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Without further ado, we bring you the results of the last week’s Irish match-ups.
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Hockey: The no. 6 Irish (11-4-0, 7-1-0-0) finally swept their weekend slate against Late Superior State, earning the 3-2 victory on Friday night and then claiming a 6-1 decision Saturday. In the first contest, Anders Lee scored the first Irish goal in the opening period - his 50th at Notre Dame - followed by power play goals in the second from young talent Mario Lucia and Mike Voran. The Irish had 35 shots on the night, outshooting Lake Superior State by 15. Inexplicable as it is, this victory was "the first for Notre Dame on a series opener at home this season." Coach Jeff Jackson had his team wear the gold jerseys usually worn in each home series' second match, rather than their first-match whites. Was that the difference-maker?
The Irish skated to victory Saturday night with a dominant performance, out-scoring Lake Superior State 6-1 - four came in the opening period. Goals came from Bryan Rust, Shayne Taker, Mario Lucia, T. J. Tynan, Stephen Johns, and Anders Lee. Goaltender Mike Johnson, making his second start, was injured just over half way into the contest after notching 13 saves; Steven Summerhays finished with another 13 saves for the Irish.
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Volleyball: After securing an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament the Irish brought their season to an end, falling 0-3 to no. 14 Ohio State on Friday in the first round of tournament play. Though Ohio States won-out offensively and dominated in the first set, the Irish fought hard to keep it close in the last two. The team played a great season, notching 20 wins against 10 losses. This was their first time to advance to the NCAA tournament and earn 20 match wins in a season since 2009.
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Swimming and Diving: The no. 19 men's team closed out their fall slate at the Hawkeye Invitational over the weekend. Notre Dame earned an impressive second-place finish behind no. 1 Michigan. The Irish return to dual-meet competition on January 18th.
The women's team competed in the Ohio State Invitational over the weekend. Emma Reaney broke Notre Dame school records in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 breast, and 200 breast. Reaney won all but the 400 IM with her marks. Kim Holden also claimed the new school record in the 100 fly. With Kelly Ryan and Catherine Galletti, Holden and Reaney also claimed the 400 medley relay school record. The Irish came in fifth overall amid stiff competition - they came in on top of four ranked teams. In Iowa City at the Hawkeye Invitational, Jenny Chiang and Allison Casareto claimed 1st and 2nd in the 1-meter; Jenny Chiang won the 3-meter dive, as well. The women's team next hosts a tri-meet on January 11th and 12th.
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Basketball: The no. 5 women's team (5-0) conquered Central Michigan, 72-63, last Thursday. Skylar Diggins, who had been a bit quiet to open the season, notched 25 points in the first half and six steals. The Irish face Baylor Wednesday and Utah State Saturday, both at home.
The men's team sits at 6-1 on the season after claiming an impressive and much-celebrated home victory, 64-50, over defending national champion no. 8 Kentucky last Thursday night. The Irish outplayed the Wildcats. The court was rushed. Manti Te'o led the charge. It was a good night.
The Irish face Brown Saturday night at the Purcell Pavilion.
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We'll bring you updates again next week on the Notre Dame Olympic sports and help you to root for the Irish beyond those long-awaited and well-loved fall Saturdays. Go Irish.