The Week in Notre Dame Athletics: Fencing Takes the ACC Title

Without further ado, we bring you the results of the last week's Irish match-ups.

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Irish fencing absolutely dominated the ACC Championships this past weekend, claiming both the men's and women's team championships, sweeping the men's individual championships in all 3 weapon classes, and winning the women's individual championships in 2 of 3. Sophomore Virgile Collineau won the men's foil competition (with other ND foilists placing 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th); junior Garrett McGrath won men's epee; and freshman Jonathan Fitzgerald won men's sabre. ND senior Ariel DeSmet was named the ACC Championship MVP. You can see a great photo gallery from the event here.

The Irish women swept the competition in the team round; junior foilist and Olympian Lee Kiefer went undefeated in pool play, then advanced to be named the ACC Championship MVP and the individual foil champion (ND also took 2^nd and 3^rd); senior Nicole Ameli claimed the individual epee title against fellow Irish senior and captain Ashley Severson. Freshman Claudia Kulmacz came in 2^nd and freshman Jamie Norville finished 3^rd for ND in the individual women's sabre event. Check out the photo gallery of the championship tournament here.

The Irish compete at the USFA Division I National Championship in Reno, NV, this Friday through Monday.

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Irish hockey (14-15-5, 9-6-5) had a great road series vs. no. 2 Boston University over the weekend, walking away with a tie and a win. Friday night, Notre Dame played to a 2-2 draw behind goals from Jake Evans and Anders Bjork and the 34 saves of goalie Cal Peterson. The teams traded goals in the 2^nd after a scoreless 1^st period, then the Terriers pulled ahead, 2-1, early in the 3^rd. With just under 4 minutes to play, the Irish tied things up and left them that way through overtime.

On Saturday night, Cal Peterson made 44 saves in net for the Irish and the team earned a 3-2 win behind goals from Mario Lucia (with .1 seconds to go in the 1^st), Sam Herr (a power play goal midway through the 2^nd on a rebound), and Vince Hinostroza (a power play goal early in the 3^rd). ND is now tied for 3^rd in Hockey East. The Terriers took the score to 3-2 midway through the final stanza on their own power play, but the Irish held on for the win.

Notre Dame next hosts Boston College this Friday (7:35 p.m. ET, WatchND, NBCSN) and Saturday (6:05 p.m. ET, WatchND, NBCSN).

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Baseball (7-1) went 4-0 over the past week, continuing their very strong start to the season. At the Alamo Invitational, the Irish bested Incarnate Word, 14-1, Villanova, 8-1, Northwestern, 7-3, and Incarnate Word again in the tournament finale, 11-1.

The Irish next travel to Cary, NC, where they'll face East Carolina this Friday (5:35 p.m. ET, WatchND) then Seattle University on Saturday (1:05 p.m. ET, WatchND). Sunday, they face Penn State (11:05 a.m. ET, WatchND).

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No. 23 softball (9-5) went 4-1 on the road over the weekend. The Irish first bested Maryland, 8-6, then fell to no. 10 Tennessee, 8-4, to open the tournament; ND then shut out UNLV, 8-0, dominated no. 25 Texas, 5-1, and outplayed no 7/8 Georgia, 5-3

This Friday, the Irish travel to Kissimmee, FL, to face Missouri and Georgetown. Saturday, they'll play Maryland and Mississippi State, then Indiana on Sunday.

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No. 2 men's lacrosse (2-0) continued their strong start to the season with a huge 17-8 road win over Michigan last Saturday. Freshman Mikey Wynne led the Irish with 4 goals and an assist; Matt Kavanagh had 3 goals and 3 assists. Look for a game recap and preview of the team's next match from Paul Rigney later this week at OFD.

The Irish play Dartmouth at home this Saturday (1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3).

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No. 12 women's lacrosse (3-1) split their last week's matches, first slipping behind no. 19 Stanford on the road, 12-10, then overwhelming California, 17-7, to finish the team's west coast swing.

This Sunday, the Irish travel to Durham, NC, to play Duke (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3).

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No. 14 men's tennis fell to no. 9 Ohio State on Saturday, finishing just 6-1 vs. the Buckeyes. The Irish next host Illinois this Saturday (4:00 p.m. ET, WatchND) and Virginia on Sunday (11:00 a.m. ET, WatchND).

The no. 26 women's squad bested both Louisville, 4-3, and Pittsburgh, 4-3, on the road this past weekend. Friday afternoon, the Irish welcome Syracuse.

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Track & field finished up regular indoor season competition this past weekend, hosting the Alex Wilson Invitational. The Irish women earned 3^rd in the distance medley relay, notching the 4^th best national time of the season among a field that recorded 6 of the 12 best national times in the event on the year. The women also claimed 1^st in the shot put, the 60m hurdles, and the high jump, plus 4^th in the 4x400m relay, 3^rd and 4^th in the weight throw, and 5^th in the pole vault and triple jump. The men earned top finishes in the weight throw and high jump, plus 2^nd in the high jump, 3^rd in the 400m, weight throw, and pole vault, and 4^th in the 60m, weight throw, and long jump.

This Thursday through Saturday, the Irish head to the ACC Indoor Championships in Blacksburg, VA.

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Women's swimming and diving competed in the ACC Championships in Atlanta, GA, this past week. The team came in 6^th overall in a field of 13. Star Emma Reaney came in 1^st in the 100 breaststroke and 2^nd in the 200 breaststroke (1^st in the prelims); Danielle Margheret came in 10^th in the same event. Courtney Whyte came in 7^th in the 200 butterfly. The team clocked a large number of NCAA qualifying times in a range of events.

The women's swimmers will participate in the Last Chance Meet in West Lafayette, IN, this Sunday, before the NCAA Championships in mid-March.

The men's team finished up the regular season recently and sat the last few weeks out. The diving members of the team competed in the ACC Diving Championships over the past week, earning 10^th and 11^th-place finishes in the 1m event and 15^th and 17^th place-finishes in the 3m event in fields of 31, taking 5^th place as a team. The swimming squad heads to the ACC Championship beginning this Wednesday through Saturday.

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Women's golf began their spring season this past Sunday at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, AZ, where they finished a strong 3^rd overall in a field of 15. Up next, on the weekend of March 13^th, they Irish compete in the Clover Cup.

Men's golf competed in the Jones Invitational in Los Angeles, CA, this past Monday and Tuesday, and didn't fare too well in the spring season-opening match: they came in 14^th overall in a field of 15. They'll travel back to California for the Lamkin San Diego Classis on the 9^th and 10^th of March.

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No. 4 women's basketball (26-2, 13-1 ACC) claimed 2 wins over the past week, first downing Georgia Tech, 71-61. Jewell Loyd led the team with 31 points, with 23 of those coming in the 2^nd half after the Irish went into the half down 1.

Monday night, they bested no. 8 Louisville, 68-52, after a slow start and a 16-0 run in the 2^nd half. Loyd again led the team, this time with 20 points.

Here's some fun for you: all-American guards Jewell Loyd and Jerian Grant take each other on in a game of H.O.R.S.E. Loyd wins and Grant wants to go best of 3. Loyd wins again. Easy.

The Irish next play Pittsburgh at home on Thursday evening (7:00 p.m. ET, WatchND). Sunday afternoon, they play North Carolina State on the road (2:00 p.m. ET, WatchND, ESPN3).

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No. 9/8 men's basketball (24-5, 12-4 ACC) earned 2 more wins over the past week, outplaying Wake Forest at home, 88-75 (check out our game review here), and Boston College on the road, 87-70 (check out our game review here). Tuesday night, the Irish confronted Syracuse at Notre Dame and fell, 65-60.

After the coming weekend off, the men next travel to Louisville next Wednesday evening (7:00 p.m. ET, WatchND, ESPN2).

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We'll bring you updates again next week on how Notre Dame's Olympic sports are faring. For now, go Irish. Beat everybody.