Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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92 PRESEASON 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED ND SPORTS BY DAVID MCKINNEY T he fall season of Olympic sports in South Bend has officially kicked off. Here's a preview of several of Notre Dame's fall sports, including a projec- tion on where each is expected to finish in the ACC and nationally. (Note: we will provide men's and women's cross country previews in an upcoming issue.) WOMEN'S SOCCER First Game: Aug. 18, vs. Butler (0-0 tie) ACC Predicted Finish: Top three NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Second round Coach's Expectations: "Every team is unique and takes on its own unique character, especially with the addition of freshmen," head coach Theresa Romagnolo said. "Having that many returning players gives us a lot of good experience and a consistent expectation of what we want to achieve." Top Players: Fifth-year senior Sandra Yu returns to the Irish after receiving third-team All-ACC honors in 2016. During her long Irish career, she has recorded 12 total points on five goals and two assists. Yu said her decision to stick around for a fifth year was based on her belief that this Irish team can play at a championship level. "We have an incredible shot at doing something special this year, and I'm just excited to get going and play against someone other than ourselves," Yu said. "I love this team and this school, so getting another shot at this is something I am beyond grateful for. I am so happy with my decision to stay for a fifth year." Athlete To Watch: Freshmen Eva Hurm and Sammi Fisher have already begun to contribute early in their Irish careers, both having an assist in No. 18 Notre Dame's 4-0 win over Ball State Aug. 20. Romagnolo praised both players for their offensive abilities. "Sammi brings the unique ability to break down defenses with her passing or dribbling," the coach noted. "She is an offensive threat out of the midfield and has showed herself to be a big goal scorer out of that position. "Eva is an explosive, attacking player who is extremely dangerous going to goal or setting up teammates. She will bring speed, creativity and production to our attack." Don't Miss: Notre Dame hosts No. 9 Duke Sept. 21. The Blue Devils posted a 15-4-3 record in 2016 and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed before falling to No. 1 West Virginia in the quarterfinals. MEN'S SOCCER First Game: Aug. 25, vs. San Diego ACC Predicted Finish: Top five NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Third round Coach's Expectations: "We always want Notre Dame to be the best place in the country to play college soccer," head coach Bobby Clark said. "That's our goal. Can we be good soccer players? That's obviously pretty important. Can we be smart soccer players? Can we be good students? That's also something that's really important. And I think the most important thing is can we be good people? That's my expectation. "I've been here 17 years and I think the last 13 or 14 years we've had teams that were capable of winning a national championship [and did so in 2013], and I don't think this team is any different. But only one team has won it, so you can see how difficult that is." Top Players: Fifth-year seniors Chris Hubbard and Matt Habrowski plus senior Jon Gallagher will all serve as captains on the 2017 Irish squad. Clark said their leadership combined with the other upperclassmen will benefit his team in a big way. "We've got good leadership," Clark said. "We've got three terrific captains and we've got a terrific senior class, both soccer wise and people wise." A t h l e t e To Wa t c h : D e f e n d e r Mitch MacDonald comes into Notre Dame looking to add to a long list of accomplishments. As a high schooler, he played two seasons for the Vardar U.S. Soccer Development Academy U-18 team. Clark said the freshman has a chance to shine during his four years in South Bend. "He's a good athlete and he can play any of the back four positions," the coach Fifth-year senior Sandra Yu was a third-team All-ACC honoree last year after she started all 21 games, scored two goals and served as a team captain. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS Olympic Teams Are Prepared For Autumn Success