Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/50205
ND SPORTS putting them into miserable situations to force them to come together. Some of the players were skeptical at first, wondering if they had just signed themselves up for boot camp, but that changed when they met Spisso and the rest of his staff. Irish coach Jeff Jackson said the mes- sage tends to stick easier when it is delivered by a group that earned its credibility in battle. "I liked having [Spisso] here with his group just because they're mili- tary," Jackson said. "Those guys have a certain mindset. It's not like a normal team-building type of function. It's a respect factor. If the guys running it have been out in the fields laying their life on the line for their teammates, that's the ultimate team building and the ultimate sacrifice." Jackson said he waited a full year to bring in Spisso and crew because they were operating on a tight budget — building a $50 million arena will cause you to pinch a few pennies elsewhere. Notre Dame has done off-the-ice team-building programs before at places with much less intimidating names and itineraries, such as last year's trip to Pretty Lake in Kalama- zoo, Mich. This year, however, he felt his team needed an outside perspec- tive to keep from growing complacent. Last year the Irish, with a long list of freshmen who produced better than expected results, snuck up on most teams they played. This season, after making it to the national champion- ship game in April and moving into a new rink, the Irish no longer have the element of surprise. Spisso said he designed the two- day program around the theme that this year's team had a responsibility to honor all the guys before them that helped create the program and build the new arena. He said he was im- pressed with the way the Irish came to work. He picked out most of the play- ers on Notre Dame's roster who have a reputation for hard work as the guys that stood out to him, particularly Lee who he compared to Sidney Crosby, arguably the best hockey player in the world right now. "If Anders Lee decides to give up hockey, he should join the military Special Forces," said Spisso, who trained Crosby during his rookie sea- son in Pittsburgh and again the fol- lowing year when the Penguins won www.BLUEANDGOLD.com Sledgehammer training. PHOTO COURTESY LONA SPISSO/ELITE LEADERSHIP TRAINING Sophomore Mike Voran looks on as a teammate scouts the surrounding area from the brush during a military drill in the team's Operation the Stanley Cup. "We all thought he was a complete warrior. He reminded me a lot of a young Sidney Crosby. He was just focused, ready to go, never gave up and did a great job." Notre Dame put together an 11- game unbeaten streak immediately after Operation Sledgehammer, gut- ting out several one-goal and overtime games. The effects apparently started to wear off after Thanksgiving. The Irish lost four in a row, including an embarrassing 9-2 game against North- eastern at home. Spisso called Lorenz and Lee to of- fer some advice and encouragement during the skid, and both players said they called on the lessons they learned in the field to help rally their troops. "You're always worried about guys getting comfortable because you're doing pretty well," Jackson said. "All of the sudden, bad habits pick up, and then you get beat 9-2." The coach said he was trying to find a way to bring the crew back to Notre Dame during the team's three-week holiday break for a refresher. So, if you happen to be on campus and see a platoon of camouflaged troops stak- ing out the dining halls or rescuing wounded soldiers from the library, don't be alarmed. It's just another day of practice. ✦ Roundup SWIMMING & DIVING The men's and women's teams wrapped up the first semester of their seasons during the first week of December. The men's team finished in third place at the Iowa Invitational behind No. 4 Michigan and No. 15 Iowa. The Irish were one of three teams that received votes in the most recent College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll, but have yet to crack the top 25. Sophomore Frank Dyer has been the star in the pool for Notre Dame so far this season. He led the way again in Iowa, picking up three NCAA qualifying times in individual events (the 50, 100 and 500 freestyle races) and also helping the 200 freestyle, 200 med- ley and 400 freestyle relay teams to three more qualifying times. Dyer and his team- mates took most of the month of Decem- ber off from competition before heading to Puerto Rico on the team's annual January training trip. Underclassmen have powered the Irish women's team so far this season. Notre Dame, also on the cusp of cracking the top 25 after the first semester of competition, finished its December by claiming fourth- place in the Ohio State Invitational. Sophomore Kelly Ryan finished second in the 100 and 200 freestyle races along with a slew of other top three finishes. Freshman Emma Reaney continued to lead the team by winning the 200 and 400 individual med- leys. She was joined by classmate Erin Foley who finished the long-distance race (1,650 meters) in second place. The Irish return to action on Jan. 4 in a dual meet at the Univer- sity of Hawaii. INDOOR TRACK & FIELD Notre Dame started its winter season on a strong note by earning 60 qualifying spots in the Big East Indoor Championships during its first meet of the year. The Irish won 20 events at the Blue and Gold home meet on Dec. 2. The Notre Dame men dominated the 5,000-meter run with seven runners finish- ing in the top eight, including junior Jeff Mac- Millan who won the race. Sophomore Aijah Urssery won the 60- and 200-meter sprints on the women's side. Two freshmen stole the spotlight in their debut race and won Big East Indoor Track Athlete of the Week awards in the process. Chris Giesting won the 400-meter dash on the men's side, and Kaila Barber claimed first place in the 400-meter dash, the 60-meter hurdles, the long jump and as an anchor on the 4x400-meter relay team. JANUARY 2012 57