Sports

SMC Tennis: Belles dominate Judson

First sophomore Jackie Kjolhede and junior Margaret Boden won at No. 3 doubles. Then freshman Margaret Faller and sophomore Shannon Elliot took No. 2 doubles. And then, Saint Mary's won at every singles and doubles flight in a home meet against Judson on Friday. Belles coach Dale Campbell said he was pleased with the focus his team displayed in each match. "Everyone just had to focus on playing the best they could for themselves and let the results happen," Campbell said. Kjolhede and Boden won handily with an 8-1 final score. Faller and Elliot won by the same margin. Not everyone had it easy, however. Junior Mary Catherine Faller and sophomore Kayle Sexton won 9-8 (8-6) to complete the doubles sweep. The singles matches were even more suspenseful, with two flights going to tiebreakers to determine a victor. Mary Catherine Faller won her first set 6-2, but won only one game in the second set to force a tiebreaker. Faller took the tiebreaker to win 6-2, 1-6 (10-6) at No. 1 singles. Margaret Faller's match also went to the tiebreaker. Faller won the first set 6-3 before dropping the second set 5-7. Faller won the tiebreaker for a 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (11-9) victory at No. 4 singles. Campbell said he saw an intense level of determination under pressure from both Fallers. "They both fight to the end, and I think have a heightened focus when they need it to pull out the match and hit the shots that are required," Campbell said. The other singles flights cruised to victory. Sexton dropped only two games en route to a 6-0, 6-2 victory over freshman Marcilynn Rowan at No. 2 singles. Elliot defeated senior Kristen Kress 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3 singles, and Kjolhede and sophomore Katie Nickol added victories at No. 5 and No. 6 singles to round out the Belles' nine match wins. Everyone contributed to the victory and Saint Mary's (6-4, 2-0 MIAA) improved to 6-4. After a rough 0-2 start, Saint Mary's has improved, largely behind the efforts of Mary Catherine Faller. Faller was a co-captain in 2012 as a sophomore and has continued her role as a leader this season at No. 1 doubles and singles. She and Boden are the Belles' most experienced players as the only returning juniors on a team comprised of mostly sophomores. The Belles have the same record through 10 games as they had last season, although they have performed better in conference matches so far this year. Saint Mary's is currently on a four meet winning streak, including back-to-back 9-0 triumphs over Olivet on Thursday and Judson (3-7, 1-1 CCAC) on Friday. The Eagles were also coming off a 9-0 thumping of Roosevelt University on Wednesday, but the Belles halted that momentum for another impressive victory of their own. According to Campbell, the victory should benefit team morale. "It builds everyone's confidence to get these wins," Campbell said. Saint Mary's will try to extend its winning streak Wednesday in a home meet against Albion at 4 p.m. Contact Samantha Zuba at szuba@nd.edu  

Men's Golf: Notre Dame finishes 15th in North Carolina

The Irish finished 15th out of 17 teams with a total score of 895 this weekend at the Irish Creek Collegiate Tournament in Kannapolis, N.C. after tallying 297, 299 and 299 in three rounds. North Carolina and North Caroline State topped the team leaderboard with scores of 859 (282-285-292) and 861 (292-280-289). Irish coach Jim Kubinski said he thought this week would be the one where Irish would put things together, but that was not the case. "We're not satisfied with our play," Kubinski said. "We're disappointed we didn't post any rounds at par or below. The golf course was a good test but had enough birdie opportunities to yield a few good scores." Junior Andrew Lane came in first for the Irish and 35th overall,  shooting a three-round score of 222 (+9). He remained consistent throughout the tournament, shooting 74 (+3) in each of the three rounds. "Andrew hit enough greens," said Kubinski. "He just had a tough putting week, which is a rarity for him." Senior Paul McNamara and junior Niall Platt tied for 47th with a score of 224 (+11). McNamara shot 73 (+2) in his first round, 76 (+5) in his second round, and 75 (+4) in his third round. Platt shot 75 (+5) in his first round, 76 (+5) in his second round, and 73 (+2) in his third round. Kubinski said he believed Platt played better than his scores indicated. Freshman Cory Sciupider tied for 64th with a score of 227 (+14) and sophomore Patrick Grahek tied for 81st with a score of 233 (+20). Kubinski said southern teams like North Carolina and North Carolina State have an edge over the Irish because they have been able to practice outdoors for several weeks and have competed in more tournaments.  Kubinski said the Irish will soon reach their desired level of play because the Notre Dame golf course opened last weekend. "We're still a week or two away from feeling comfortable, Kubinski said . "We'll be fine by Big East." Kubinski said each golfer has an area or two that needs improvement but that his team functions well as a whole both on and off the green. "They're not afraid to work at it and their confidence remains high," Kubinski said. "They posted nearly 3.5 team GPA in the fall. They know how to prioritize and make improvements." The Irish will travel to Iowa City, Iowa to play in the Hawkeye Invitational, their last regular season tournament before the Big East Championships in Orlando Fla. The Irish will tee off Saturday and continue on Sunday at the Finkbine Golf Course. Contact Meredith Kelly at mkelly29@nd.edu  

Men's Lacrosse: Rogers leads road rally

Down two goals early on the road against Providence, the Irish rallied behind senior attack Sean Rogers and scored four answered goals to take a lead en route to a 13-8 victory over the Friars. "Sean had an excellent game," Irish coach Kevin Corrigan said. "They were forcing us to beat them individually, and he did a great job of picking his spots and getting to the cage when he could. He also did well moving without the ball to set himself up." Rogers tallied four goals and one assist, tying a career high in points, to lead the No. 4 Irish (8-2) in scoring. However, the Friars (7-5) kept the game close throughout the first half, trailing just 5-4 after the first two quarters. Corrigan credited the close game to Providence's methodical offense and stingy defense. "In the first half, we struggled," Corrigan said. "We missed on some opportunities and they really milked their possessions and held us down." Early in the third quarter the Friars tied the game twice, but each time Notre Dame countered with a goal to preserve their lead. The Irish finally gained some separation late in the third and early in the fourth, taking advantage of two separate man-up opportunities to build a 10-6 lead. "In the second half, we managed to get ahead," Corrigan said. "That forced them to come at us and try to score instead of holding onto the ball." Senior goalie John Kemp ended the day with nine saves, while the Irish defense was able to limit Providence's main offensive weapon, junior attack Sean Wright, to just two goals and three points, both below his season averages of 2.7 and 3.5). However, Corrigan felt that his defense did not play up to their potential. "Eight goals is more than we would like to give up," Corrigan said. "We need to do a much better job of clearing the ball, because that gave them second chances and allowed them to have very long possessions." The Irish cleared the ball 13 times on 17 chances, but also held Providence scoreless on three man-up opportunities. On offense, the Irish put heavy pressure on the Friar defense and freshman goalie Jack Connelly, unleashing 46 shots to Providence's 29. Sophomore attack Conor Doyle and junior midfielder Jim Marlatt each had four points. As a team, the Irish also had ten more groundballs than the Friars (37-27) and won 20 of 24 face-offs, despite missing junior face-off specialist Liam O'Connor due to injury. "All the credit goes to [sophomore midfielder] Nick Ossello and [freshman midfielder] Trevor Brosco," Corrigan said. "They did a terrific job of stepping up and filling in for Liam and providing us with lots of chances." Looking ahead, the Irish return home to play Georgetown on April 14 at Arlotta Stadium. The Hoyas (5-6), recently upset No. 14/10 St. John's, who gave Notre Dame its first Big East loss earlier this year. Contact Greg Hadley at ghadley@nd.edu  

SMC Tennis: Belles dominate Judson

First sophomore Jackie Kjolhede and junior Margaret Boden won at No. 3 doubles. Then freshman Margaret Faller and sophomore Shannon Elliot took No. 2 doubles. And then, Saint Mary's won at every singles and doubles flight in a home meet against Judson on Friday. Belles coach Dale Campbell said he was pleased with the focus his team displayed in each match. "Everyone just had to focus on playing the best they could for themselves and let the results happen," Campbell said. Kjolhede and Boden won handily with an 8-1 final score. Faller and Elliot won by the same margin. Not everyone had it easy, however. Junior Mary Catherine Faller and sophomore Kayle Sexton won 9-8 (8-6) to complete the doubles sweep. The singles matches were even more suspenseful, with two flights going to tiebreakers to determine a victor. Mary Catherine Faller won her first set 6-2, but won only one game in the second set to force a tiebreaker. Faller took the tiebreaker to win 6-2, 1-6 (10-6) at No. 1 singles. Margaret Faller's match also went to the tiebreaker. Faller won the first set 6-3 before dropping the second set 5-7. Faller won the tiebreaker for a 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (11-9) victory at No. 4 singles. Campbell said he saw an intense level of determination under pressure from both Fallers. "They both fight to the end, and I think have a heightened focus when they need it to pull out the match and hit the shots that are required," Campbell said. The other singles flights cruised to victory. Sexton dropped only two games en route to a 6-0, 6-2 victory over freshman Marcilynn Rowan at No. 2 singles. Elliot defeated senior Kristen Kress 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3 singles, and Kjolhede and sophomore Katie Nickol added victories at No. 5 and No. 6 singles to round out the Belles' nine match wins. Everyone contributed to the victory and Saint Mary's (6-4, 2-0 MIAA) improved to 6-4. After a rough 0-2 start, Saint Mary's has improved, largely behind the efforts of Mary Catherine Faller. Faller was a co-captain in 2012 as a sophomore and has continued her role as a leader this season at No. 1 doubles and singles. She and Boden are the Belles' most experienced players as the only returning juniors on a team comprised of mostly sophomores. The Belles have the same record through 10 games as they had last season, although they have performed better in conference matches so far this year. Saint Mary's is currently on a four meet winning streak, including back-to-back 9-0 triumphs over Olivet on Thursday and Judson (3-7, 1-1 CCAC) on Friday. The Eagles were also coming off a 9-0 thumping of Roosevelt University on Wednesday, but the Belles halted that momentum for another impressive victory of their own. According to Campbell, the victory should benefit team morale. "It builds everyone's confidence to get these wins," Campbell said. Saint Mary's will try to extend its winning streak Wednesday in a home meet against Albion at 4 p.m. Contact Samantha Zuba at szuba@nd.edu  

Robison: Loss marks the end of an era for Irish basketball

Watching SkylarDiggins exit the game Sunday night knowing it would be the final time she did so for Notre Dame was almost tragic. After four historic years in an Irish uniform, Diggins' last chance to win the ultimate price had once again ended on a sour note. But the greatest tragedy of Sunday night's loss to Connecticut did not happen on the basketball court. Rather, the greatest potential tragedy lies within the hearts and minds of fans. Diggins should be remembered for what she's done for Notre Dame, and for women's basketball in general. As one of the most heavily recruited high school players in the class of 2009, Diggins had her pick of nation's elite programs. But she decided to stay at home and play for Notre Dame. Since then, she's relaunched the program onto the national stage. She's become the rallying point around which Notre Dame and South Bend congregate to cheer on the Irish. In women's basketball, sellouts of major college arenas are nearly unheard of. But in the last four years, they've become commonplace. At many colleges, students are given extra credit in class or free t-shirts just for showing up to big games. At Notre Dame, because of the excitement surrounding Diggins and the Irish, students have to show up early just to get a seat. If we can use her 341,000 Twitter followers as an appropriate measure, she's the most popular college athlete in the country. She's become a hero to thousands of young girls aspiring to reach the heights Diggins has by joining her "Headband Nation," a tribute to Skylar's trademark style. What's Diggins has done for Notre Dame, for South Bend and for women's basketball in general cannot be overstated. But there are those who will try to dampen her legacy by saying she never won it all. They'll categorize her with other great and professional greats who could never win a championship. And that would be a tragedy. Yes, in today's world of sports, championships are the ultimate measure of greatness. But the fact that Skylar came home "empty-handed" in her three straight Final Four trips should do nothing to diminish her legacy. The objective statistics speak for themselves. She's a four-time All-American. She's Notre Dame's all-time leading scorer. She's won Big East Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. She and teammate Kaila Turner have won more games than any other class in program history. The laundry list of accolades and records goes on and on. But beyond that, her intangible impact on Notre Dame, on South Bend and on the game should be what people remember about Skylar Diggins. She wins with class. She loses with grace. She's done everything with integrity, heart and undying effort. After the game, Diggins expressed her gratitude to the fans and city of South Bend for their support. But there is a tremendous amount of gratitude for what's done as well. For everything she's done, no one could possibly have asked more of Skylar Diggins. She may have not won the ultimate prize, but she will forever have a winning legacy at Notre Dame in more ways than one. The fact that the Irish never cut down a net and brought home a national title during Diggins' time is sad. But to remember her for anything other than the tremendous, positive impact she has had would be a real tragedy.     Contact Matthew Robison at mrobison@nd.edu     The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Observer.  

Women's Lacrosse: Youth lead Irish to weekend sweep

Notre Dame kicked off the weekend with a thrilling win in double overtime over Louisville on Friday and beat Cincinnati on Sunday to match the team's best start in program history. With two more wins under their belts, the Irish kept their perfect season alive at 10-0, and 4-0 in the Big East. In 2012 Notre Dame opened the season with eight straight wins before falling to Loyola, and it appeared the Irish might suffer their first loss in game No. 9, as well. In a back-and-forth offensive battle, Notre Dame trailed at halftime, and were down 12-9 in the middle of the second half. At this point Irish coach Christine Halfpenny pulled senior goalie Ellie Hilling in favor of seldom-used sophomore Allie Murray, and Murray appeared to provide the spark Notre Dame desperately needed. The Irish rallied and took a 15-14 lead when senior attack Jenny Granger scored with just under four minutes left.  That lead didn't last long, however, as Louisville senior attack Katie Oliverio tied the game at 15 with 2:20 remaining. After a scoreless first overtime, the game was headed to a second overtime, where freshman defender Stephanie Peragallo won a crucial draw control that set up senior attack Betsy Mastropieri's game winning goal with 2:42 left to win it for the Irish. Notre Dame head coach Christine Halfpenny said she was proud of her team for the win and the experience it provided. "We seem to be getting everybody's best at this point," Irish coach Christine Halfpenny said. "We're seeing some really good teams come out at us. We need to give our best no matter what our opponent is. After all is said and done, I'm happy we actually got an overtime game at this point because were going to go through a tough stretch, so it's good to get that experience in." In Sunday's contest against Cincinnati, Hilling returned in goal and made four saves in Notre Dame's 13-6 victory. Junior attack Lindsay Powell played all 60 minutes and tallied two goals and an assist, while Mastropieri continued her strong weekend by adding two more goals. The Irish controlled this game from the beginning, taking over less than two minutes into the game. The Irish never trailed after gaining the lead three minutes into the game. Notre Dame also won in nearly every statistical category, tallying more shots, ground balls, and draw controls than Cincinnati. Coming off Friday's draining game against Louisville, Halfpenny said she was pleased to see her team come out strongly Sunday. "I'm happy with the way we came out, we looked really good, I was happy with our energy and I felt our legs were fresh," Halfpenny said. "We could've done a better job finishing, and our shooting percentage wasn't where it should be, but I honestly wasn't worried at all." While she may not have been satisfied with the way her squad shot the ball, she said she was very pleased with the youth that stepped up in Sunday's game. "Our young kids and the ability for our youth to really step up was great to see," Halfpenny said. "We played a lot of younger kids today especially on defense and we only gave up 3 goals in each half. Allie [Murray] was able to come in and make some massive saves [on Friday], and today we got to see all three goalies." Halfpenny's teams have been known for their strong starts, and the Irish continued this trend when they started 8-0 last year in her first year at the helm. As impressive as last year's was, this year has been even better - this squad's 10-0 start has matched that of the 2004 team as the best in program history. . "All the credit goes to the girls," Halfpenny said. "They work really hard, they're constantly striving to be better. There's always a process of getting better and we want to hit our peak at the right time. The back half of our schedule is better ranked, so learning what it takes to win in the beginning of the season has been huge. I'm very proud and excited about this team." The Irish return home for a crucial series against Loyola on Friday at 7 p.m. and Georgetown on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will be played at Arlotta Stadium. Contact Alex Wilcox at awilcox1@nd.edu  

ND Women's Tennis: Notre Dame topples Memphis

It wasn't the finish anyone wanted. No. 36 Memphis (16-4) and No. 21 Notre Dame (12-8) were tied at three points apiece Sunday afternoon, with the deciding point resting on the outcome of the No. 5 court match between Irish sophomore Molly O'Koniewski and Memphis sophomore Alyssa Hibberd. Both had won a set in the tiebreak, and Hibberd narrowly led the third set, five games to four. As O'Koniewski went to return a volley in Hibberd's match point, the Notre Dame sophomore turned her ankle slightly. Hibberd won the point to claim an individual victory 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, but it was clear t he Tigers would've preferred that their 4-3 victory had ended differently. "It was too bad because she was in the point, I think," Irish coach Jay Louderback said. O'Koniewski's loss put an end to a furious Irish comeback attempt after the Tigers claimed the first three match points of the contest. Senior ChrissieMcGaffigan and her doubles partner, junior Jennifer Kellner, beat seniors Courtney Collins and Kelly Gray, 8-3, but Notre Dame juniors Julie Sabacinski and Britney Sanders fell to sophomore Alyssa Hibberd and graduate student Tiffany Welcher, 8-5. Meanwhile, Memphis junior Stefanie Mikesz and freshman Caroline Wegner outlasted Irish freshmen Quinn Gleason and Julie Vrabel, 9-7. "They're not ranked in the top-25 but they are top-25," Louderback said. "We knew it was probably going to be important to win the doubles. We didn't do it. We did a good job fighting back, because we've had to do that a lot all year, but we need to get where we're not playing from behind all the time." The first singles matches to finish didn't help Notre Dame's chances. Wegner beat sophomore Katherine White, 6-1, 6-4, and Welcher took down Gleason in two sets, winning 6-3, 6-1. But the tides began to change when McGaffigan, who was honored in a senior day ceremony before the match, won the first match point of the day for the Irish by beating freshman SkylarKuykendal 7-6 (7-2), 6-3. "She played so well in singles and doubles, and a lot of times senior day is hard to play, but that's how Chrissie's played all year," Louderback said. "She's done a great job and played well consistently all year." Kellner and No. 48 Sanders kept Notre Dame's hopes alive with wins on the No. 3 and No. 1 courts, setting up the winner-take-all match-up between Hibberd and O'Koniewski. In many ways, the end of the match belied the atmosphere of the competition. The "Racketeers," a rambunctious student section dressed in a variety of costumes, provided entertainment for fans and athletes alike as they encouraged the Irish to "Protect the Eck." "They are the most enthusiastic fans that we have," McGaffigan said. "They're just awesome, and I think some of our opponents that come in are a little confused as to what is going in, because no other tennis team has them." But for McGaffigan, the best part of the match was the opportunity to reflect on four years as a member of the tennis team. "It's was just so amazing, seeing how well my teammates knew me," McGaffigan said. "Everything was pink, and they had my favorite quotes out and it just meant a lot to me, how much they put into it. And even though we lost today, I love this team so much and there's no team I'd rather play for." McGaffigan's not done just yet. The Irish have just one weekend of regular season play remaining before the Big East tournament. They are set to face Central Florida in Orlando at 2 p.m. Saturday. Contact Vicky Jacobsen at vjacobse@nd.edu  

ND Women's Basketball: ND and UConn square off in another Final Four

NEW ORLEANS - The talk is over. The game is finally here.

ND Women's Basketball: Loyd, Braker playing key roles

ND Women's Basketball: Familiar foes share mutual respect

NEW ORLEANS - As you have probably heard by now, Notre Dame and Connecticut are meeting Sunday for the fourth time this season and the third straight year in the Final Four.

ND to face UConn in Final Four for third straight year

They've punched their ticket to the Final Four once again. 

Men's Lacrosse: Squad takes on Providence

After an offensive explosion in a 17-5 win over Marquette on Tuesday, No. 4 Notre Dame travels to Providence on Sunday for its second Big East road game.

Baseball: Connaughton defies naysayers by playing two sports

Some athletes might have gone out to celebrate, reveling with the students who stormed the court after the Irish knocked off No. 1 Syracuse. Some might have spent the night relaxing and recovering in the training room.

Irish prepare for fourth round of rivalry

On April 3, 2011, the balance of power in Big East women's basketball began a gradual shift.

ND Women's Tennis: Irish host Memphis

Memphis compiled a perfect record at home in 2013, but the Irish will try and trip up the Tigers when they travel to South Bend for a Sunday matinee.

Men's Golf: Notre Dame readies for the Big East tournament

After battling back to finish fifth last week at the C&F Bank Intercollegiate, the Irish will head to Kannapolis, N.C., to participate in the Irish Creek Collegiate on Saturday and Sunday.  

Track and Field: Athletes travel to Michigan for meet

The Irish, off a successful Easter weekend at the Stanford Invitational, will turn their attention to the Spartan Invitational in East Lansing, Mich., this weekend.

SMC Golf: Belles enthused for competition in Saint Louis

After a sixth-place finish at the George Fox Phoenix Invitational from March 14-16, Saint Mary's will look to improve this weekend at the Washington University-St. Louis Invitational.

Rowing: Irish to race top competition

The No. 13 Irish will compete in Columbus, Ohio, this Saturday, where Notre Dame will race against No.4 Ohio State, No.8 Michigan and Tennessee. The race will pose an early challenge for the Irish as they progress through their season.

Men's Tennis: Irish to compete against three tough teams

The No. 31 Irish return home to take on No. 65 SMU, South Florida and Butler this weekend. The next three matches provide the Irish with their last opportunity to play at home in the regular season.