Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, September 23, 2016

Leprechaun highlights journey

Joe Fennessy reflects on what role as football leprechaun means to him

By COURTNEY BECKER news writer

For junior Joe Fennessy, being the notre d ame leprechaun is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

“i didn’t really have too much of a purpose freshman year,” he said. “i went to sports all the time. They used to count points for going to sports, so i came second in the school for that and i was always at the games, but this finally gave me an opportunity to be part of a team again with cheerleading. … it was a great outlet for being a lunatic. it’s been awesome.”

Fennessy wasn’t sure whether or not he would try

| The Observer

suspect package found at galvin

Observer Staff Report

police officers responded to a call about a suspicious package in the bushes on the south side of the galvin life sciences center on Thursday afternoon, university spokesperson dennis brown said.

a passerby noticed the container around 1:30 p.m. and contacted notre dame security police (ndsp), who roped off the area, brown said. south bend and state police were called in to see pacKage paGe 8 see leprechaun paGe 7

Joe Fennessy interacts with the crowd at Notre Dame Stadium. This year,

advanced from his previous role as the leprechaun for all non-football or men’s basketball games.

A.V.I.D. students arrive on campus

By NATALIE WEBER news writer

s ome students at n otre

d ame may have been raised life-long Fighting i rish fans by alumni parents, while others may not have considered n otre d ame as an option until their senior year of high school. n ine years from now, when the members of the c lass of 2029 begin their freshmen year at n otre d ame, some students may achieve their dream of attending n otre d ame that was first inspired by their elementary school.

This weekend, a llison s ilva’s fourth-grade class from Taylor l eadership a cademy in s tockton, c alifornia, will be visiting n otre d ame as a part of their college awareness program, which seeks to help low-income students prepare for college.

“ i work for s tockton unified at an a v i d school, and a v i d. stands for a dvancement v ia i ndividual

d etermination,” s ilva said.

“ w hat their platform is, is basically targeting low income areas where students will be the first generation in their family to go to college and just targeting practices that will help prepare them, get them ready and sort of close that gap of knowledge that they might not have.”

s ilva’s class chose to adopt n otre d ame as a part of their college awareness program.

“o ur school, Taylor l eadership a cademy, took it a step further and we had each classroom adopt a college,” said s ilva. “ i sort of presented a bunch to my class five years ago now and they just fell in love with that leprechaun. i tried to push my own college and it just did not work, and ever since then we’ve been n otre d ame.”

The class participated in various research projects and activities to learn about the college and the opportunities it offered. i t has its

see a v i d paGe 8

Community remembers Sister Agnes Anne

By MARTHA REILLY a ssociate saint mary’s editor

Though she graduated from s aint m ary’s in 1951, s ister a gnes a nne r oberts could not stay away, returning to campus 33 years later to serve as c hief o perating o fficer for h oly c ross s ervices c orporation. i n a similar way, her joyful, loving spirit will never truly leave the c ollege, though she died at the age of 89 last Friday.

s tudents were notified of her death through an email from p resident Jan c ervelli last Friday. a ccording to the email, r oberts lived a selfless life full of many ministries, including a 30-year career as a registered dietician, service with s aint m argaret’s h ouse, a center for women and children, and volunteer work for p roject h aiti, a non-profit organization that raises money for medical facilities and state-of-the-art resources in h aiti.

“ h er service … exemplified the c ollege’s mission to prepare women for lives of leadership and action,” c ervelli said. “ i n my short time here, s ister a gnes a nne was a mentor, a friend and a model of what a s ister should be.”

The c hurch of o ur l ady of l oretto will host r oberts’ wake s aturday as well as a mass m onday.

Kindred Spirit

c aroline r ech, class of 2016, said an alumna from her hometown insisted she meet r oberts once she arrived on campus. Feeling homesick and lonely her first week in college, r ech contacted her and asked to talk, without any idea

this initial conversation would spark an enduring friendship.

“a t first she was just a sweet old woman who i appreciated visiting with and dining with in the convent dining room,” r ech said. “ b ut it developed into much more during my four years. s he became my family at s aint m ary’s.”

s he said r oberts constantly praised others for their successes and exuded positivity in all circumstances.

“ s he was the one person who i was most excited to see every time i returned to campus and the one person i wanted to tell after receiving a good test score or accomplishing something,” r ech said. “ i came to love her very much, and i believe that feeling was mutual.” w hen r ech couldn’t find any friends to eat with on her 22nd birthday, she walked over to the convent

see sisTer paGe 6

Fax: (574) 631-6927

Advertising (574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com

Editor-in-Chief (574) 631-4542 mhynds@nd.edu

Managing Editor (574) 631-4542 kmullen2@nd.edu

Assistant Managing Editors (574) 631-4541 acarson1@nd.edu, zklonsin@nd.edu, ckossler@nd.edu

Business Office (574) 631-5313

News Desk (574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com

Viewpoint Desk (574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

Sports Desk (574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com

Scene Desk (574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com

Saint Mary’s Desk ncaratas01@saintmarys.edu

Photo Desk (574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com

Systems & Web Administrators (574) 631-8839

Policies The

Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

Where’s the most inconvenient class location?

Asby Martin freshman Keenan hall “debartolo hall.”

Colleen O’Mahoney senior badin hall “pasquerilla center.”

Emily Clements junior pasquerilla west hall “stinson-remick.”

Ethan Locicero sophomore st. edward’s hall “dpac.”

Federico Ivanissevich freshman dunne hall “coleman-morse.”

Gabe Gaspar junior stanford hall “Jordan.”

Pinwheels made by Saint Mary’s students fill Alumnae Green, outside the Student Center. The display was part of the College’s festivities to celebrate the International Day of Peace on Tuesday, along with prayer cards and a moment of peace.

Corrections

The observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. we do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. i f we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.

Friday

Men’s Soccer vs.

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The Irish take on the Orange.

ND Volleyball vs. Louisville Purcell Pavilion

7 p.m. -

Sunday

Monday

Lecture: “Sisterhood, Social Justice and Scholarship” O’Laughlin Auditorium

7:30 p.m. Event is ticketed.

Presidential Debate Watch South Quad

1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

The Irish take on the Panthers.

Tuesday

Open Campaign Organizing Meetings Geddes Hall

1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. For those interested in racial justice.

Lecture: “Plasma: From Lightning to Medical Applications Jordan Hall of Science

9 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Location is weatherpermitting.

College to use Sr. Madaleva’s walking stick

By MADELINE GREELY and GINA TWARDOSZ news writers

o ne of the most influential presidents at s aint m ary’s, s r. m adeleva wolff, was known for hand-carving wooden walking sticks.

p resident Jan c ervelli has been keen on bringing back wolff’s legacy with the reintroduction of s r. m adeleva’s walking stick. s he said the walking stick will be a symbol of all that s aint m ary’s has to offer.

“ s r. m adeleva’s walking stick will now be a part of our official ceremonies, serving as a symbol of s aint m ary’s highest ideals, established and still modeled by the s isters of the h oly c ross,” she said.

Joseph i ncandela, associate dean of faculty, said p resident c ervelli initiated the use of the walking stick.

“ p resident c ervelli made the decision to use it,” he said. “ o nce she made the decision to use it, what i did was bring over five walking sticks … and she chose s r. m adeleva’s favorite.”

The walking stick is used in place of a traditional

college mace, i ncandela said. a mace is a stylized, ceremonial club used by most colleges to begin processions where the president of the college is involved.

“a women’s college could do better than having a mace, because the symbol is male and kind of violent,” he said.

The walking stick is a better symbol for s aint m ary’s, i ncandela said. The walking stick itself has come to symbolize both past, present and future of the c ollege.

“ r eally, [the mace] is a way to present authority with an implied threat,” he said.

“That is something we don’t want, along with a symbol from the c ollege’s past, that is sort of on the opposite end of the spectrum, and much more humble this notion of promising discovery and then having a walking stick which is the kind of thing that people use when they explore, so to the extent that the president is there to lead exactly that, it seemed a much more appropriate symbol.

“Then when you add in all the other parts, it was part of our past, with s r. m adeleva,

and the particular stick, the actual stick, the actual hawthorn tree, was cut from a tree on campus and this whole idea was that she saw this branch or stump of a tree, she thought wasn’t gonna survive and so she repurposed it and used it for useful end.”

The metaphor goes even further, i ncandela said, with various associations, including a theory that the thorns on the hawthorn tree were used for c hrist’s crown of thorns and is associated with m ary.

c eremonial maces are only used in official college ceremonies, i ncandela said — most specifically, presidential inaugurations.

“ u sually, where i would say it would be used, is in official college ceremonies at which the president resides, appropriate matriculations, honors convocation, commencement and inauguration — it will probably be a part of that,” he said. “For inaugurations, the custom is the mace would precede the outgoing president, but on the way out it precedes the newly-installed president.”

i ncandela said he hopes the walking stick remains a part of the c ollege’s future. w hile c ervelli did choose to utilize the walking stick as a mace, the walking stick is not entirely hers — it’s everyone’s.

“ i hope it’s a symbol that lasts,” he said. “ i hope it’s part of the c ollege’s history. n othing i ’ve said is unique to p resident c ervelli, in terms of the symbolism and the ties to the c atholic heritage for p resident c ervelli, the fact that she is a landscape architect and that she has made sustainability a significant part of what she wants to emphasize, it’s all the more appropriate, these things unique to her that make this symbol appropriate. m ost of what it’s about, [however], goes beyond p resident c ervelli.”

s tudents can get involved and view several of s r. m adeleva’s walking sticks in the archives at m adeleva m emorial. The actual ceremonial walking stick resides in p resident c ervelli’s office in l e m ans h all. Finally, students can take it a step further and view the actual trees where s r.

m adeleva took her branch for the walking stick from, as hawthorn trees are still on campus. g rounds manager m ark Kubacki, trained by the grounds manager hired by s r. m adeleva, said that two hawthorn trees remain on s aint m ary’s campus.

“[The trees are] east of r egina h all between the building and the sidewalk, and also west of the c ushwa- l eighton l ibrary,” he said.

a t the annual forum address, c ervelli said she hopes the stick comes to symbolize all of s aint m ary’s, past, present and future.

“ s tepping into the unknown can be as scary as it is exciting,” she said. “ b ut i hope that s r. m adeleva’s walking stick will be a connection to our past that supports us all as we strive to build a future worthy of what we’ve inherited. i t’s not a crutch, it’s a guide. i know i ’ll be leaning on it, and on all of you, as we step off into a new academic year.”

Contact Madeline Greely at mgreely01@saintmarys.edu and Gina Twardosz at gtwardosz01@saintmarys.edu

and shared a celebratory meal with r oberts, she said. r ech said s ister a gnes a nne’s welcoming presence made s aint m ary’s feel like home.

“ i loved her laugh,” r ech said. “ i t was almost more of a cackle, just so hearty and full of joy. … i t didn’t matter what was going on with her. s he was always joking and laughing.”

Hope in adversity

r ech said r oberts battled through cancer, a fall and a car accident during their four-year friendship, though she never let any suffering or weakness show.

“ s he was the energizer bunny,” r ech said. “a nd through that whole time, i always saw her with a smile on her face. s he was always more concerned about others and ready to share a laugh.”

Just a few weeks before she died, r oberts called r ech to tell her that the husband of one of her nurses was from n ebraska, r ech’s home state.

“That’s just one example of how she was thinking

of others, even in her final days,” r ech said. “ h er whole life was devoted to helping others, and i was fortunate enough to be one of those people.”

r ech said r oberts’s selfless love permanently touched her mind and heart.

“ e very time that i return to s aint m ary’s, i will think of her,” she said. “ i hope that my life can emulate hers in my service to others and in my faith.”

a ll in the details

r oberts went to great lengths to make sure students and faculty were inspired to do their best work on campus, according to her good friend s ister m r ose

a nne s chultz.

“ s he took care to bring beauty to the surroundings and environment for all to enjoy,” s chultz said.

“ w hether it was obtaining artwork for a new building, making holiday preparations or creating a sacred space in a nook within the convent, she brought thoughtful style to the decor so that the mission of s isters would be ever present, as well as comfort to the users of the space.”

v ice president for mission Judith Fean said r oberts

would often stroll into her office and ask if she could redecorate.

“ i came to know it wasn’t decoration, but images, pictures or symbols conveying a deeper meaning of faith, of the c ross, of hope,” she said. “There isn’t a place on campus that hasn’t been touched by s ister a gnes a nne’s expertise and care for s aint m ary’s c ollege.”

Fean said r oberts’s profound impact on the c ollege can never be undone or replicated.

“ e veryday, i see her picture right outside my office along with the other pictures of all the b oard of Trustees,” Fean said. “ i know someday in the future i will find the picture gone, but s ister a gnes a nne’s spirit will remain forever with me and with the s aint m ary’s community.”

Love for neighbor

r oberts encouraged all those she interacted with to think critically about how much they were doing to help others, Fean said.

“ s he invited all of us to get to know our neighbors, to see the face of c hrist in the poor,” she said. “They may be poor financially, but i learned from s ister a gnes a nne that my neighbors

taught me what hope in the cross means on a daily basis.”

a ccording to s chultz, r oberts felt compelled to serve those in need because she surrendered to g od’s will in her everyday life.

“ s he will be remembered as someone who worked as if everything depended on her and lived like everything depended on g od,” she said.

“ s he was generous with her time and tried to fulfill all requests for assistance.”

r oberts approached life with joy, perseverance and resilience, despite any personal struggles or illnesses, Fean said.

“ s he loved the sun, and even during her final days with us, the sun peered through the window and covered her face,” she said. “ i t was as if g od’s shining rays once again revealed the beauty of her life.”

Contact Martha Reilly at mreilly01@saintmarys.edu

Leprechaun

out to be a leprechaun at first, he said, but once he got comfortable during the tryout process he knew he was a good fit for the job.

“There’s a bunch of cheerleaders in stanford hall, so i approached some of them … and they said to come out for [tryouts],” he said. “i had a lot of fun. … The last 15 minutes to half-hour are a spontaneous event. The first day i did it there was a dance-off, and i knew i could bust some moves.”

Fennessy spent his sophomore year as a notre dame leprechaun who handles sporting events other than football and men’s basketball — a role currently filled by junior Tom helios — and one Fennessy considers just as valuable an experience as the position he

is in now.

“no matter what level you are, what sport you’re doing, you mean a lot to some people,” he said. “They are crazy happy to see you. you forget how happy a single person can make someone sometimes, so that’s always a cool thing to see someone light up.”

being suited up as the leprechaun on campus during home football game weekends, however, is a completely new and overwhelming experience for Fennessy. h is game day starts at 9:30 a.m. for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff time and is extremely action-packed, he said.

“p retty much all day it’s a ton of photo ops,” Fennessy said. “g oing from location to location can be crazy so the male cheerleaders form a pod around me and the female cheerleaders line up and we kind of maneuver the crowds doing that.”

Fennessy said he appreciates the support his teammates on the cheerleading squad offer him during these weekends.

“They’re fantastic,” he said. “They’re my teammates, my bodyguards, my friends.”

not that Fennessy minds fan interactions. They’re his favorite part of the job, he said, particularly interactions with kids.

“a nytime you see little kids it’s a blast,” Fennessy said. “s ome of them will hug you or they’ll ask for autographs, cool things like that; some of them will run away from you, so little kids are awesome.”

Fennessy said the moments that really stand out, however, are the ones that have a visibly profound effect on a fan.

“The other day … there was a lady and her child clearly had a disability, he was in a wheelchair, and we were in our pod, cruising through campus, trying to get from point a to point b and she asked for a picture,” he said. “o f course we immediately stopped and we all took a picture, myself and the cheerleaders, and she actually started crying, so that was a pretty cool interaction just to see how much it means to some people.”

Fennessy said he also has some positive memories of run-ins with away fans, who are often just as excited to see him as notre dame fans are.

“away fans and i definitely take a lot of pictures and have some good banter,” he said. “i make sure to always keep them on their toes. i’ll throw some shade on them or at first sometimes i’ll be like, ‘no chance,’ and then be like, ‘Just kidding, get in here, let’s take a photo.’

i’ve never had a bad interaction with away fans.”

once he makes it to the football field on game days, Fennessy said he most looks forward to leading the team out of the tunnel and pumping up the student section.

“i get psyched for the moments before the football team runs out of the tunnel,” he said. “ w hen the student section gets rocking, like when we were coming back against m ichigan state, i was losing my mind pretty bad.”

even as the leprechaun, though, Fennessy is not immune to the disappointments every fan experiences when something doesn’t go notre dame’s way.

“i take it hard when we get scored on,” he said. “i don’t pretend to be happy when things aren’t going well, and it’s great because i can be myself, i can be the leprechaun and i keep things positive, of course, but i’m just as much losing my mind as anyone else, if not more.”

Fennessy said the hardest part of being the leprechaun is simply spending all day smiling for pictures, but he has come up with a solution for this problem.

“you’ve got to be happy because every time you’re in the suit you’re representing notre dame, so sometimes it hurts to smile,” he said. “Then i’ll go with my serious leprechaun face, instead.”

a fter experiencing two home games already, Fennessy is still in awe of the power the leprechaun suit has to turn him into a public figure.

“it’s cool to think that you are one of the biggest faces of notre dame by being a lunatic that dresses up in a green suit,” he said. “i’m just a 21-year-old kid that’s like everyone else, but i throw on a green suit sometimes.”

Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu

own Twitter account, which caught the university’s attention, and in 2015, the class was featured as a part of the First Time Fans documentary series, helping instigate its visit to notre dame. angeline Johnson, clubs program director for the notre dame alumni association, helped organize the trip.

“There were a number of people who were involved in making that original documentary and people who viewed it that really wanted to see this dream come true for the class and bring all of them out here,” she said. “i think there were a number of people involved in that, and we were able to bring them all together and start talking about logistics and how to fund all that.”

w hen students first heard they would be visiting notre dame, many thought it was just a prank.

“we thought they were just playing but then when it was coming close, we were like ‘w hat? never mind, they’re not playing’,” said nyah buntun, one of silva’s students. “we all thought the same thing and ms. silva was trying to trick us. w hen we found out that we were really coming here, like some of us started crying, some of us were bursting into tears.”

“i just got excited and started jumping around,” Fernando lopez said. “i couldn’t sleep that night.”

“i was really excited and i just really wanted to get over here quick,” Jayden gallardo said.

Johnson said the class will be participating in a number of tours and activities during their visit. in addition to visiting sights such as the basilica and the dome, the students will have sideline passes during the duke vs. notre dame football game and will get to meet both university president Fr. John Jenkins and football head coach brian Kelly.

“i think i really want to see the grotto because all the candles are really pretty,” rose her said.

“i’m looking forward to seeing the golden dome up close,” nikki vang said.

many students said notre dame has been hospitable and helped inspire them.

“we are notre dame fans because they invited us to their college, they help us, they give us stuff and we write letters to them, we tweet them. we just really love notre dame,” alasia gorman said.

“before we met ms. silva, before we were in her class, some of us, i think it was one person who asked what was college,” nyah said.

“The rest of us knew what college was but we were all talking about it and almost half the class said they didn’t know if they were going to go to notre dame.

“after ms. silva heard that, she started trying to get notre dame within our reach by dreaming, dreaming big and working hard and being a good person because she’s really introduced that to us. That’s why i think we’ve become notre dame fans.”

Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu

LoVOI | The Observer

The visiting fourth-grade students mingle as they prepare for dinner at O’Brien’s in Compton Family Ice Arena on Thursday.

con T inued From page 1

assist. officers finished assessing the situation and reopened the area around 2:15 p.m.

brown said police identified the container as a cooler containing food and beverages.

“The passerby who alerted ndsp to the cooler did exactly the right thing,” brown said. “a nytime anyone on campus

sees something that seems out of place or out of the ordinary, it’s best to call ndsp and let them check it out.”

some faculty members and staff received email alerts about the situation, but students did not receive any notice of the incident. brown said messages were sent to the student email list but failed to actually reach students.

The office of information Technologies (oiT) is investigating the problem, brown said.

iNSide CoLumN

straight, not

narrow

my birthday was sept. 10, and it was a very special day — the opening home football game against nevada, turning 19, spending time with friends, singing from tailgate to tailgate with harmonia, notre dame’s all-female a cappella group. it was great.

and it was special in a new way too, as someone special to me was visiting: my girl-friend. (whoa!)

she and i are both from the bay area of northern california, and for the most part, on every date or slightly public romantic display of affection, people back home hardly bat an eye. it isn’t jokingly called the gay area for nothing. my pansexuality has never been a source of nervousness or distress or challenge to my identity back home. i consider myself very lucky to have been born into a family and community that was always supportive of me, no matter who i may have liked. when i told my parents, it was almost anticlimactic; they were really only interested in the amazing, intelligent, beautiful and empowering individual that i wanted to introduce to them and share with them.

but let’s be real, last weekend i was nervous. This was my girl’s first notre dame visit, and it was the best birthday gift i could dream of. but i became self-conscious about where i go to school, out here at a conservative, catholic institution in the midwest. while i knew that more or less, my friends would be chill, in my mind i had concluded that this was not normal, and that we had to act like “friends from home” so as not to attract too much attention. notre dame in my mind was overwhelmingly straight and presumably very narrow. by this, i mean that i thought everyone would be close-minded. That since this school is (predominantly) straight, it would also be narrow. and in considering a game weekend, when the school is crawling with fans, alumni and parents, i was even more insecure.

but then a weird thing happened.

with each friend that i effectively came out to in the weeks before her visit, hardly an eye was batted or a confused question asked. They were just excited to hear more about her. i had a pent up assumption that the whole process would be trying and difficult, but to my surprise, it wasn’t. wow. when game day rolled around, there were multiple people in my a cappella group and friend groups that still didn’t know. That morning, i decided a little off-the-cuff that i would just say “screw it” and not try to hide her or myself or us as a unit. what did i have to be ashamed of? “haters gonna hate,” i told myself, as i prepared for the range of confused to bigoted responses we might receive.

but again, i was wrong.

with each interaction that started with a super friendly, “hi! are you friends from back home?” i responded with a, “hey, yeah, this is my girl-friend! she’s visiting this weekend from out of town!” and this is where it got weird. They loved her. To them, it was as if this wasn’t anything new, this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary; their responses were as if i was introducing my long-distance boy-friend. They were excited and interested and respectful and nice. so, here’s the thing. i owe you an apology, notre dame community. i made assumptions about you, all of you. i assumed the worst. i assumed that being me, being myself and introducing someone significant to me would be a disaster.

and i was wrong.

notre dame community, you did amazingly. and i’m sorry i made assumptions about you based on our location and demographics. i’m sorry i assumed that you would only like parts of me and not the whole. i’m so happy that i was proven wrong. so often, as a member of the queer community, i expect that you will make assumptions about us. i expect close-mindedness because of just one aspect of my identity. but you know what, notre dame? i was the one making assumptions, and i was the one who turned out wrong. while i know that as an institution and community we aren’t perfect, and there are many of us that have not had the same experience that i had last weekend, i’m so proud to say that i go to a school that may be predominantly straight but is not predominantly narrow. stay golden, notre dame. let’s work together to make this a community where we aren’t surprised by inclusivity, but rather expect it and celebrate it. love always, lauren

Football Playoff-Hopes:

Sept. 4, 2016 -

Sept.

17, 2016

to viruses he was unable to beat.

Football playoff-hopes passed away saturday in south bend after a hard-fought battle with vangordric disease. he was just three games old.

The son of overly-optimistic sports writers and unrealistic fan expectations, playoffhopes is survived by siblings men’s basketball playoff-hopes and women’s basketball playoff-hopes, to whom disgruntled students and alumni now graft their championship aspirations.

playoff-hopes was born sept. 4 in south bend before his family moved to austin, Texas. Forced to grow up quickly, playoffhopes experienced a concerning youth in austin, having trouble adjusting to the heat while also trying to split time at both the Kizer and Zaire households, due to a undetermined custody agreement.

playoff-hopes’ medical problems continued into adulthood, as his immune system proved unable to defend itself against deep threats and the running game alike.

consequently, playoff-hopes moved back to south bend where he enjoyed a brief period of health and prosperity. having watched playoff-hopes easily dispatch the common wolf pack cold, those closest to him believed he had put his ailments behind him.

Friends and family of playoff-hopes attest that optimism surrounding his health was high as he looked to start treatment for his recurring vangordric disease.

however, tragedy struck saturday as systems gave out at approximately 10:25 p.m. local time.

doctors attempted to save playoff-hopes by calling in expert surgeon deshone Kizer; ultimately, Kizer was unable to save playoff-hopes.

doctors said they were surprised by playoffhopes’ deteriorated health, as his siblings seem to not have similar immune deficiencies. doctors did point out, however, that playoff-hopes’ stepfather, charlie weis, had similar immunodeficiency concerns, and postulated the lingering alimony payments sent to weis may have exposed playoff-hopes

Friends and family of playoff-hopes’ revealed his dream of making it to the college Football playoff and reliving the glory of his ancestors by winning the national championship.

Those close to him said he was a happy-golucky type of guy, always looking at the bright side of life even while the odds of national championship crumbled around him

“i think the important thing about playoffhopes is that he really tried his best,” disappointed alumnus no. 364 said. “because that’s really all he had going for him, especially with a disease as vicious as vangordric”

“The thing i most respected about playoffhopes was that he always made me feel something,” goirish1842@hotmail.com said. “granted, most of that feeling was me yelling at the television and thus alienating my family, but at least i felt something.”

“it’s just sad to see him go so soon,” playoffhopes’ father, Football playoff-hopes sr., said. “i mean, september hasn’t even ended. ... my vangordric’s didn’t flare up until the end of november, but i guess it was just his time to go.”

“i think he’s got a really good chance of making it through,” the always passionate lou holtz, former notre dame football coach, said after receiving the unfortunate news. “This is just a temporary setback.”

during his lifetime, playoff-hopes lived in austin and south bend, where he was a practicing member of the catholic church.

he will be especially remembered for increasing the number of angry messages on comment boards and family group chats by more than 9,000 percent.

The service for playoff-hopes will be announced in due course, but will likely take place in late december somewhere warm, perhaps at the Tax slayer bowl in Jacksonville, Florida.

charitable donations in his memory may be made out to the Knute rockne school for Kids w ho can’t play Football good and want to learn to do other Things good, Too.

“at my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them” (2 Timothy 4:16).

m rs. brown and m r. brown in south bend

professor menes said to me, “Talent will burn out, soon, but faith will not. That’s what keeps us writing.”

do you remember mrs. brown? The old woman we met two weeks ago through virginia woolf. she sits in the corner of a train from richmond to waterloo, whose feet, in their “clean little boots, scarcely touched the floor,” but “gathers herself with superb dignity.”

mr. brown is her husband. he went to the same college with mrs. brown, and that was how they met. his real home, however, is china. mrs. brown calls her husband yuan, his real name.

on their first date — he remembers it clearly — they sat down in a cafe on campus. mrs. brown wore a navy blue sleeveless top and a marylebone skirt, her eyes fixed on a thick book, her legs crossed, her hair half-covering her bare shoulders. he remembered staring at her and praying that she would look up and their eyes would meet and their destiny would be written. but mrs. brown did not. and for that, he liked her.

“hi, are you rebecca?”

“yes, i am. you are yuan?”

The date went well. she asked him why he asked her out. he was a little thrown off by the question. blushed, he told her he thought she was cute. nothing more? eh, not at the time i asked you out, no, but … he paused as he saw her face darkened.

“do you have a dream, yuan?” what a question to ask on a first date. she did not wait for him to answer. “i want to

eliminate poverty,” she said, staring into his eyes. he looked at her, marveling at her courage — it takes effort to dream; it takes even more to reveal your dream to another. she did both. he remembered a line from his favorite book, “The english patient:” “new lovers are nervous and tender, but smash everything. For the heart is an organ of fire.” Then he saw that fire in her eyes. it was the fire of resolution and idealism; it was also the fire, unfortunately, as he was taught back in china, that would soon be quenched by reality. however, looking into her eyes, he saw youth, and that was the moment when the crush transformed into love. he loved her, and he loved her soonto-be-shattered dreams too. The fire in her eyes blessed her with a kind of superb dignity, a phrase another women would use to describe his wife many years later. it turned out that what he was taught in china was partly right and partly not right. as she slowly realized the societal pressure to get a job, pay off the rent and raise a child, she heard her dreams crushing. many nights he would mention that maybe it is time for her to conform, to settle down. yet she would not listen. so she took off. she was going to chicago from south bend, and from chicago, she would take an international flight that he didn’t know of to another continent. he did not know when she would be back. neither did she. “it is not an end, yuan. it is a new beginning, for both of us,” she waved him goodbye. he kissed her on the cheek as she shed a few tears. it was the strangest feeling – he felt like he was kissing himself. a random photographer at the train station took a picture of them and said they were a beautiful couple. he felt the emptiness in the bedroom every day. her departure eternalized that fire of dream in her eyes, like a

Shack unshaken

on our usual walk to Fe y a legria elementary in l ima, peru, my site partner simon and i were asked an unusual question. it came from a geography professor from the university of oklahoma, who filmed local stories worldwide for his independent movie projects. “hey, guys! i’m heading to ‘la bendicion de una casa!’ wanna come?”

simon and i exchanged unsure looks. saying no would mean another exhilarating yet exhausting day at the school. saying yes would mean potentially getting kidnapped by a foreigner we just met … or an unexpected adventure.

so, of course, we said yes.

a fter a 10-minute drive in surprisingly minimal peruvian traffic, we arrived for the house blessing. but where was the house? a ll i saw was a shack not much larger than my a lumni hall dorm room, with a mere tin roof for a ceiling and no furniture or flooring whatsoever except for the loose bricks and rocks around the periphery to hold the thin wooden planks in place. a group of university of oklahoma college students as well as unusually tall and strong fifth-graders from the local elementary school were already working inside. simon and i soon joined in, shoveling the dirtburied boulders in a waste pile out back and shifting the many brick bases together so that the wooden walls would stand and stay sturdy, in the face of time and potentially even earthquakes. a s i did my best to dig up the many pebbles and rocks, sticks and stones from barren ground, it hit me:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the

streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. but everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash” (matthew 7:24-27).

in frantic english and jumbled spanish, i began to announce all those around me my revelation: not only did this passage describe this very kind of house with its rock and brick foundation, but it just so happened to be the daily reading i had just heard earlier that morning, at the 5:45 a.m. spanish mass in the san Jose house chapel that i was doing my absolute best to remain awake, alert and attentive for.

of course, the reaction i got wasn’t all too jeering. e xcept for the priest and presider, padre a lfredo, who seemed taken aback, but equally by the depth of this mysterious “coincidence,” and the fact that i had mistakenly mixed up the word in spanish which means brick (ladrillo) for the word in spanish which means thief (ladron)!

before the official blessing began, the peruvian students exchanged jokes, dance moves and school anthems with us “gringo” a merican students. in addition to chanting the notre dame victory march with full heart and voice, simon and i found ourselves tangoing together yet again with such overdramatic hip swerving and hand flailing even shakira would have been jealous. a fter a few more of these ever-memorable moments of unexpected cross-cultural connection, it was time. The owner of the house was standing out front, a

bell, waking him up every morning. he wanted to fill the empty space but did not know what to put in — after all, he has never been a dreamer. For her, difference should be celebrated and ideas, good or bad, must be heard. he did not know how to adopt that mindset. america is quite different from where he was brought up, where everyone has every right to judge you.

“you see, being a writer is so much easier than living as a writer,” his creative writing professor told him. in his poor, listening heart, ripples of joy became waves.

and so after her departure, he became a writer, to seek meaning and beauty between lines, and among words. he thinks it is a safe medium because in this country, in this era, almost every form of writing is appreciated.

a couple of weeks ago, he wrote about her, whom he loves, admires, and in some ways, always tries to become. he published his article and received lovely comments, saying that he taught the readers how to appreciate another’s beauty and recognize the integrity in humanity itself. on a bright morning in his room, he read those comments. Then suddenly he heard her voice, outside the window calling his name, “yuan, i am back.”

Rebecca Feng is a senior at Notre Dame, double majoring in accounting and English, but traveling and living abroad is her real education. She read Shakespeare and old English poems in Scotland last semester and interned at Forbes Magazine Asia business channel in New York this summer. Email her at yfeng2@nd.edu for story ideas and comments.

The views expressed in theis column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

beautiful, middle-aged mother who was trying to collect her two tiny kids skipping and scootering to her side. i watched as padre a lfredo commenced the ceremony in the name of the Father, son and holy spirit before the quite considerable crowd that had gathered, including many neighbors and friends down the street or perhaps beyond.

in no time, we were all singing the classic “Juntos como hermanos,” one of my favorite spanish liturgical songs. Then, padre read aloud the parable. The one that had entered my ears for more than two decades, but could only now finally make its way to my heart. Finally, taking a few white roses and dipping them in holy water, padre blessed that precarious shack that was built on the permanent cornerstone of love. yet just before the hot sandwich and sweet tea celebration broke out, the owner of the house was asked to say a few words. silence and stillness fell as she started to speak, smiling back tears. she simply thanked all her family and friends, all her neighbors and all of us, assuring us that she and her children would be happy in this little house that was now a home. a nd i’ll never forget what i saw when she looked at me: the face of pure gratitude. That kind of rare yet radical gratefulness taught me that no matter what rains come down, storms rise and winds blow on the house of my life, each and every supportive stone, robust rock and even precious pebble upon which i now stand and build myself, is always worth being thankful for.

Greg

22

Happy Birthday : Keep track and document what’s been going on so that you can move forward with clarity and the common sense needed to make wise choices in the future. c arrying emotional baggage is toxic and can spoil any attempts you make to grow spiritually, emotionally and mentally. b e open and receptive to new beginnings. your numbers are 8, 11, 16, 29, 34, 37, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): e mbrace change and jump at a chance to travel, learn something new or spend more time with someone you love. l ife is about experience and doing the things that make you happy. d on’t miss out -- follow your dreams.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): hard work will bring about good fortune. s et goals and don’t look back. The achievements you can make through networking, interviews and business meetings will get you moving in a profitable direction. g et what you want in writing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): p ut greater emphasis on how you do things and present yourself. Take a close look at what you have to offer to others. d on’t complain or criticize when positive suggestions will help you move forward without tension.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): s omeone you work with will withhold information or limit what you can do. use your imagination and you will find a way to outmaneuver anyone who tries to make you look bad. speak with authority and only divulge what’s necessary.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): g et involved in a fundraiser that will help you make new acquaintances. d on’t donate cash to others, but offer to pitch in and help instead. your physical presence will make the biggest difference and bring the highest rewards.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): a n emotional mistake will set you back. you have to choose your direction based on your needs, not what someone else wants. d on’t argue, just do what you know in your heart is best for you. a partnership will require time and space.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Knowledge will be the stimulant you need to spark your imagination and take you on a visual trip to future prospects. e xpress your desires and put a plan together to bring about positive changes to the way you look and feel.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): p ut your time, effort and money into something that benefits you. d on’t try to buy someone else’s love. use your experience to help you bring about positive changes at home that will add to your comfort and convenience.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): d o what you can to make the changes that will make you feel good and look your best. Trying to change others will backfire and lead to arguments. Focus on progress and expanding your awareness and your standard of living.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): e motions and moneymaking won’t mix well. you have to separate your feelings when it comes to contracts, negotiations and legal matters. Focus on what you know works, not what others tell you. c harity begins at home.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): s et your goals and don’t stop until you are satisfied with what you accomplish. b e careful not to take on too much. i f someone asks you for help, offer suggestions instead of time or money.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): a change in your standard of living is apparent. a financial gain, gift or offer is heading in your direction. helping someone in need will be rewarded handsomely. a joint venture looks promising and profitable.

Birthday Baby: you are adaptable, sensitive and expressive. you are productive and confident.

Stop scheduling the Bison

Ryan Klaus sports writer

This past s aturday, n orth d akota s tate defeated then- n o. 13 i owa 23-21 on a game-winning field goal as time expired.

The upset should not have surprised anyone familiar with the team, as it was nothing but a mundane outcome for the b ison, who — despite competing at ncaa’s F cs level — extended their winning streak against teams in college football’s top level to six straight.

n ow, i am not here to indulge in the pointless argument that n orth d akota s tate is good enough to be a part of the F bs . b esides their six straight wins against F bs teams, n orth d akota s tate has won five straight championships at its current F cs level and — as the current top-ranked F cs team — are favored to also extend that streak to six at season’s end. c arson wentz, who led the b ison to their two most recent championships, was drafted n o. 2 overall in last a pril’s n F l d raft and is already making an impact at the top professional level for his 2-0 p hiladelphia e agles.

w hile it is obvious that n orth d akota s tate should be competing regularly at the F bs level, i am truly dumbfounded at how the h awkeyes and other F bs teams have continuously agreed to include the b ison on their schedules. n orth d akota s tate represents the epitome of a team that any contender should try to bypass in their schedulemaking process. n ot only do the b ison represent a realistic, if not probable, chance of defeat for F bs opponents, there are also only marginal benefits in terms of impressing the c ollege

Football p layoff committee for beating a F cs school, no matter how strong they are perceived to be.

a dding to the nonsensical decision to schedule n orth d akota s tate is the fact that the b ison, like other small nonconference foes, have been paid to come and defeat F bs teams. l ast week, i owa doled out half a million dollars to potentially have their dreams of making this year’s playoff dashed. s imilarly, i owa s tate, Kansas s tate, c olorado s tate, m innesota and Kansas have all effectively purchased losses from the F cs juggernaut.

a nother questionable dimension to i owa’s scheduling is the coincidence that n orth d akota s tate’s former a thletic d irector, g ene Taylor, is now second in command at i owa after switching programs in 2014. i f anyone had been able to advise the h awkeyes that scheduling the b ison was a bad idea, it seems like Taylor would have been the candidate. i nstead, the h awkeyes lost a no-win contest that certainly sets them back after their successful run to being on the verge of last season’s c ollege

Football p layoff.

w hile i know that football schedules in college are sometimes constructed years in advance, evidence has been out for a full halfdecade now regarding the dangers of scheduling the b ison. u ntil n orth d akota s tate immerses itself in the F bs , it will continue to be astonishing if teams decide to schedule — and pay for — an opportunity to lose to them.

Contact Ryan Klaus at rklaus1@nd.edu

The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

russia shuts out Finland, advances to semifinals

Associated Press

T oron T o — v ladimir Tarasenko and ivan Telegin

scored 1:19 apart in the second period and r ussia beat Finland 3-0 on Thursday to set up a world c up of hockey semifinal against c anada — and knock out Team north a merica.

“The opportunity is huge,” r ussian captain a lex o vechkin said about facing c anada. “They have a pretty good team with solid players. we just have to match it. ...

“i play o lympic g ames in ( c anada) and everybody is going to be crazy. The atmosphere’s going to be unbelievable. it’s going to be a great match to play, to be involved in, to be in the stands and be able to watch.”

e vgeni malkin scored in the third period for r ussia (2-1-0), and s ergei b obrovsky made 21 saves .

“it’s going to be a great,

mLb | Tigers 9, Twins 2

great challenge and we accept it,” russian forward e vgeny Kuznetsov said.

Tuukka r ask made 19 saves for Finland (0-3-3). Finland was winless for the first time in a senior tournament, scoring only one goal in three games.

“ we had a good chance to succeed here, but you don’t score, you can’t win,” Finnish coach l auri m arjamaki said.

“ we have to keep going and maybe analyze a little bit later. Just now, a little bit disappointing.”

r ussian forward p avel datsyuk missed the preliminary round finale because of a minor injury.

“a loss for us, but we did well today,” r ussian coach oleg Znarok said.

r ussia will face c anada on s aturday night. i n the other semifinal, s weden will play Team europe on sunday.

Finland nearly opened the scoring early in the second period when m ikael

granlund beat b obrovsky glove-side, but rang a shot off the post.

Tarasenko finished off a give-and-go with o vechkin for his second goal of the tournament at 3:42 of the second period.

Telegin picked up vadim shipachev’s feed and powered around r ask for his first of the tournament at 5:01 of the second.

malkin scored his first of the tournament at 3:39 of the third period.

Tarasenko played on the r ussian team that beat c anada to win the 2011 world junior title in buffalo, new york.

“i think this is one of the greatest rivalries ever: c anada against russia,” Tarasenko said. “ we know how they play because we play in p ittsburgh before. They have a really good team, good players, (the) best players in the world so we need to be good in a couple days.”

Tigers beat Twins in first game of doubleheader

Associated Press

minneapolis — detroit’s makeup against m innesota on Thursday felt like an a merican l egion game to Tigers manager brad ausmus. Justin upton said the game dragged because of a quiet and sparse crowd.

upton and the Tigers picked up another win in the al wildcard chase, beating the Twins 9-2 in the opener of a daynight doubleheader.

“These games matter. we should be into them regardless of who’s in the stands,” upton said. “but we snapped out of it and started getting some runs.”

upton hit a tiebreaking homer off a lex w immers (1-3) in the seventh for a 2-1 lead. Jose iglesias had a sacrifice fly in the eighth and martinez, who had missed two straight games because of a swollen

right knee, pinch hit had a three-run homer against pat l ight in a six-run ninth.

detroit began the day one game behind baltimore for the al’s second wild card.

The makeup of wednesday night’s rainout drew an announced paid crowd of 18,374, but there were far fewer people in the seats. Fans in the small crowd could be heard calling out to the players on several occasions.

“you can hear every single thing said in the stands,” ausmus said. “w hen you have a big crowd, everything is kind of just a buzz. but you could hear every single thing said; they had some fairly good barbs thrown out.”

a nibal sanchez allowed one run and two hits in five innings in a spot start, and a lex w ilson (4-0), shane green and mark l owe finished the five-hitter.

brian dozier led off the bottom of the first with his 42nd homer, one behind major league leader mark Trumbo of baltimore.

m innesota dropped to a big league-worst 55-97, the Twins most losses since they went 63-99 in 2011. Twins starter p at d ean gave up one run and three hits in five innings.

“The offense is having a tough time,” m innesota manager paul molitor said. “we’re not putting much together. some guys are scuffling. we’re trying to find a way to create some offense. it just isn’t happening right now.”

detroit’s Justin verlander (14-8) was to start against ervin santana (7-10) in the night game.

dozier extended his hitting streak to 24 games, tied for the third-longest in Twins’ history.

Indians top Royals, inch closer to division title

Associated Press

cleveland — c arlos

s antana’s three-run homer pushed the c leveland i ndians to a 5-2 win over the Kansas c ity r oyals on Thursday night and nearer to their first al c entral championship since 2007.

s antana’s shot in the sixth inning off d illon g ee (7-9) snapped a 2-2 tie as the i ndians improved to 9-1 against the r oyals this season.

Kansas c ity’s chances of making the postseason took another blow. The defending world s eries champions began the night behind six teams in the wild-card chase.

r eliever d an o tero (5-1) pitched two scoreless innings, b ryan s haw worked one and c ody a llen pitched a perfect ninth for his 29th save.

Jason Kipnis homered for the i ndians, who can wrap up a postseason berth this weekend against the c hicago w hite s ox.

a lcides e scobar hit a tworun homer for the r oyals.

s antana, who hit an rbi double in the first, has been on a tear the past two days.

g ee hit Kipnis to start the sixth and Francisco l indor walked. o ne out later, s antana drove his 34th homer into the right-field seats. a fter he crossed home plate, s antana pointed at nba free agent swingman J. r s mith, who helped the c avaliers win the nba title this year and end c leveland’s 52-year championship drought.

s antana went 7 for 12 with five rbi s in the i ndians’ series sweep.

w ith c leveland starters c arlos c arrasco and d anny s alazar dealing with

injuries and likely out for the playoffs, m ike c levinger could hold a pivotal role for the i ndians in o ctober. The rookie showed poise in working out of potential trouble as the r oyals put the leadoff man on in three straight innings.

i t was a solid postseason audition for c levinger, who allowed four hits in five innings before giving way to c leveland’s solid bullpen.

The i ndians jumped on Jason vargas for two runs in the first.

Kipnis made it 1-0 with his 23rd homer. o nce he was back in the dugout, the second baseman was carried through a lineup of welcoming teammates by catcher c hris g imenez and outfielder l onnie c hisenhall, a celebratory ride that has become a staple this season.

s antana fouled a ball off

his left foot and received a visit from manager Terry Francona and a trainer before ripping a two-out rbi double to center.

e scobar’s shot to center tied it 2-2 in the second. i t was e scobar’s sixth homer in his last 149 at-bats, quite a power surge for the shortstop who had homered just once in his previous 600 at-bats.

t rainer’s room

r oyals: o F l orenzo c ain (inflammation in left wrist) hasn’t played since s ept. 9 and could miss the rest of the season.

up next r oyals: lhp d anny d uffy (12-2) will match a career high by making his 25th start this season as Kansas c ity begins a three-game set in d etroit. w ith a win, d uffy will have the most wins by a r oyals left-hander since c harlie l eibrandt won 13 in 1988.

i ndians: rhp Trevor b auer starts the series opener against the c hicago w hite s ox. h e’s 3-2 with a 3.91 era in nine career starts against them.

i ndians: c yan g omes, who is a longshot to play in the postseason after breaking his right hand during a minor league rehab appearance, threw to the bases before batting practice. The workout wasn’t planned, but g omes was feeling good after making significant progress in the past few days. “ i n all fairness to yan, he shouldn’t really have any chance to play,” Francona said. “ i think that to be fair, if there’s a 1 percent chance, my guess is he’ll probably be the one.”

FootbaLL | clemson 26, georgia Tech 7

Tigers dominate in win over Yellow Jackets

Associated Press

a T lan T a — d eshaun

watson and n o. 5 c lemson finally turned in the performance everyone was expecting, totally dominating g eorgia Tech in the first half on the way to a 26-7 victory Thursday night.

a fter sluggish wins over a uburn and Troy, and a practice-like rout of F cs school s outh c arolina s tate that meant nothing, the Tigers (4-0, 1-0 a tlantic c oast c onference) won at g eorgia Tech for the first time since 2003 to set up a huge showdown with n o. 3 l ouisville.

watson was 32 of 48 for 304 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to m ike w illiams and a 9-yarder to Jordan l eggett with just 4 seconds left before halftime to complete a stunningly

lopsided showing that wasn’t entirely reflected in the 23-0 lead. w ayne g allman added a 1-yard T d run.

c lemson finished with a 442-124 lead in total yards.

g eorgia Tech (3-1, 1-1) didn’t get into positive yards until early in the second quarter and the halftime stats were almost comical:

c lemson held a 347-22 lead in yards, was up 19-3 in first downs, and ran 56 plays to only 21 for the home team.

The yellow Jackets picked up one first down on a debatable pass interference penalty, another on a meaningless 14-yard run at the end of half. c lemson looked as though it was playing a lower-division school for the second week in a row, not its acc opener.

This was a virtual repeat of last year’s meeting at

c lemson, where the Tigers raced to a 33-10 halftime lead on the way to a 43-24 victory.

c lemson backed off over the final two quarters, and g eorgia Tech managed to avoid its first home shutout since 1957 when d edrick m ills scored on a 2-yard run with 13:21 remaining.

e ven when g eorgia Tech came up with a big play, it wound up costing points.

l ance a ustin intercepted a pass in the end zone and tried to bring it out — only to be whacked inadvertently by teammate c orey g riffin, knocking the ball loose.

a ustin fell on it in the end zone, but that was a safety for c lemson. i t was a far cry from a prime-time game last season, when the defensive back returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for a touchdown on the final play

to give g eorgia Tech a stunning victory of Florida s tate. There wouldn’t be an upset on this night.

t he takeaway

c lemson: d on’t read too much into the sluggish showing in the second half. i t was only natural that the Tigers let down a bit after dominating the first two quarters. For sure, this was just the sort of confidenceboosting performance that c lemson needed heading to their showdown with l ouisville.

g eorgia Tech: a fter opening with three straight wins over mediocre opposition, the yellow Jackets don’t seem to have made much improvement over last year’s 3-9 debacle. c oach p aul Johnson’s triple-option offense was totally manhandled and

increasingly looks like a gimmick that other teams have figured out. p oor recruiting seems to have caught up with the yellow Jackets when they face elite competition.

up next

c lemson: w hen l ouisville visits d eath valley on o ct. 1, it will have all the makings of a national playoff game. a ssuming the c ardinals (30) get by a ppalachian s tate on s aturday night, two unbeaten powerhouses will meet to establish the pecking order atop the acc . g eorgia Tech: n o. 15 m iami (3-0) and longtime nemesis m ark r icht visit b obby d odd s tadium on o ct. 1. r icht is in his first season as the h urricanes coach after 15 years at g eorgia, where he went 13-2 against the yellow Jackets.

Belles top Scots for fourth straight sweep

Observer Sports Staff Volleyball

s aint m ary’s completed its fourth consecutive straightsets victory on Tuesday, defeating a lma 3-0 (25-22, 25-13, 25-13).

The b elles (5-6, 2-2 miaa ) opened up a 17-11 lead in the first set, but the s cots (6-4, 2-3) closed the gap to 22-21. h owever, s aint m ary’s held on, taking the final three points of the opening set, winning the set on a s cots attack error.

i n the second set, the b elles started and finished strong. s aint m ary’s took a 5-1 lead and finished on a 9-2 run, clinching the set at a score of 25-13 with a kill from senior middle hitter

c olleen Kilgallon. i n the third set, the b elles took a 9-3 lead before the s cot closed it to 11-9. i t didn’t take long for s aint m ary’s to restore the cushion though, taking 10 of the next 12 points on their way to win the set 25-13 on an attack error.

s enior left-side hitter m eaghan g ibbons led the b elles with 12 kills while recording only two errors. s enior setter c lare m c m illan recorded 19 assists and 10 digs.

The b elles will play at h ope at 7 p.m. Friday.

Soccer

s aint m ary’s continued to struggle in conference play, failing to record a shot as the b elles fell 5-0 to c alvin.

The b elles (1-6-0, 0-5-0) found themselves in a hole early on, as Knights senior forward b rianna r ussell finished past freshman goalkeeper Thalia r obles and put the Knights (5-3-0, 4-10) ahead inside the first 10 minutes. Three minutes later, it was 2-0, as senior midfielder a llie c orp scored after a goalmouth scramble in the b elles box.

The b elles remained in the game for the rest of the first half, keeping the score at 2-0 going into the break. h owever, only 14 seconds into the second half, the Knights scored again through sophomore midfielder b ekah m aguire. m aguire added another from an a lyson Katje pass less than 10 minutes into the half to put the game beyond all doubt. r obles prevented the scoreline from widening for the next half hour, recording a total of 10 saves in the second half and 14 in total, but r ussell added one more goal to the final score just five minutes from time.

The b elles will be in action again Friday, when they play h ope. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. at s aint m ary’s.

s tanford returns its entire offensive line from last season, but will rely on underclassmen to help lead the offense with sophomore quarterback c hase Jennings and freshman running back b randon g arcia, Kohler said. i n addition to offense, s tanford also returns an experienced defense headed by middle linebackers junior m att o ’ b rien and senior p at m c m ahon as well as senior cornerback Justin w itte.

The matchup between the g riffins and the h ighlanders will take place s unday at 1 p.m. at l a b ar p ractice c omplex.

Contact Mia Berry at mberry1@nd.edu

morrissey vs. Siegfried

By MEAGAN BENS sports writer

m orrissey, the back-toback interhall football champions, will open its season against s iegfried on s unday. l ooking to continue their recent success, the m anor continues to have high expectations for this season, senior captain n ick

s ywyj said. “ we are setting the bar pretty high,” s ywyj said. “ we’ve won the past two years, so i am coming back looking to defend the title again and keep the tradition of m anor football alive and well. we are looking to go undefeated. we have a three-game season, so we are looking to win those three games and come out firing all cylinders.”

s ince the r amblers are starting their season against the notoriously-challenging m anor, senior captain d an verzuh said his team has to come out onto the field prepared for anything.

“ m orrissey has only lost one game in the past two years,” verzuh said. “They are back-to-back returning champions, so obviously we have to prepare for them with no assumptions on our part. They are known for having a really heavy front and a bruising running game. s o we are going to have to get used to stacking the box, but every season is a new season, and there is going to be a lot of turnover. we are going to have to be our best selves. a ssuming they won’t give us an inch, we have to take everything we can get.”

a lthough m orrissey has pressure to bring home another title, s ywyj said he is excited to begin the season.

“ we are just looking to finally face another team at full speed and get back into the swing of things,” s ywyj said. “a s for our record, it is not about the individual games. The main goal is the title. i f we lose a game, we aren’t going to cry. we will face the adversity and come back strong and play it off. The big thing is to always learn from your mistakes and limit them in the future. i think the pressure is more in working together as a team, not getting mad at each other, sticking it out and fighting through because the games that matter are in n ovember.”

d espite a confident opponent striving to be champions for three years in a row, the r amblers’ goals are just as high, as they are also aiming for the title, verzuh said.

“a ll of it is what we are going to get,” verzuh said. “ we are going to get all of it. The s tadium is within our view. we have to treat each game like a must win, because it is. we’re not the hall of champions for nothing.”

m orrissey and s iegfried will face off at 1 p.m. on

s unday at l a b ar p ractice c omplex.

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu

Carroll vs. Sorin

By PATRICK SKRINE sports writer

This s unday, c arroll will face off against s orin to open up the men’s interhall football season.

b oth teams are eager to begin play after a long offseason. c arroll senior captain a nthony vallera said he is excited about the team and believes depth will play a big role in his team’s success.

“ l ast year, we were not very good, going 1- 3, and a lot of that i think is due to the lack of depth,” vallera said.

The vermin only had about 14 players last year but will run deeper this season, as they expect to field 20 players who have high school football experience. vallera said he is confident in what system of offense he wants to run.

“ i am a wide receiver and am a fan of the spread offense because it is better than just pounding it up the middle, and we have the athleticism to stretch out the field,” vallera said.

The vermin are seeking

revenge from last year’s loss to s orin. vallera said he believes having all players at the game ready to make plays will get them a win.

o n the other side, s orin wants to erase the memory of last year’s first-round playoff loss with a win to start this season. s orin junior captain s hane a nderson believes his team has good replacements this year to replace key players that were lost after last season.

“ we had good players last year but also inexperienced players, and i think our huge incoming class can help us out,” a nderson said.

a nderson, who played quarterback last year for the first time, said he is excited to have three quarterbacks on the roster this year. h e also said simplifying the offense and executing the playbook will be crucial since s orin lacks depth on the offensive line. The o tters return key junior receiver Teddy e dwards, who pulled in multiple touchdowns last year with his ability to high point the ball.

s orin and c arroll will face off on s unday at 2:15 p.m. at l a b ar p ractice c omplex.

Contact Patrick Skrine at pskrine@hcc-nd.edu

Fisher vs. St. edward’s

By KYLE BARRY sports writer

Fisher and st. e dward’s will both look to start this interhall football season off strongly s unday when they battle it out in the first game of the season.

Fisher, led by senior captain s hannon m assey, looks to improve upon last season after losing to stanford 6-0 in the first round of the interhall playoffs a year ago. m assey, a two-time captain for Fisher who plays linebacker and running back, said he believes his team can compete for a title.

“ we have a great group of guys,” m assey said. “ we believe we can go out each week and get wins.”

l ast year, Fisher had a strong core of seniors that helped the team earn wins. m assey said Fisher’s strength was previously in the trenches, as it had a few big players to make key plays on the line, but this year they have talent at other positions as well.

“This year, we have a strong group of skill players,” m assey said. “ we are flushed with guys who can make plays on both sides of the ball, and we are a speedy, athletic group.”

w hen discussing Fisher’s upcoming game against s t. e dward’s, m assey said the g entlemen always have a strong run game, which they will need to stop by being physical up front.

s t. e dward’s, led by senior

captain p hineas a ndrews, aims to go further this interhall season after it lost to d illon 14-0 in the first round of the interhall playoffs back in november of last year.

a ndrews, a lineman on both offense and defense, said he is excited for the upcoming season.

“o ur primary goals for the regular season is to make the playoffs and win our division,” a ndrews said. “o ur defense should be a team strength this season. we also have a solid special teams unit and a good core of offensive players returning from last year.”

s t. e dward’s is returning 20 out of 24 starters from last year’s team, and a ndrews said he is hopeful the team has found good players to fill the gaps.

“o ur defense will look very similar to last year’s lineup,” a ndrews said. “o n offense, we will look to create more big plays while minimizing turnovers.”

a s for the g entlemen’s opposition, a ndrews said he is not sure what to expect this s unday, but emphasized that his team’s defense needs to step up in order for its offense to have good field position and to avoid turnovers.

Fisher and s t. e dward’s will take the field for the first time in 2016 at 2:15 p.m. s unday at l a b ar p ractice c omplex.

Contact Kyle Barry at kbarry@hcc-nd.edu

paid a dverT isemen T

Keenan vs. Keough

By DARCY DEHAIS sports writer

Keenan takes on Keough on s unday at l a b ar p ractice c omplex to kick off the first week of the season.

b oth teams have high expectations for the year. Keough junior captain d aniel c hilders said the r oos are prepared for the matchup.

“ we will have had four practices and a team meeting by the time the game rolls around, and we all have copies of the playbook,” c hilders said.

o n the other side, the Knights will field a young team this season after losing in the championship game last year. Junior captain g reg b rainard said he is confident Keenan will be successful on both sides of the ball.

“ we’re excited about our offense this year,” b rainard said. “ we have a sophomore, d an l indstrom, who played four years in high school, which we think is going to make a big impact on s unday. o ur defense has historically been strong, so we’re looking to really lock down on defense like we have been in the past.”

Keough, on the other hand, hopes to be a resilient team and improve from last year’s disappointing season, c hilders said.

“o ur defensive strategy will be to try to limit big plays, while on offense it will

be to try to wear our opponents down,” c hilders said.

b oth team captains said they are eager to return to the field for the first time this season. c hilders said he enjoys the camaraderie that comes with interhall football.

“ e very season, i just look forward to strapping on some pads and competing with my friends,” c hilders said. “ l ast year, Keough did not have a good season, but we should be more competitive this year.”

Keenan and Keough will square off s unday at l a b ar p ractice c omplex at 3:30 p.m.

Contact Darcy Dehais at ddehais@nd.edu

o’Neill vs. a lumni

By BRENNAN BUHR sports writer

a lumni and o ’ n eill begin their interhall seasons s unday, with both teams looking to learn from the adversity they each faced last year in order to succeed this season.

d awgs senior captain n ick l und said he feels strongly about his expectations for this year’s squad, despite last season’s disappointing 1-3 record.

“ i ’ve really been pushing practices more this year, making sure that everyone gets to practice to get the plays down and work more diligently to get a better outcome,” l und said. “ o bviously, we want to go to the playoffs, and i think we can get to the playoffs.”

l und said he believes his team brings many key strengths to the table in their matchup against o ’ n eill.

“ we have a pretty good coaching staff that has been together for the past few years,” l und said. “ we have a lot of new talent, so it’s been good to be able to work with them. o ur offense looks good, and we are putting in a new offensive setting. o ur defense has always been really good because our guys just love to hit.”

s imilarly, o ’ n eill sophomore captain c harlie p untillo said he thinks the a ngry m ob have a solid plan to bounce back from last season’s winless run.

“This year, we tried to do things a little differently,” p untillo said. “ we had cuts after i took over, because losing last year wasn’t very fun, and i wanted to do something about it.”

p untillo said he is optimistic his team will be prepared for s unday’s opening game.

“ we have a lot of athletic guys this year, which is definitely a plus for us,” p untillo said. “ i f we can figure out the offense, we’ll be good, because i know our defense will be solid.”

o ’ n eill and a lumni will

kick off at 3:30 p.m. s unday at the l a b ar p ractice c omplex.

Contact Brennan Buhr at bbuhr@nd.edu

ryan vs. Welsh Family

By CARLOS DE LOERA sports writer

r yan and welsh Family are set for a battle of unbeaten teams s unday at r iehle Fields.

w ith their undefeated starts, both the w ildcats (20) and w hirlwinds (1-0) will look to establish themselves as a championship favorite in their matchup. w hirlwind senior captain a riel n avotas said she is sure that if her team is able to play to the best of its abilities, then it will come out on top this weekend.

“ e very single player is so talented that if we all show up, then we will win,” n avotas said. “ r yan is definitely a good team, but if we all show up, then it will be good for us and we will win.”

w ildcats senior captain s hawn h all said she has high expectations for her team this season.

“[ we want to make] it to the championship game in n otre d ame s tadium,” h all said. r yan senior and co-captain c lare c onaty said she expects the game against welsh Family will be a tough matchup.

“They have a pretty strong team, so we are going to have to follow our game plan and do what we normally do, then we can keep the [winning] trend up,” c onaty said. For welsh Family, n avotas said she feels ready to go, as her team held h oward scoreless last s unday.

“ we only lost one or two players on defense, and [the defense] has always been very strong and they continue to do the same,” n avotas said. “ we have a new quarterback, and everyone gets along really.”

h all said she knows the w ildcats’ defense will be tough for the w hirlwinds to compete with.

“ o ur defense has let up one touchdown in two games, so that is very promising,” h all said. “ we can stop the running game, [and] we can stop the passing game.”

r yan senior quarterback Kathleen c onaty said she is confident in r yan’s offense as well.

“ o ur receiving corps has hands for days — they can catch anything we throw at them,” c onaty said. “ w ith shifty running backs and an awesome line, we just really work well together.”

The w ildcats will face the w hirlwinds on s unday at 5 p.m. at r iehle Fields.

Contact Carlos De Loera at cdeloera@nd.edu

Volleyball

understanding of what it takes and a better understanding of what to do and how to do it. The investment this year is much higher. The team is comprehending things at a higher level and now we need the experience of getting it done and we are learning how to do that.”

n otre d ame hopes to continue the trend of improvement and changing the culture of the team this Friday against l ouisville.

l ast year, the c ardinals (5-5) swept the i rish on the opening night of conference play.

m c l aughlin hopes to take what he learned about the acc last year and bring it to opening night this year.

“The acc has 15 teams, so it’s hard to be equitable in a conference when you have that many teams, so you got to treat each team equally,”

m c l aughlin said. “The acc is growing, we got the leadership, we got good schools and [ n otre d ame] is going to make the conference stronger. we are going to get a lot of challenges, and if we can meet our standards with great regularity here, we can do it anywhere.”

Freshman outside hitter m elanie m c h enry leads l ouisville with 126 kills. m c h enry, a multi-sport athlete in high school who served as the football team’s kicker for four years, also leads the team in service aces.

For the i rish, fortunes have turned as individual players have demonstrated growth, resulting in a stronger overall team. a nd while every player has gained experience and shown improvement,

m c l aughlin has noticed the improvement of sophomore r yann d eJarld, sophomore r ebecca n unge and senior Katie h iggins as a reason that the team has achieved a new level of success.

“ e veryone is improving and everyone has a different pace of learning,” m c l aughlin said. “ i ’ve been impressed with everyone. r ebecca n unge has improved and learned how to do it on game day, Katie h iggins is hitting the ball as well as anybody in the conference, m eg m orningstar and s am Fry have been getting better. r yann [ d eJarld] has had glimpses of being one of the top passers that i have ever coached. s he’s just got to do it over a period of time now.”

i n their second game of the weekend, the i rish play m iami (Fla.), who defeated the i rish 3-1 last season.

The h urricanes (6-6) come into the weekend with one win in their last three outings. m iami head coach Jose “Keno” g andara has worked extensively with n otre d ame head coach Jim m c l aughlin,

most recently for eight years at washington where g andara served as an assistant for m c l aughlin.

“ i coached [ g andara] on the usa team, i know him really well and i coached with him in washington,”

m c l aughlin said. “ s o there are some philosophies that are going to be the same. i know [ m iami] will be wellcoached and disciplined, and he’s got some good players so they will be a handful. we are looking forward to the challenge.”

o n the court, the h urricanes are led by a duo of skilled hitters, junior o lga s trantzali and sophomore a nna h aak, who have each notched over 120 kills on the year. i n the setting department, junior a lyssa b asdavanos assists her hitters at a high rate, contributing 9.04 assists per match so far this season.

The i rish have strengths

in serving and passing that m c l aughlin believes will help them throughout the year.

“ we are getting better at controlling the ball,” m c l aughlin said. “The serve and pass and attacking specifically are areas you have to be good at. The one stat that i have carried with me forever is that if we win the serve and pass, we win 80 percent of our games, regardless. a nd if you can win those two areas and the leftside battle you are going to win every game.”

n otre d ame faces off against l ouisville this Friday at 7 p.m. at the Joyce c enter. The i rish will then travel to the James l . Knight s ports c omplex in c oral g ables, Florida, to meet the h urricanes on s unday at 11 a.m.

Contact R.J. Stempak at rstempak@nd.edu

d ame controlled a majority of the possession and had eight shots to nc s tate’s four. The best scoring chances for the wolfpack (7-3-0, 1-1-0 acc ) came around the 30th minute, but the i rish defense stood firm and weathered the storm of shots and corners. n otre d ame were then able to strike on the counterattack, as sophomore midfielder s hannon h endricks and senior forward Kaleigh o lmsted pushed the ball upfield to set the team on the break. h endricks then passed to l amothe, who scored to give n otre d ame the lead.

“ i t was a great goal,” r omagnolo said. “Kaleigh and s hannon had a little combination on the side, and s hannon swung in a dangerous ball and l exi m artel came in for actually her first touch of the game and ran into a dangerous area and got herself on the end of it.”

The wolfpack came out in the second half looking for the equalizer, but the i rish were ready. a lthough the wolfpack outshot the i rish 5-4, senior goalie Kaela l ittle made two saves while the back line stood firm, and n otre d ame’s defense preserved the clean sheet.

The win marked n otre d ame’s first after three straight double-overtime draws and also snapped the wolfpack’s six-game winning streak, highlighted by a win at then- n o.7 n orth c arolina last Friday.

“o verall, i thought our possession today was very good,”

r omganolo said. “ i think we kept the ball in longer stints than we have been, so i thought we showed some good composure. we moved the ball, we moved off the ball well [and] i think it created some good opportunities for ourselves. i think they really got behind the ball well, so we had to try to break them down and play through them, and they had some good athleticism when they countered, so i thought we did a good job in terms of dealing with their attack when they sent a lot of numbers forwards, especially when they were chasing the game and taking some chances. i thought we did well denying crosses, blocking shots and marking up in the box.”

The i rish are set to continue conference play s unday when they host p ittsburgh at a lumni s tadium, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

The p anthers (1-8-1, 0-2-0 acc ) suffered a 3-0 defeat to b oston c ollege on Thursday night, but r omagnolo said she is focusing on the positives from this game first.

“ we’re feeling good,” she said. “ n ow we just have to turn our attention to them and find out what they are doing well and how we can exploit them, but for now we are going to enjoy this nice game tonight and continue to grow as a team. … we did some really nice things tonight, in terms of our composure and patience on the ball, and we want to continue to just grow in the things that we are doing well and keep improving on them.”

Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu

Friday will feature two teams that have had similar success this season on both sides of the ball. The i rish have scored 17 goals and have conceded just three goals through seven games. The o range have recorded 19 total goals while allowing just four goals. s yracuse attempts 15.3 shots per game and n otre d ame averages 14.7 per game. The o range convert 15.6 percent of their shots into goals while the i rish convert 16.5 percent of their opportunities into scores.

d espite the similarities on paper, c lark believes that the o range are a very different team that present a variety of challenges.

“They play with two forwards just like us,” c lark said. “ b ut they play a 3-52, and they do it very well and have done it well for some time now. we play a 4-4-2, and we’ve played it well for a long time, so we both stick with our systems, and we both know and have

confidence in our systems. we play our systems well, but it won’t be the systems, it’ll be the players that win the game. They’re good in a lot of areas, so it’ll be a nice challenge for us, but we’re good too. s lightly different assets than they have, but it’ll be a great game.”

c lark said that rebounding from a tough loss to face a top-three team will be challenging, and given notre dame’s record following a loss, there’s no telling how the i rish will fare this time around. Following a loss last season, the i rish went 2-1-2. w in or lose, c lark does not believe that much weight should be carried from one result to the next game, and that belief can be attributed to poet rudyard Kipling’s “i f.“

“ i t talks about the two imposters,” c lark said. “ you’ve got to treat them both the same. i know you feel differently when you win, you definitely feel better, but you can’t get carried onto that. you have to stay even keel, and if we win, we have to sit and look at ourselves and ask what we can do better. i f we lose, we

have to stay even keel and ask what we can do better. That’s what we’ve done this week, and hopefully we do a few things better this week than we did last week.”

c lark also encouraged fans and alumni to get out to a lumni s tadium to support not just the i rish, but to support what should be a great match between two of the top teams in the country.

“ i think anybody who likes soccer or even just likes a good contest, this is a game that they should pick out,” c lark said. “ you can say that about almost any acc game, but i think this one especially with them being undefeated with the 8-0, and us just losing last week. we were the n o. 1 in some polls, and they’re the n o. 1 now, so it’s one of these top-two in the country games.”

The i rish will host the o range in a rematch of last season’s acc tournament final Friday at a lumni s tadium at 7 p.m.

Contact Manny De Jesus at mdejesus@nd.edu

WomeN’S SoCCer | nd 1, nc sTaTe 0

Irish shut out Wolfpack for first conference victory nd ready to host syracuse

By TOBIAS HOONHOUT sports writer

n o. 24 n otre d ame won a tight 1-0 contest with conference foe n orth c arolina s tate on Thursday, securing its first win since s ept. 4 while extending its unbeaten streak to seven games.

The hero of the night was freshman midfielder a lexis- m artel l amothe, who scored her first career goal in the 38th minute soon after entering the game as a substitute.

“ i think it was great, and i ’m really proud of the team,” i rish head coach Theresa r omagnolo said after the game. “ nc s tate is a quality opponent, and to go down to their place [and win] after we’ve been on the road a lot shows just how tough this team is.”

The first half was a dominant display from the i rish (6-1-3, 1-0-1 acc ), as n otre

see w soccer paGe 23

win over Missouri.

men’s season to get underway

Stanford vs. duncan

By MIA BERRY sports writer

a s the men’s interhall season begins, d uncan will take on s tanford in what looks like a d avid-versus- g oliath matchup.

d uncan looks to start this interhall season off on a positive note after going winless last season. h ighlanders junior captain Thomas s taffieri said he remains optimistic about his team’s potential for success.

“Traditionally, we haven’t had the best team in the world, but we’re excited for this year,” s taffieri said. “ o ur goal is to get a win, and we can only improve upon last year.”

d uncan returns 16 starters from last season in addition to a handful of talented freshmen that will be inserted into the lineup during s unday’s matchup, according to s taffieri. h e said some players to watch for d uncan include junior quarterback

m att Kase, sophomore running back m icah r ensch and senior lineman s teve Treacy.

w ith respect to d uncan’s match against the g riffins, s taffieri said he is slightly less confident.

“ i hear s tanford’s pretty [good],” s taffieri said. “ we will show up with our 11 and see how things go from there.”

s tanford has a different goal than d uncan in mind this year. For the past two seasons, s tanford has suffered semifinal losses to the two-time reigning champion, m orrissey. a nd, despite the loss of senior captain b rent Jordan to a torn acl prior to the season, junior co-captain Kevin Kohler said he believes s tanford has the ability to take home the championship this year.

“ s tanford is still one of the best teams in the league and has a strong chance of going back and winning it all this year,” Kohler said.

By MANNY DE JESUS s ports w riter

o ne minute into the second half of the 2015 acc tournament final, s yracuse sophomore midfielder Julian b uescher powered a pass with his left foot that slipped underneath senior defender b randon a ubrey’s attempt to block it. That pass met a cutting b en p olk, who then fired the ball towards the net’s bottom left corner.

That play was the reason n o. 2 s yracuse (8-0-0, 2-0-0 acc ) hoisted the conference tournament championship last year and not n o. 3 n otre d ame (6-1-0, 1-1-0).

This season, the i rish will host the o range at a lumni s tadium again with hopes of not only redeeming themselves from last season’s loss, but bouncing back from their first loss of the season against n o. 13 l ouisville last Friday.

“ i t’s always a test coming off any loss against any

team,” i rish head coach b obby c lark said. “ i t’s about how you handle it, and i think this will be a nice little hurdle for us to handle. a t this moment, i ’m confident and i think the guys are ready. we have a lot of respect for s yracuse and we know that they’re well coached. They won the acc championship last year, and they did superbly well in the ncaa [tournament] as well. s o there’s no question they’re a top team, but that’s our test.”

s yracuse’s most recent win came against c ornell, who it ousted 3-1. The 8-0-0 start is the best start in program history, and it has won 16 games in each of the last two seasons under head coach i an m c i ntyre. l ast season, the reigning acc champions lost to c lemson in penalty kicks in the ncaa tournament semifinals.

The top-three showdown

see m soccer paGe 23

Notre Dame set to begin ACC slate against Louisville

By R.J. STEMPAK sports writer

Just one year ago, the i rish were sitting at 5-7, had a new head coach and an unforgiving acc season to look forward to. n otre d ame would only earn two more wins throughout the remainder of the season, and finished 7-25. b ut as n otre d ame looks to the beginning of 2016 acc play, it has already surpassed the win totals of its last two seasons with a record of 9-3. The reversal of fortunes is due in no small part to the leadership of head coach Jim m c l aughlin, who views the difference between his first and second season with the program as night and day.

“ e verything is different,” m c l aughlin said. “ i n the first year, you’re a little bit of an unknown, the second year you are more familiar and the kids know [the staff] better and the staff knows the kids better. we have a higher