visit. "But for a Midwest kid who came from a Catholic background, it was my dream school." Despite appearing in 20 matches with six starts as a freshman midfielder in 2023, Spicer admitted to working through some growing pains while making the transi- tion from high school to college soccer. While most of the nation's elite young players hone their skills at uber-com- petitive and high-profile soccer acad- emies around the country, Spicer took a more unconventional approach, stayed home, played his soccer at St. Ignatius in the fall, and played local club soccer during the spring and summer months. Despite a lack of elite competition that many of his academy-developed Irish teammates experienced during their high school years, Spicer still felt well- prepared and immediately ready to con- tribute when he arrived at Notre Dame. "I'll admit that it was a big jump for me going from playing high school soc- cer to then playing in the ACC, one of the best college conferences in the country, and that's done nothing but make me better," said Spicer, the 2021 and 2022 Ohio Boys Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year, and a 2022 prep All-American. Beyond soccer, Spicer is also a gifted student majoring in economics. And he's remained committed to his volunteer work going all the way back to grade school. Food drives to help the homeless, soc- cer coaching to instruct local young- sters, and even volunteering as a pall- bearer for the deceased with no family or friends to fill this dignified duty are just a few of the philanthropic endeav- ors Spicer has given his time to. "I've always had everything I've ever needed," he said. "So, giving back has al- ways been important to me, to serve other people who aren't as fortunate as I am." Spicer's long-term plan is to someday play professional soccer for as long as his skills allow, then perhaps pursue a finance career in the same way his father did. For now, Spicer said the mission is to finish this season strong, and help lead his Irish to the NCAA Tournament after miss- ing out last year. Notre Dame closed its regular season against Wake Forest Oct. 31, and could benefit from a strong showing in the ACC Tournament to help secure a bid when they are passed out Nov. 17. "When it comes down to November and December you have to win games. It's as simple as that," said Spicer, who had 2 goals and led the Irish with 7 assists and 11 points through Oct. 30. "So, it's try to make the NCAA Tournament and then do some damage in November and December." ✦ CROSS COUNTRY The No. 7-ranked women took second place with a team score of 125 and the No. 9 men finished 10th with a team score of 274 in the highly competi- tive Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invite Oct. 17 in Madison, Wis. … The women finished second with 89 points and the men came in fourth with 114 points in the ACC Championships Oct. 31 at Louisville, Ky. MEN'S GOLF Shot a 12-over-par 876 to place fifth out of 15 teams in the Williams Cup Oct. 19-21 at Wilmington, N.C. … Senior Nate Stevens was crowned the individual champion, after notching his third career hole-in-one in college en route to a 7-under-par 209. HOCKEY (3-2-1 OVERALL, 0-0-0 BIG TEN) Blanked St. Lawrence 3-0 Oct. 17 to complete a two-game sweep in Comp- ton Family Ice Arena … Went 1-0-1 at home versus Robert Morris, winning 6-3 Oct. 24 and skating to a 2-2 tie Oct. 25. MEN'S SOCCER (8-4-4 OVERALL, 3-2-2 ACC) Suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of North Carolina State Oct. 17 in South Bend … Edged 2-1 by Northern Illinois Oct. 21 in DeKalb, Ill. … Notched a 1-0 victory at Boston College Oct. 24 … Closed out the regular season at Wake Forest Oct. 31. WOMEN'S SOCCER (13-1-2 OVERALL, 8-1-1 ACC) No. 1-ranked Notre Dame notched a 5-0 victory at Virginia Tech Oct. 23 … Played to a 1-1 draw at Wake Forest Oct. 26 … Closed the regular season with a 1-0 loss at Pittsburgh Oct. 30, the Irish's first defeat of the year. MEN'S SWIMMING (1-2 OVERALL) Defeated Northwestern 158.5-141.5 Oct. 24 in South Bend. WOMEN'S SWIMMING (1-2 OVERALL) Edged Northwestern 151-149 Oct. 24 in South Bend. VOLLEYBALL (8-11 OVERALL, 5-6 ACC) Dropped a pair of matches against top-10 competition, losing 3-2 to No. 6 Pitt Oct. 17 and 3-0 to No. 8 SMU Oct. 19 … Lost 3-2 at No. 21 North Carolina Oct. 24, but bounced back for a 3-0 triumph at Duke Oct. 26 … Fell to No. 8 Louisville 3-0 Oct. 29 in South Bend … Made a return trip to Louisville Nov. 1. Soccer Junior Nolan Spicer Is A Natural Fit At Notre Dame N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Spicer had 2 goals and led the Irish with 7 assists and 11 points through Oct. 30. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Irish Roundup