Forgive the Irish if they experience a bit of déjà vu.
At this time last season, Notre Dame was sporting a 10-3 record, a spot in the national rankings and was coming off of a win over No. 9 Georgetown. But a loss to Vanderbilt in their next game was the beginning of the end for the Irish, coach Tracy Coyne said.
"That was the beginning of the three-game slide for us last year," Coyne said. "We went to Vanderbilt and lost. They were really fired up for the game."
Fast forward to this season, as the Irish (10-4, 3-1 Big East) currently hold the No. 10 spot in the national polls. They are coming off of a win over Georgetown, this first in the program's history in Washington, D.C., and the same Vanderbilt team stands in their way this year. This time, Coyne thinks her team has the makeup to defeat the Commodores.
"It is really an important game," Coyne said. "Our goal is not off in the distance, it is right there. I think that we are really focused, especially after the disappointment of last year. We are in the exact same situation we were in last season, except now we have the knowledge of what we did last year."
Coyne has said all season that the team's goal is to win the Big East conference and make a run toward the national championship. A win on Wednesday would go a long way toward those goals.
The Irish come into Wednesday's game riding a wave of momentum. After falling to No. 1 Northwestern last Wednesday, 16-2, the Irish closed out their five-game road trip at Georgetown, a place where the Irish had never won in program history. Thanks to a great team performance, the Irish were able to break their streak and notch a historic 10-8 win. The win closed out the road trip which saw the Irish go 4-1 and beat two top-10 teams. Coyne was quick to mention the defense as a reason for the success.
"I think the defensive unit gave huge performances in the big wins at Duke and Georgetown," Coyne said. "We have relied on the attack in other games, but the defense really set themselves apart on the road trip."
The stellar play of the defense is a welcomed sign for the Irish, who relied on their potent offense earlier in the season, but now seem to be coming together for the stretch run. Also important was the atmosphere in which the game was played, one which Coyne called a "championship atmosphere."
The Irish will take on the Commodores at home on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
