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Notre Dame Men's Basketball HC Micah Shrewsberry went off in his post-game interview after a loss to Louisville, storming out of the room after hitting a microphone. Photo by The Irish Tribune Here's the video below, the interview will play once you click on the video: Video courtesy of Len Clark It was arguably the most fiery interview given by a Notre Dame coach in a long time, possibly ever. Notre Dame fell against Louisville at home last night 75-60. In the interview, Micah Shrewsberry wasted no time letting his thoughts be heard. Coach Shrewsberry talked about several things. From how Louisville fans outnumbered Notre Dame fans in Notre Dame's arena, to how the issues with the team's performance fall on him, not the players. Shrewsberry also noted the work and effort the team has put in, referencing their previous game against Boston College, arriving home at five in the morning, then proceeding to go to class just hours later. Fans and media have mixed opinions about not only the team's overall performance but Micah Shrewsberry himself. One thing the former Penn State coach has been known for is his passion for winning and his fiery attitude, as shown this past Sunday. We'll be putting out more content regarding this, but I believe this is a flip-switch moment for this team if that video gives any indication. I believe one thing for certain, a ticked-off Micah Shrewsberry is a lot scarier to play against than a happy Micah Shrewsberry. Let us know your thoughts. Notre Dame hosts SMU this Wednesday Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo has helped Notre Dame become the second-ranked team in college basketball and elevated herself into the national spotlight. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics The No. 2 Notre Dame women's basketball team is must-see TV. The talented guard trio of Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron have been the backbone to the Irish's 17-game winning streak that has vaulted Notre Dame up the polls to No. 2. While the wizardry of Miles and the defensive prowess of Citron have elevated their draft stock, the true star of the team lives within the fiery nature of the 5'6" guard from Merchantville, N.J.: Hannah Hidalgo. Last year, Hidalgo burst on the scene in her freshman campaign, scoring 31 points in her debut against the eventual national champion South Carolina Gamecocks, before establishing herself as a household name within the women's college basketball realm. Hidalgo cemented herself as one of the sport's best players in Notre Dame's 82-67 win against No. 8 UConn in Storrs, Conn. as Hidalgo's 34-point effort established Notre Dame's legitimacy in the 2023-24 season. With Olivia Miles being sidelined the entirety of last year, Hidalgo matured quickly as she led Notre Dame to a Sweet Sixteen run before losing to Oregon State. She was also awarded the 2024 Dawn Staley Award, which highlights the best guard in college basketball, over first-overall pick, Caitlin Clark. With the re-emergence of Miles, Maddy Westbeld, and the transfer portal acquisition of Liatu King, Niele Ivey's team is at full strength and destined for a deep run in this year's installment of March Madness. Yet, even with such a tremendous amount of talent, Hannah Hidalgo still finds a way to be a star on both ends of the court. This season, Hidalgo is currently averaging 25.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 4.1 steals per game. Her 25.2 points per game ranks second in the country, while she is currently tied for first in steals per game as well. While the stats clearly demonstrate how effective she is both offensively and defensively, it is the heart and passion that Hidalgo plays with that is so captivating to watch. Her fiery personality and emotion-filled performances bring out the best in her game, as she has averaged 27.7 points in games against AP Top 10 teams this season (USC, Texas, UConn). She has also outshined the game's brightest stars through these performances. She outplayed USC's star JuJu Watkins in the Irish's early season victory against USC in Los Angeles. She outlasted Madison Booker and the Texas Longhorns in the Irish's overtime victory in South Bend. Then, Hidalgo put together her best performance of the season against Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies as Hannah accounted for 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in a win over the No. 2 team. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Much of the Fighting Irish's success this season is a testament to the team and the depth that Ivey has fostered at Notre Dame. If not for Hidalgo's excellence, Miles, Citron, Westbeld, and King would all be superstars, and headliner players at most Top 25 programs. Ivey's team is so well-coached and developed that the Irish should be locked into a first seed when Selection Sunday comes around next month. However, Notre Dame has not had a Naismith Women's College Player of the Year in 24 years, since Ruth Riley won the award in 2001. While Bueckers is shoed-in as the first overall pick in next year's draft and Watkins receives all of the national attention on the West Coast, it is hard to argue that there is a more impactful player on both ends of the court than the superstar Sophomore guard for the Irish. As Notre Dame gets ready to take on No. 13 Duke tomorrow at Purcell Pavilion before playing in front of ESPN College Gameday in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday, Feb. 23 against No. 10 NC State, Hannah Hidalgo will be center-stage to showcase herself as the frontrunner for the Naismith award. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Irish Hockey came up just short in both meetings at Penn State this past weekend, extending their losing streak to four. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Friday: 3-5 Loss The story of the first period was six penalties called, including four on the Irish in what was a testy twenty minutes. Despite struggling to generate any offense, Notre Dame played well until the last four minutes of the frame. With 3:59 remaining, the Nittany Lions scored two goals in 41 seconds. They then added a power play goal with 10 seconds left in the period following a roughing penalty on Brennan Ali to extend their lead to three. While being on the penalty kill for nearly half the period, the Irish offense notched just four shots on goal in the frame. Notre Dame found their offense in the second period when Carter Slaggert found the back of the net just over five minutes into the frame. Hunter Strand and Grant Silianoff, who was playing in his 150th game with the Irish, were credited with assists.  Under four minutes later, Ali beat the Nittany Lions’ goalie to cut the Irish deficit to 2-3. Jimmy Jurcev and Ian Murphy earned assists on the confidence-boosting goal nearly midway through the period. With just three seconds remaining in the second period, the Irish gave up a shorthanded goal to Penn State’s Dane Dowiak, his second score of the game, to extend the Nittany Lions lead to 4-2 entering the final frame. The Irish answered right away in the third period when Blake Biondi netted a power play goal under a minute into the frame. Biondi’s 11th goal of the season made it a 3-4 game, and Justin Janicke and Paul Fischer were credited with assists. Unfortunately, Penn State owned the remainder of the period as they outshot the Irish 10-9 and added an empty-netter with 1:08 left to secure the Nittany Lions 5-3 victory.  Irish Star(s): Owen Say: 4 goals against, 32 saves Key Stats: Shots: PSU (37) - ND (27) Power Play Success: ND (1-4) - PSU (1-5) Penalty Minutes: ND (10) - PSU (8) Faceoffs Won: PSU (33) - ND (26) Blocked Shots: PSU (12) - ND (9) Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Saturday: 2-3 Loss Notre Dame failed to take advantage of a mistake-driven Nittany Lions squad in the first period. Penn State tallied just five shots in the frame; however, with 2:23 to play, Danny Dzhaniyev put the home squad on top 1-0 as he got one past Say. The Irish managed just seven shots in the period and failed to capitalize on two power play opportunities (the latter penalty continued into the second period).  The Irish flipped the script in the second period as Biondi added his second power play goal of the weekend following a game misconduct called against Penn St. This game-tying goal was assisted by Cole Knuble and Danny Nelson. Penn State responded with 4:55 remaining in the period as they claimed a 2-1 advantage following Nicholas DeGraves’ goal.  In the final period, Nelson matched Penn State’s game misconduct about six minutes into the frame when he was tossed for an illegal cross check. The Nittany Lions made the Irish pay for this as they netted one past Say less than 30 seconds after the penalty to extend their lead to 3-1.  With the Irish still shorthanded following Nelson’s major penalty, Janicke gave the visitors some life when he finished a nice pass from Knuble to cut their deficit to one with about ten minutes left in the contest. Along with Knuble, Michael Mastrodomenico was awarded an assist on Janicke’s second score of the year. Notre Dame failed to find another game-tying goal in the last ten minutes despite outshooting the Nittany Lions 16-8 in the period.  Irish Star(s): Cole Knuble: 2 assists, 3 shots, +1 Key Stats: Shots: ND (38) - PSU (28) Power Play Success: PSU (1-3) - ND (1-4) Penalty Minutes: PSU (21) - ND (19) Faceoffs Won: PSU (38) - ND (22) Blocked Shots: PSU (14) - ND (9) The Irish travel to Madison next weekend for a series with the Wisconsin Badgers. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Irish Men’s Basketball team ended their three-game skid with a 97-94 road victory in Chestnut Hill on Wednesday that required two extra periods. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics In the first half, Boston College shot the lights out, knocking down 7-12 three-point attempts from five different players. The Eagles’ well-rounded effort gave them a 41-35 advantage heading into the half. For Notre Dame, Markus Burton led the charge on offense with 10 points including a three in his 16 minutes played. Perhaps one reason for the Irish’s eventual win was their ability to stay away from fouling, as the Eagles missed their lone free throw attempt of the half. On the counter, Notre Dame shot 4-6 from the stripe, marking four huge points in a game that ended with the Irish winning by just three. The Irish finished the first half shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.5% from three. In addition to these subpar shooting splits, they were also outscored 16-8 in bench points; Boston College’s Fred Payne outscored the Irish bench himself as he poured in nine points on 3-4 shooting from deep in just nine minutes played off the bench. Boston College came out hot after the break, tying their largest lead of 14 points with 14:10 remaining in the game. The Irish comeback was led by Burton’s 14 second-half points on 6-8 shooting from the field. He scored the last four Irish points including two clutch free throws with 26 seconds to play to tie the game at 80 and ultimately force overtime. Behind Burton, Tae Davis contributed 12 points (4-7 FGs) and Braeden Shrewsberry added 11 including two threes in the second half. The Eagles’ offense was led by Chad Venning who scored 13 points on 6-9 shooting from the field. Notably, it was his foul on Burton that allowed the game to go to overtime. Burton and Venning traded buckets to open the first overtime to tie the game up at 82 with 3:33 remaining. Burton knocked down two free throws and then Kebba Njie went 1-2 from the stripe to give the Irish a three-point lead with 1:26 to play. Unfortunately, the Eagles’ Donald Hand Jr. buried a three on the next possession to bring the score to 85 apiece. Burton and Venning then exchanged missed jumpers to force a second overtime. Get the scoop before your friends with Tribune+ Both offenses came back to life in the second overtime as the sides began trading baskets to open the frame. It was Davis who added four points on back-to-back possessions and extended the Irish lead to five with 2:38 to play. The Eagles stormed back with a 6-0 run to put the home squad up 94-93 with 1:20 left. Following careless Boston College offensive possessions and missed Burton free throws, Njie put back a Burton missed layup to give the Irish a 95-94 lead with 16 seconds remaining. Burton made up for his prior missed free throws with two makes to ice the game with one second left in the contest, finally ending the Irish’s three-game skid. The Irish star finished with a new career-high 32 points as this win marked the largest comeback in Notre Dame’s Coach Shrewsberry era. Key Player Stats: Markus Burton: 32 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, +8, 46 minutes played Tae Davis: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, +3, 48 minutes played Kebba Njie: 7 points (3-4 FGs), 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, +6, 30 minutes played Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: BC (54%) - ND (47%) Three Point Percentage: BC (48%) - ND (30%) Turnovers: BC (13) - ND (9)Total Rebounds: ND (40) - BC (34) Second Chance Points: ND (20) - BC (6) This Sunday, the Irish are set to host the Louisville Cardinals, one of the best teams in the ACC this year. We will see if Notre Dame can carry this double-overtime victory momentum into a date against a talented opponent this weekend. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

As Notre Dame continues its search for their next GM, the recruiting and evaluation side of things has not slowed down in the interim. I recently did a scouting report on WR Brayden Robinson, who was a Junior Day visitor. Now, we will look to the other side of the ball at a prospect who was also in attendance for that all-important recruiting event - Simeon Caldwell. Photograph by Christian Schultz (@schultz.media) Simeon Caldwell is a four-star LB/S out of Jacksonville, Florida who in addition to Notre Dame, has received major interest from some of the big names in college football such as Ohio State and Georgia. The 2026 standout visited South Bend on multiple occasions last season, and Junior Day was the latest attempt for the Fighting Irish to get him more comfortable with the coaching staff, especially amid some ongoing changes on the defensive side of the ball. He is a very versatile player, and the film matches the hype. I want to go through some of the critical factors and position-specific traits that make him special, and as always they will be graded on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 7 (Elite). Let's get into it! Athletic Ability: Very Good (6) Caldwell possesses very good acceleration and closing speed. He is a sideline to sideline player and can cover ground in a hurry from the backside of plays, which allows him to always be around the ball. He displays the type of movement skills and open-field awareness that make him a threat to take turnovers to the house. His athletic ability has also been on display on special teams. His ability to bend and flatten has led to him blocking multiple kicks, and he also returned a blocked kick for a touchdown. Although not generally lined up as a deep kick returner, Caldwell has been the recipient of some squib kicks as an up-man and has turned them into chunk plays. He also fits well on coverage units due to his speed and big-hit ability. Run Support: Elite (7) Caldwell is very comfortable playing up near the line of scrimmage. His mental processing is very good and he's able to key run plays quickly post snap. Caldwell does an excellent job of maintaining his leverage vs outside runs like jet sweeps and tosses, forcing the play back inside when he isn't making the tackle himself. He has good play strength and can stack and shed WRs and TEs at the point of attack when fitting the run. He consistently shows good pursuit, chasing down plays going away from him. My favorite thing about this part of his game is his ability to break down in space and be a sure tackler. Caldwell keeps his eyes up and runs through ball carriers. Whether Notre Dame plans on using him as a linebacker or a safety, he will be an asset when it comes to stopping the run. Coverage Ability: Good (5) This trait can easily be higher come the end of his senior year, but as of now, I just didn't see enough reps of him playing from a deep zone to be able to grade it as elite. What I did see was someone who possesses some good route recognition, and knows when to attach to a WR crossing his face. Caldwell shows enough coverage ability to be lined up in man in condensed areas like the red zone and has the ball skills to disrupt catches. He reads the QBs eyes in zone coverage and is never out of position. He is fluid in his drop and knows when to flip his hips and go. Caldwell also possesses the ability to turn overthrows into interceptions. This will be an area to watch, because if he can put more positive coverage reps on film, it will boost his stock greatly. Pass Rush/ Blitz: Good (5) Whether coming down into the box as a blitzing safety, or lining up as an outside linebacker, Caldwell's ability to rush the QB is an area of strength. He shows very good timing off the snap, which allows him to utilize his speed and blow by offensive tackles. He avoids chip blocks and takes a good angle to the QB consistently. Once he gets home, he wraps up and knows how to finish. Another day, another big time defensive recruit squarely on Notre Dame's radar. They continue to do an excellent job reloading, and not allowing positions of strength to take a step back talent-wise. Simeon Caldwell would be an excellent addition to help keep that element going and will be a big catch for whatever program lands him. Already a Top-5 2026 LB, I look forward to revisiting his senior film next season and seeing what areas of his game have improved even more. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

It's no secret that the road to a national title goes through South Bend. And while the Fighting Irish lost a handful of key players from last season's title-winning squad -- the second in as many tries -- Kevin Corrigan's group reloaded in a big way. That talent was on display Wednesday in South Bend, as the Irish began their quest for a third-straight championship. Photo by University of Notre Dame Athletics Spearheaded by the play of Tewaaraton Award candidate Jake Taylor and last season’s leading goal scorer Chris Kavanagh, the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team picked up an emphatic victory over Cleveland State on Wednesday night in South Bend.   The 24-6 triumph for the top-ranked Irish -- who return seven of their top 10 scorers from last season’s title-winning team, including Taylor, Kavanagh, Devon McLane, and Jordan Faison – was the first on a 2025 schedule that includes top 20 showdowns against No. 2 Syracuse, Maryland (No. 6), Virginia (7), North Carolina (11), Georgetown (15), Pennsylvania (13), and Michigan (19).   Despite the departures of Pat Kavanagh -- who became the first Irish player to win the Tewaaraton last season -- and two-time NCAA First Team All-American netminder Liam Entenmann, the blue and gold picked up where they left off following 2024’s 16-win campaign.   Early goals from Kavanagh (4G, 5A) and Taylor -- the latter of who finished the night with seven markers -- set the tone for head coach Kevin Corrigan’s squad. And once the Irish found their groove, there was no looking back. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Leading 3-0 less than five minutes into the game, Notre Dame increased that advantage to 7-2 by quarters end, with Taylor finding the back of the net twice more, while Kavanagh and graduate faceoff Colin Hagstrom aided in the barrage.   That five-goal deficit was as close as the Vikings would get the rest of the way, as the Irish grabbed a 15-2 lead heading into halftime, and maintained that cushion at the end of the third frame (19-6).   Supporting the victory was the play of the faceoff unit, where Notre Dame won 20 of 33 battles at midfield. Will Lynch, who collected over 61-percent of his faceoffs a season ago, picked up seven faceoffs in nine tries on the night, with Hagstrom winning seven of his 12 opportunities.   Junior Thomas Ricciardelli (five saves and three goals allowed in 38 minutes of action) and senior Alex Zepf (four saves and three goals allowed in 18 minutes) shared time between the pipes, aiding Notre Dame’s strong effort on the defensive end.   With the win, Notre Dame improved to 5-0 all-time against Cleveland State. Even more impressive, however, is the fact that the victory was the program’s 23rd-straight on opening day.   What’s Next for the Irish?   Notre Dame hosts Marquette on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Noon ET in South Bend. Following a week off, the blue and gold will then travel to Washington, D.C., for a date with No. 15-ranked Georgetown. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is fighting for history this season, starting ACC play at 12-0, its best start in nine years. On the other hand, the men’s team is fighting to stay out of the cellar, as they enter the week losers of three straight, most recently at home against Virginia Tech. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Since returning to 10-10 on Jan. 28, the Fighting Irish have not been able to find an answer when it comes to finishing games. From taking an 11-point lead into the half against Miami and losing to being outscored by nine on your home court against Virginia Tech, it’s time to ask questions. Those questions will only get louder if they don’t go on the road and take care of business against Boston College, who is also 10-13 on the season. The Eagles, who have won just one of their last nine games, are led by redshirt sophomore guard Donald Hand Jr. who is not afraid to let the ball fly. In this past Saturday’s triple-overtime loss to Syracuse, Hand attempted 14 threes in 51 minutes of action and knocked down five of them, finishing with 28 points and seven rebounds.   Hand, a 6’5” guard, is averaging 16.2 points per game while shooting at a 40.1% clip from the field, while also grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game. It’s going to be crucial not to lose Hand Jr. on the floor, because if he gets any space he is going to shoot the ball, averaging 11.7 field goal attempts per game. The Irish have done a good job this season of stopping opponents on the three-point line, holding the second-best opponent percentage from deep at 31.1%. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. With two top-five shooting teams from deep facing off, senior forward Chad Venning could sneak through the cracks and perform at a high level down low. He’s averaging 12.7 PPG this season on 55.1% shooting and uses his 6’9” frame to block 1.4 shots per game.   They will have a chance to win a big game at home against Louisville on Sunday and try to salvage what remains of this season. The Cardinals, who enter at 18-6 and third in the ACC, have won 11 of their last 12 games.   Led by Wisconsin transfer Chucky Hepburn, the Cardinals are just one game back of first place, trailing Duke and Clemson. Hepburn, a senior guard from Omaha, Nebraska, is averaging 15 PPG while shooting 42.3% from the field while collecting 6.2 assists which is tied for 14th most in the country. He’s averaging 7.7 assists over his last seven games, including a 16-assist performance against SMU on Jan. 21.   Senior guard Terrance Edwards Jr. has been the main piece for the Cardinals over the last month however, averaging 17.6 PPG since Jan. 11, including two 20-point outings in eight games. The James Madison transfer has scored 20 or more points seven times this season, including Louisville’s last game against Miami where he finished with 27 points and 10 assists. Stopping this tandem is what the game will come down to for the Irish, especially from beyond the arc.   While it is a must-win game for the men’s team, the Notre Dame women’s squad has won 15 straight games over the last two months and is now ranked second in the country. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics   They have six games remaining on the schedule, with half of those against ranked opponents. That’s nothing new for the Irish who have won six top-25 matchups this season, including three in the top four. Notre Dame will take on Pittsburgh and number 13 Duke in their next two matchups, with one on the road and the other in Purcell Pavilion.   First on Thursday, the Irish must take care of business on the road against a struggling Pittsburgh Panther team. Despite being ranked 14th in the ACC, they have won their last two games over Boston College and SMU.   The Panthers are led by fifth-year senior forward Khadija Faye, who is in her first season with the team after spending her last four years with Texas Tech and Texas. Faye, who is from Dakar, Senegal, is having a career year, averaging 17.9 PPG in 29.2 minutes per game. Shooting 49.3% from the field, Faye could become a problem for the Irish early, as she’s scored in double figures in each of her last four games, with three double-doubles in that span. She also ranked seventh in the country with 2.7 blocks per game, completing six games with five or more.   Get the scoop before your friends with Tribune+ Outside of Faye, no one jumps off the stat sheet entering their matchup with the Irish. Sophomore guard Mikayla Johnson hasn’t put up the shooting numbers to be looked at as a threat, with just 29.9% of her shots falling. The Panthers have dealt with too many injuries this season to be able to give the Irish their best game. However, it will still be important to stay focused and keep Faye at bay.   The big matchup for Notre Dame comes on Monday as they welcome the number 13 team in the country to Purcell Pavilion in the Duke Blue Devils. They enter South Bend with a 19-5 record while going 10-2 in the ACC, keeping them in third place. Unlike Pittsburgh, the Blue Devils are a healthy team with four players averaging nine or more points per game.                   Their leading scorer, Toby Fournier, is averaging 13.4 PPG on 54.7% shooting and has scored 20 and 24 points in her last two games respectively. The freshman forward from Toronto has been pivotal for the Blue Devils all season long but has seen a dip in numbers when she plays against ranked opponents. In eight games against top 25 teams this season, Fournier is averaging just 8.6 PPG, and that number drops to 5.3 PPG in true road games. Her teammate, junior guard Ashlon Jackson, has been a riser in games against ranked opponents this season. In her eight games against ranked opponents, Jackson is averaging 15 points per game, including a 30-point performance against Kansas State back on Nov. 25. Against North Carolina State on Feb. 3, who is ranked second in the ACC and 10th in the country, Jackson finished with 23 points on 8-25 shooting and knocked down six threes.    Despite going 4-4 in ranked matchups this season, with just one win on the road against Georgia Tech on Jan. 26, the Blue Devils have yet to see the Fournier-Jackson duo thrive in these meetings. Which means they’re due for a big performance. While one of the two is certain to perform well, it’ll be crucial for the Irish to ensure that it isn’t both. Teams have proven this season that they can handle one or the other playing well, but usually not both Fournier and Jackson.   It’ll be a matter of taking care of business for both squads the rest of the week. For the men’s team, they will need to light a spark on the road against Boston College. Follow that up with a big win against Louisville, and you have a chance to make a run and make the season look respectable as they are prepared to welcome the best recruiting class in program history.   For the women’s team, go on the road and beat a team you’re supposed to beat, and then take care of business on Monday against the 13th team in the country. A loss to either one of those teams changes everything with how the standings will shape up for the ACC Tournament and opens the window for another team to sneak in.   It’s all about finding a way to pick up wins this weekend, and it starts tonight for the men’s team as they travel to Boston College at 9 p.m. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Irish Hockey suffered a pair of 5-1 losses at home this weekend to a ranked Buckeyes squad, completing a season sweep of Notre Dame for Ohio State.  Photo by The Irish Tribune Friday Notre Dame got on the board first thanks to a power play goal from Blake Biondi. The forward’s tenth score of the season came 17:31 into the first period following a tripping call on the Buckeyes. Cole Knuble and Paul Fischer were credited with assists on the PPG.  Ohio State tied the game up less than a minute later after Davis Burnside beat Irish Goalie Owen Say to make it a 1-1 contest.  The Buckeyes added two goals in the second in a 2:02 span with under five minutes remaining in the period to give themselves a 3-1 lead. Ryan Gordon’s first of his two goals on the night when he got one past Say 16:42 into the period would end up being the game-winner.  In the final period, despite four power play opportunities for the Irish, they could not find the back of the net as they managed just four shots in the 6:13 with a man advantage. The Buckeyes added two goals in the final minute including an empty-netter and Gordon scored his second of the night with 26 seconds to play in the contest to secure their 5-1 win. Key Player Stats: Blake Biondi (ND): 1 goal on 3 shots, 1 blocked shot Ryan Gordon (OSU): 2 goals, 1 blocked shot, +2 Key Team Stats: Shots: OSU (32) - ND (28) Power Play Success: ND (1-5) - OSU (0-3) Penalty Minutes: OSU (10) - ND (6) Faceoffs Won: ND (36) - OSU (27) Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Saturday If you just looked at the box scores from this weekend’s series you might experience deja vu considering they show the exact same results. Notre Dame scores first but Ohio State ties it up before the end of the first period, then the Buckeyes add two goals in the second, and finally two more goals in the third to put the icing on the cake for the visitors.  Danny Nelson put the Irish up 1-0 9:50 into the game when he beat the Buckeye goalie for his 11th goal of the season. Brennan Ali and Fischer earned assists on the game-opening score.  A testy first period featuring six penalties (three on each team) ended with a game-tying power play goal from the Buckeyes’ Gunnarwolfe Fontaine with under two minutes to play. The Irish were a man down following a kneeing call on Zach Plucinski.  9:37 into the second period, Ohio State’s Sam Deckhut was awarded a goal after barrelling into Irish goaltender Nicholas Kempf. After review, the officials allowed the goal and gave Deckhut a penalty for charging the goaltender. As unfair as this appeared, it was far from the only reason Notre Dame lost on Saturday.  Burnside gave the Buckeyes a 3-1 lead with 2:30 left in the second period.  In the third, Ohio State added two goals about midway through the period in a 1:58 span. A large credit for Saturday’s win should be given to OSU goalie Logan Terness who finished with 41 saves in the 5-1 victory. Key Player Stats: Danny Nelson (ND): 1 goal on 9 shots Davis Burnside (OSU): 1 goal on 3 shots, 2 assists, +2 Gunnarwolf Fontaine (OSU): 1 goal on 4 shots, 1 assist, +1 Logan Terness (OSU): 41 saves, 1 goal against Key Team Stats: Shots: ND (42) - OSU (30) Power Play Success: OSU (1-2) - ND (0-3) Penalty Minutes: OSU (12) - ND (10) Blocked Shots: ND (13) - OSU (10) Faceoffs Won: ND (32) - OSU (23) Notre Dame hits the road next weekend for a series with Penn State, whom the Irish split with in early January as a part of The Frozen Confines. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

On Sunday, the Irish Women’s Basketball team faced their biggest test since mid-January and passed with flying colors as they buried the top-25 ranked California Golden Bears 91-52 in South Bend.  Photo via Notre Dame Athletics The first quarter was a true team effort as eight different Irish scorers got on the board, led by four points from both Sonia Citron and Kate Koval. Cal’s Lulu Twidale led all scorers with six points on two three-pointers, however, the Irish managed a 22-15 lead heading into the second quarter.  Notre Dame put together a fairly dominant second quarter performance as they outscored the Golden Bears 22-8 in the frame. The Irish forced six turnovers and Cal could not buy a bucket as they shot 0-6 from three and 26.7% from the field during the quarter. Maddy Westbeld paced the Irish offense with six points on 3-3 shooting from the field as the home team brought a 44-23 lead into the half.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off In the first half, Notre Dame outscored Cal in second-chance points 15-0 and bench points 10-0 as the Golden Bears struggled offensively in these first 20 minutes. The Irish stayed hot in the third quarter as they outscored Cal 28-12 in the ten minutes. Notre Dame’s talented trio of Citron, Olivia Miles, and Hannah Hidalgo lit it up as they combined for 24 of the team’s 28 points. Miles led the way with 10 including two threes. She also added three assists and two rebounds in the quarter. The Irish closed the period on an 18-2 run to take a 72-35 lead into the final frame.   Hidalgo heated up in the final quarter as she led all scorers with nine points including a three on 4-7 shooting from the field. Cal found a little rhythm late as they shot 3-6 from three, but the Irish still managed to outscore the Golden Bears 19-17 in the final quarter to secure the 39-point victory.  Key Player Stats: Hannah Hidalgo: 24 points (10-20 FGs, 4-5 3FGs), 5 assists, 3 steals, +28 Olivia Miles: 16 points (7-12 FGs), 7 rebounds, 6 assists, +26 Sonia Citron: 16 points (7-9 FGs), 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, +32 Liatu King: 8 points (3-6 FGs), 13 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, +35 Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: ND (56%) - Cal (32%) Three Point Percentage: ND (50%) - Cal (29%) Free Throw Percentage: ND (100%) - Cal (60%) Turnovers: Cal (21) - ND (15) Points Off Turnovers: ND (25) - Cal (12) Total Rebounds: ND (43) - Cal (30) Second Chance Points: ND (21) - Cal (4) Bench Points: ND (18) - Cal (5) This ranked domination helped the Irish move up one spot to number two nationally in the AP Women’s Basketball Poll, which is released every Monday.  Up next, the Irish travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers on Thursday. Following, Notre Dame is set for a primetime home matchup on Presidents Day with the 13th-ranked Duke Blue Devils. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

With the 2024 season in the rear view mirror, all eyes turn to what 2025 may hold for the Irish. Before examining Notre Dame’s future, let’s examine how we got here. Photo by The Irish Tribune The Regular Season Marcus Freeman and the 2024 Fighting Irish began the regular season at #7 in the polls and were a preseason favorite to make the CFP. This was partially due to a highly criticized schedule many called weak, but the Irish would face possibly their biggest test of the season in week 1, #20 TAMU. Rankings aside, the Aggies were considered the more talented team, and when combined with their notoriously tough home-field advantage, gave them a -2.5 point edge over the Irish heading into the game. The first half was a defensive battle, with both offenses settling for two field goals a piece to enter halftime tied 6-6. The Irish broke through in the 2nd half with rushing touchdowns from Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price while only surrendering a single score to the Aggies. A late field goal and a crucial defensive stop from Christian Gray gave the Irish a 23-13 win deep in SEC territory to kick off the season.  Unfortunately, that momentum and optimism were short-lived, as Freeman and the Irish were stunned by unranked NIU in their home opener the following week, losing a heartbreaker 14-16. It was arguably the worst loss in modern program history, and the Irish went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. They dropped from #5 to #18, and the entire trajectory of Notre Dame’s season was on its head. The fanbase, team, and program were all shaken by the defeat, and criticism got so bad that some called for Freeman’s job altogether. Many believed the Irish wouldn’t be able to come back from this low, but with ten games left to play, the season became a “lose again and go home” challenge with no room for error. The Irish responded with an impressive 66-7 trouncing of Purdue on the road, raising even more questions about what went wrong against NIU and which performance better reflected who this team was. Notre Dame welcomed Miami (OH) the following week and won a comfortable if unimpressive 28-3 win over the RedHawks before preparing for their next real challenge, Louisville. The #15 Cardinals put up a fight, but the Irish stopped a late rally to squeak out a 31-24 win. It was their narrowest win of the season and the most points allowed thus far by Notre Dame’s defense. Notre Dame returned to form with a lopsided 49-7 win over Stanford but struggled to fully dominate a shorthanded Georgia Tech squad in Atlanta, only managing a 31-13 win.  Now (6-1), the #12 Irish faced their 3rd ranked opponent of the season, (6-0) #24 Navy. For the first time in recent memory, some mainstream media commentators gave Navy a legitimate chance to upset the Irish, and the Midshipmen fielded statistically competitive squads on both sides of the ball. The Irish had a respectable -13.5-point advantage heading into the matchup but outperformed expectations. Freeman and the Irish put on a clinic and dismantled Navy 51-14 to secure their 6th straight win. It pushed Notre Dame back into the top 10 for the first time since week 2 and began whispers of a playoff bid comeback. The Irish continued their win streak with a stellar 52-3 win over a beleaguered FSU team, then cruised by Virginia 35-14. In their third and final neutral site game of the season, Freeman and the #6 Irish headed to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, to face the #19 Army Black Knights. This was Notre Dame’s 4th ranked opponent of the season, and like the Navy game, favored the Irish by about two touchdowns going into the contest. Once again, Notre Dame poured on the style points for the playoff committee and ran away with a 49-14 win.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.   For the season finale, #5 Notre Dame again hit the road, this time for the West Coast to face archrival USC at the Coliseum. 2024 had been a struggle for 3rd-year head coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, facing the Irish with a shockingly underwhelming (6-5) record. While their record was nothing to brag about, this was technically a more talented team than Freeman’s boys, and the nature of the rivalry added a level of angst the Irish hadn’t seen in weeks. USC was uniquely positioned to knock Notre Dame off and dash their playoff hopes just before the end of the year - down on their luck, with a talented roster and an elite coach looking to quiet his loudest critics before an early offseason. The Trojans had nothing to lose, and the Irish had a turnaround season and redemption arc to fulfill, with no room left to fail. For the first time all season, Notre Dame was forced to rely on their offense to stay in the game, trading shots with the Trojans from the jump. The Irish struck first with a rushing touchdown close to the end of the 1st quarter, but USC responded with a drive of their own to tie things up. The Irish scored again, this time through the air, and took their second lead of the game with less than a minute remaining in the half. Unfortunately, the Irish defense couldn’t contain the Trojans and surrendered another touchdown in mere seconds, allowing USC to tie things up 14-14 and steal all the momentum going into halftime. Notre Dame got the ball at the start of the 3rd quarter and was able to score quickly off a 36-yard Jadarian Price run to go up 21-14, their 3rd lead of the game. The Irish defense allowed USC to cobble together an 8-play 77-yard drive to tie things up again. That’s when the game began to turn. Notre Dame responded with back-to-back scores to close out the 3rd quarter, first from a Riley Leonard keeper and then from Leonard’s 2nd passing score of the day to go up 35-21. Inexplicably, the Irish offense went quiet in the 4th, unable to get anything going, and a USC touchdown off a short field narrowed Notre Dame’s lead to a single score with less than 9 minutes left to play. In a ridiculous series of plays, the entire complexion of the game changed. The Trojans used their momentum to march down the field quickly, but just as they were about to tie things up, Notre Dame’s defense stepped in. On 1st & 10 from the Irish 21, USC tossed a fade to the front corner of the end zone, but Notre Dame DB Christian Gray reeled in a one-handed interception, bracing himself with a hand on the ground, and returned it 99 yards to the house for a shocking score. The Trojans got the ball back and again moved deep into Irish territory. With under two minutes left, USC faced 4th and 6 from the Irish 13, and Notre Dame’s defense was up against a wall. As the ball was hiked, the Irish front four broke through the USC line and forced a quick desperation throw over the middle toward the end zone. For the second straight series, Notre Dame’s secondary rose to the occasion. Safety Xavier Watts stepped right in front of a man-to-man battle in the end zone and reeled in another Irish interception, never breaking his stride and returning it 100 yards for a touchdown to put Notre Dame up 49-28. The Irish walked away with the win and finished their regular season (11-1) with a 10-game win streak, four wins over ranked opponents, and a top-5 finish in the polls. Altogether, it was enough to earn the Irish a CFP seed with a 1st round home game.  The Playoffs The Irish earned the privilege of hosting their 1st round matchup of the playoff and drew cross-state rival #9 Indiana. The tension was palpable from the start, and nerves got the best of both sides as they traded interceptions to start things off. With Notre Dame backed up to their own 2-yard line, Irish star running back Jeremiyah Love took a handoff and burst through a gap on the left-hand side before breaking into the open and down the sideline for a 98-yard rushing touchdown. In just one run, Love scored the game’s first points, the longest rushing touchdown of the season, and the first touchdown scored in the 12-team playoff’s history. The Irish dominated the 2nd quarter, capping off a 16-play 83-yard drive that took over 9:00 minutes with another score. The Hoosiers got on the board with a field goal before Notre Dame responded with one of their own, sending the game into halftime with the Irish up 17-3. The second half was more of the same, as Notre Dame extended their lead with another touchdown and another field goal to go up 27-3 with less than 5 minutes left in the 4th. With the game out of hand, Freeman and Golden began subbing in 2nd and 3rd string defensemen to rest starters for the rest of the playoff run. In response, Indiana kept their starters in and had their only success of the day on offense. The Hoosiers cobbled together 14 garbage time points against the Irish reserves and narrowed the lopsided game’s score to a more respectable 27-17. While it wasn’t the prettiest or most statistically impressive win of Notre Dame’s season, it brought a level of confidence this team hadn’t experienced yet. You could tell by the way they played that something was different. Notre Dame outclassed and outworked the Hoosiers from the jump. The Irish defense smothered Indiana’s highly lauded offense, holding them to 215 yards passing and only 61 yards on the ground. Indiana’s defense was considered the stronger part of their team, but even they failed to contain any part of the Irish offense. Jeremiah Love finished with 108 yards and a touchdown, while Leonard tossed 201 yards and a touchdown through the air, along with a score on the ground. It gave the Irish a win on a stage they hadn’t seen in quite some time, and they managed to dominate the Hoosiers while not even playing their best ball. The Irish headed to the Sugar Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia to face Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. It was a defensive battle from the start. Notre Dame's defense forced a fumble to stop a deep Georgia drive into Irish territory, and neither team scored in the first quarter. After giving up a huge chunk pass down the sideline, the Irish defense held UGA to a field goal for the game's first points. The Irish answered with back-to-back field goals to take a narrow 6-3 lead with less than a minute left in the half. That's when everything changed. Instead of taking the conservative route and kneeling the ball, Kirby Smart sent his offense back onto the field to try and score. First-time starter Gunner Stockton had been throwing the ball well, and the Bulldogs hoped to at least tie things up with a field goal before giving the Irish the ball to start the 3rd quarter. On the first play of Georgia's drive, Stockton dropped back to throw but was blindsided by Notre Dame's Jason Onye, who chopped the ball out of his hands and onto the ground. The Irish recovered and immediately struck with a passing touchdown from Riley Leonard to Beaux Collins, stunning the Bulldogs and taking a 13-3 lead going into halftime. On the opening kickoff of the 2nd half, Notre Dame's Jayden Harrison fielded the ball at the 2-yard line and began slowly cutting his way through Georgia's return team before breaking a tackle and finding a seam, bursting into the open and down the sideline. He ran 98 yards to the house, putting the Irish up 20-3 while driving a dagger into Georgia. In just 54 seconds of gameplay, the Irish scored 17 points and extended a 6-3 lead to 20-3. Georgia finally scored a touchdown with about 9 minutes left in the 3rd, but the Irish added another field goal after forcing a turnover on downs on the 9-yard line. The final backbreaker was a 4th & 1 on Notre Dame's own 19, where the Irish executed an 11-man personnel change, swapping the entire special teams unit with the offense before baiting the Bulldogs to jump offsides. The Irish proceeded to bleed the clock with multiple 3rd-down conversions until giving the ball back to Georgia. The Irish sealed the 23-10 win with another turnover on downs, sacking Gunner Stockton at Georgia's 17. Once again, the Irish beat an elite opponent in dominant fashion while not quite playing their best ball. Notre Dame's offense collected fewer total yards than Georgia while only throwing for 90 yards and one touchdown. They didn't score a single rushing touchdown between Leonard, Price, and Love and relied heavily on Mitch Jeter's 3/3 mark on field goals and a special teams touchdown. With the win, the Irish kept their playoff hopes alive, beat the reigning SEC Champion, secured the program’s first-ever win over UGA, and beat arguably the best coach in all of college football. It was even less pretty than the Indiana game and was by no means a blowout, but the Irish proved they can find a way to win and can do so in a variety of ways. Their defense proved they could absorb big-chunk plays and a massive offensive line while still preventing scores and forcing turnovers. The offense proved they don't even need to throw the ball if their running backs aren't producing; they can just run with Leonard and beat you on special teams. Notre Dame’s Sugar Bowl win earned them a spot in the Orange Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Despite several big gash plays in the first quarter, both defenses kept the game scoreless. The Nittany Lions’ defense reeled in a Riley Leonard interception for the first big momentum swing of the game, but the Irish defense held strong and only allowed a field goal as the 2nd quarter began. Penn State then controlled the quarter with a 15-play, 90-yard drive to score, putting them up 10-0 and chewing more than 7 minutes off the clock. Before the half ended, Riley Leonard was sacked and hit his head hard enough to be taken out of the game, putting Steve Angeli on the field in Irish territory with only 1:30 left before half. Angeli orchestrated a sorely lacking passing attack down the field and into position for a field goal before halftime. The Irish had done nearly nothing on offense, but their defense kept them competitive. The Irish scored right out of halftime with an 8-play, 75-yard drive of their own, tying things up at 10-10. After trading punts, the Irish put together another long drive that took them to Penn State’s 2-yard line with a little over 14 minutes left in the 4th. On 1st and goal, Leonard handed the ball off to Jeremiyah Love, who spectacularly out-willed the entire Nittany Lions defense, hurdling the first defender, dragging the second with him as he collided with two more defenders before leaping forward to break the plane. It gave Notre Dame their first lead of the game, 17-10. Penn State quickly responded with their second touchdown to tie things back up at 17-17. On the ensuing drive, Riley Leonard tossed another interception that led to a Penn State score, stifling any Irish momentum while taking the lead 24-17. The Irish got the ball back with about 5 minutes remaining and began chipping away PSU’s defense. The Irish got to just about midfield before wideout Jaden Greathouse broke his defender’s ankles off the line of scrimmage and reeled in a perfect ball from Leonard. Once in the open, Greathouse hit another stellar move to drop PSU’s last defender on his butt, and he walked into the endzone, tying it 24-24. With less than a minute remaining, Penn State’s Drew Aller tossed a late ball over the middle with pressure in his face, and Irish CB Christian Gray reeled it in for their first turnover of the game. Instead of playing it conservative and running out the clock to play in overtime, Freeman and the Irish capitalized on their field position, moving the ball just far enough into PSU territory to try for a field goal. With only 0:12 seconds left on the clock, Irish kicker Mitch Jeter lined up for his second opportunity of the night, drilling a 41-yarder to seal the win 27-24.  Once again, the Irish did whatever was needed to get the win. Notre Dame had yet to trail this season nor mount a comeback through the air, and in just two quarters, they managed to do both. For the first time in the season, the Irish offense outgained their running game through the air and failed to win the turnover battle but still held on to win. Fittingly, the game came down to Mitch Jeter’s recently healed leg, and he nailed it, becoming the first kicker in CFP history to make a game-winning field goal. The win sent the Irish to their first National Title game since 2012. The National Championship Everything led to this point. All the close calls, the big wins, the critics who said they didn’t belong, and a program-defining loss - all of it helped get the Irish to the big dance. All that stood in their way was Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Irish got the ball to start the game and put together one of their most dominant drives of the playoff. Riley Leonard led the Fighting Irish on an 18-play, 75-yard scoring drive that shaved the first 9:45 seconds off the clock. The Irish couldn’t have scripted a better start to the game, especially for an offense quite obviously outmatched by the Buckeyes defense. It then fell to Notre Dame’s defense, which statistically matched up more closely against Ohio State’s offense. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes had little trouble moving the ball and went on three straight unanswered scoring drives: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:05 minutes; 10 plays, 76 yards, 6:06 minutes; and 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:26 minutes. As the game entered halftime, the Irish found themselves behind 7-21, with OSU getting the ball to start the second half. The Buckeyes had little trouble marching 75 yards to score on their opening drive of the 3rd quarter and added a field goal shortly after. Suddenly, the Irish faced a 7-31 hole, and all hope seemed lost. Thankfully, Freeman and the Irish were able to scrape together another impressive 10-play 75-yard drive to get back on the board. Riley Leonard found Jaden Greathouse through the air, who busted a few twitchy moves to slice and dice his way into the endzone. The Irish successfully converted the 2-point conversion with a Leonard-to-Love shovel pass to bring the deficit to a more manageable 15-31. After recovering a fumble, the Irish were able to move the ball into Buckeye territory but curiously settled for a 27-yard field goal attempt on 4th & goal that ultimately ricocheted off the upright and was no good.  Thankfully, the Irish were able to get the ball back and respond with a drive that did convert. After a huge pass to tight-end Mitchell Evans, Riley Leonard tossed a 30-yard bomb to the front corner of the far end zone, where Greathouse reeled it in over his shoulder for the score. Once again, the Irish lined up for a 2-point conversion, but this time, they handed the ball off to wideout Jordan Faison, who came on a sweep around the side and tossed the ball over the heads of the Buckeye defenders to Beaux Collins for the score. In two quick drives, the Irish narrowed a 28-point deficit to just 8 and gave themselves a few minutes in the 4th to tie things up. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes were able to put things out of reach with a field goal to go up 34-23 with less than 30 seconds left. It was enough to kill Notre Dame’s valiant comeback and end their Cinderella season. Final Thoughts No matter how you look at it, this season was an unmitigated success for Marcus Freeman and the Irish. Before week one, everyone in the country had a pretty good idea of what Notre Dame should do in the regular season. However, once the NIU loss came, it felt like this team might go the way of disappointing Notre Dame teams of the past. Many thought the season was already over, and critics saw no way for Notre Dame to come back from it, yet they did. Week after week, the Irish cobbled together a respectable and often dominant 10-game win streak to close out the regular season and found a way to overcome their early failure. While the NIU game will stick around in fans' memories, the 2024 Irish redeemed that regular season black mark by securing a postseason bid. The Irish earned a clean slate in the playoffs, but the stakes had never been higher for a program long criticized for its lack of success in the postseason. Notre Dame‘s win over Indiana should have been enough to silence even the most staunch Irish hater, but excuses surrounding Indiana’s legitimacy seemed to overshadow the public discourse. All of that disappeared following the Georgia game. For the first time in recent memory, Notre Dame had beaten a quality team, an SEC champion, and an elite coach in one fell swoop - all on their biggest stage yet. In the eyes of Notre Dame fans, their team had achieved something they’d been waiting for for decades - a legitimate win in a major bowl game - but it still wasn’t quite enough for the public. That is, until the following week when Notre Dame did it again against Penn State in the Orange Bowl. This time, there was no blaming a backup quarterback, lucky seeding, or a talent disparity. Notre Dame had just posted its 3rd straight win over a top-10 opponent and answered the most significant remaining question - are the Irish back?” with a resounding “yes.” All in all, the 2024 Fighting Irish overachieved and defied even the rosiest of predictions. Once Notre Dame got on a roll and started winning in the playoffs, fan excitement at the possibilities evolved into confidence amidst a new reality. In a way, that’s what Freeman and the 2024 Irish did for the program as a whole. Within a single season, they moved the goalposts well beyond expectations, from hopefully winning a big game to hopefully winning a major bowl game, to hopefully beating a better team on a huge stage, to hopefully winning a National Title. The evolution of Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame is well ahead of schedule and has already taken expectations to a place many outside the fan base never thought they’d return to. While the Irish didn’t achieve their ultimate goal, they did prove that Notre Dame can go all the way, and it’s no longer a question of “if” they can win it all but “when” that will be. With another promising season on the horizon and a clear path to achieving success laid out for them, Notre Dame’s 2025 season holds even more promise than 2024. In my next piece, we’ll look at the current situation the program finds itself in and where the Irish go from here. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Irish Women’s Basketball team returned to South Bend following a three-game road trip and delivered an amazing all-around performance in a 96-47 win versus Stanford on Thursday.  Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Notre Dame played well in the first quarter, jumping out an early 17-8 lead in the first ten minutes. Olivia Miles led the Irish offense with five points including a three. However, their defense was the highlight of the quarter as they forced ten Stanford turnovers which led to 11 Irish points.  The second quarter was arguably the best ten minutes this Irish team has played all season as they outscored Stanford 33-7 to take a 50-15 lead into halftime. Notre Dame added nine more forced turnovers as they ended the quarter on a 24-2 run. Offensively, the Irish shot 76.5% from the field including 4-4 from three. Hannah Hidalgo led the way as she tallied nine points on perfect shooting splits and three assists in seven minutes played during the quarter. Miles shot 2-2 from three as she contributed six points bringing her game total to 11.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Stanford started showing some life in the second half but it was clear they were still outmatched for this streaking Irish squad. Notre Dame outscored the Cardinal 26-15 in the third quarter thanks to another perfect-shooting outburst from Hidalgo who poured in 11 points and two rebounds in six minutes played.  In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame outscored Stanford 20-17 to finish off a 49-point victory for the Irish. Cassandre Prosper and Liza Karlen each added five points including a three in the final quarter.  The Irish will remain in South Bend as they prepare for a Sunday afternoon battle with a top-25-ranked California Golden Bears squad. Key Player Stats: Hannah Hidalgo: 24 points (9-16 FGs, 5-5 FTs), 5 assists, 3 steals, +44 Olivia Miles: 20 points (4-6 3FGs, 4-4 FTs), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, +40   Liatu King: 8 points (4-7 FGs), 8 rebounds, 5 steals, +30 Sonia Citron: 9 points (4-8 FGs), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, +30 Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: ND (55%) - Stanford (31%) Three Point Percentage: ND (53%) - Stanford (27%) Turnovers: Stanford (29) - ND (12) Points Off Turnovers: ND (45) - Stanford (12) Fastbreak Points: ND (22) - Stanford (2) Blocks: ND (6) - Stanford (1) Steals: ND (16) - Stanford (6) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame was bolstered by the depth of their roster last year, a concept that will vanish in the new era of NIL and the transfer portal. Photo by The Irish Tribune One of the biggest storylines from last season's playoff run was Notre Dame's ability to overcome injuries on both sides of the ball. On offense, the Irish lost starting center Ashton Craig for the season, while also having Anthonie Knapp miss the national championship game. On defense, the Irish lost All-Americans Rylie Mills and Benjamin Morrison, along with edge rushers Boubacar Traore and Jordan Botelho for the year. Even going down the stretch, Howard Cross missed many weeks with an ankle injury, while Jeremiyah Love played on one good knee for the last four games of the season. While the blame could be pointed on Loren Landow for the number of injuries this Fighting Irish team endured, look at the way players filled in the gaps. Gabriel Rubio and Donovan Hinish plugged the middle of the field quite well after Mills' injury in the first-round game against Indiana. Junior Tuihalamaka, Bryce Young, and RJ Oben amounted for edge pressure during the season after the Irish lost their first and second stringers. Cornerback Leonard Moore was thrusted into the spotlight and responded by being a Freshman All-American. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.   At every turn, each injury could've derailed Notre Dame's season, yet, the Irish's "next man in" mentality powered them all the way to the national championship game. However, it is specifically this depth that is starting to be eliminated in the NIL era, and Notre Dame is starting to experience the harsh reality. When the Fighting Irish had three offensive linemen enter the transfer portal, many flags went up in the Notre Dame communities. While Pat Coogan, Rocco Spindler, and Sam Pendleton all had started games in Notre Dame's quest for a national title, 2/3 didn't start week one at Texas A&M. Yet, the depth that these players provided were crucial for Notre Dame because of the number of injuries on the line. Players like Coogan, Spindler, and Pendleton are the key pieces that every program used to have. It was a key facet that separated Notre Dame and a team like Nick Saban's Alabama. Those Alabama team's second and third string players could compete with the ones. This is what Notre Dame was slowly starting to evolve into, yet in the transfer portal era, why would these guys stick around without a guaranteed starting position? That's why all three lineman transferred to become "the guy" at power four schools. Coogan (Indiana), Spindler (Nebraska), and Pendleton (Tennessee) will all be day one starters at their new schools. This is par for the course as it pertains to NIL, but the culture Marcus Freeman has built at Notre Dame is still intact. Only 6 players entered the portal after the season ended. Six. Let's look at how many players entered the portal after the season at some top programs: Alabama: 24 Texas A&M: 23 LSU: 19 Georgia: 14 Ohio State: 14 Oregon: 11 Texas: 10 Penn State: 9 The transfer portal era in college football is one that is unprecedented, yet the need for a general manager is such a new, valuable position. With the Irish keying in on Chad Bowden's replacement, the culture instilled by Marcus Freeman and his staff has helped navigate them through one of college football's most confusing times. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun