Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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ND Sports teammates to encourage them. O'Hare eventually broke away from the pack to finish first overall, but more importantly he shepherded three other Tulsa runners into the top 15 to help earn the team victory. It was a learning experience Rae kept in mind for the rest of the year. Rae returned this fall for a somewhat rare fifth season on the cross country team. He's a national champion in indoor track and a three-time All-American, but had some unfinished business on the long cross country courses in the fall. Rae felt he was in position to claim a Big East individual title last year before an old Achilles injury prematurely ended his season. Because he didn't race as a freshman, the Canada native was eligible to try once more this fall. Rae said he plans to use his last year at Notre Dame as a staring point for his Olympic training. He hopes to run in the 2016 games. First, though, he wants another shot at a conference title and an All-American nod in cross country. With fellow fifth-year senior J.P. Malette and seniors Walter Schafer, Patrick Lesiewicz and Martin Grady all in their last year with the Irish, this season is also a chance to make a big splash in Notre Dame's first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference. "I would love to go in there and win the ACC meet as a team," Rae said. "I think that would be a really awesome first kick in the pants to get in there and win. It just depends on keeping people healthy and having a good day." And, of course, on sticking together. ✦ Irish Roundup Men's Soccer (3-0-3, 1-0-2 ACC) The No. 4 Fighting Irish played their third draw of the young season against new ACC rival Boston College Sept. 21. The Eagles struck first, the first Irish opponent to score in nearly two weeks. Senior Harrison Shipp responded for Notre Dame only 12 seconds later. The Irish will look to avenge their NCAA Tournament loss to Indiana in a non-conference meeting Oct. 2. Women's Soccer (7-1-0, 3-0-0) The Irish climbed to No. 5 in the polls after beating Syracuse 1-0 in South Bend in dramatic fashion Sept. 19. With only three seconds left in regulation, junior Sammy Scofield broke a scoreless tie with her head. She knocked in a redirected free kick from the foot of freshman Morgan Andrews to give the Irish their fourth straight win. Volleyball (6-5) Notre Dame's see-saw season continued Sept. 21-22 in Lawrence, Kan. The Irish beat North Dakota State in four sets to open the Kansas Invitational, but then lost to Georgia and the host Jayhawks in back-to-back games. Notre Dame made its ACC debut Sept. 27 against North Carolina.