44 minute read
scene
The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
“Only Wanna Be With You (Pokémon 25 Version)” — Post Malone By Ryan Israel, Scene Editor
Advertisement
The context surrounding this song is baffling, to say the least. For the 25th anniversary of a Japanese video game turned dominant media franchise (Pokémon), a former rapper, current superstar singer (Post malone) covers the hit song (“only Wanna be With You”) of a quintessential ‘90s college rock band (hootie & The blowfish). It makes total sense, right? outrageous circumstances aside, Post malone’s cover isn’t half bad. The song plays to his strengths, letting him stretch out his vocals over the guitar-heavy chorus. While he doesn’t reach the deep register of darius rucker, he holds his own. The song’s biggest flaw is its forced inclusion of sound effects from the Pokémon games; the digital bleep-bloops and keys crowd the instrumental and leave the song feeling overproduced.
Perhaps the best part of Post malone’s cover is the potential it signals for his upcoming work. he’s finding inspiration in rock music past — early in quarantine, he did an awesome performance covering the music of nirvana — and leaning into the guitar. A true Post malone rock album may not be on the horizon, but maybe we can get an “mTv Unplugged” performance. I can only hope.
“Rainforest” — Noname
By Aidan O’Malley, Scene Writer
“noname” is an unfortunately apt title for one of the best artists currently in the rap game — far too few people are familiar with her work. You might have heard the chicago-born rapper’s features on various songs by chance the rapper — “Lost” off of “Acid rap,” for instance, or my personal favorite, “drown” off of “coloring book.” In the intervening years, noname has established an outstanding career of her own, and — no offense to chance — has eclipsed him two or three times over.
“rainforest” is the lead single off noname’s forthcoming third record, “Factory baby,” which is due at some point this year. Produced by The Kount with featured vocals by Adam ness, it is, as rolling stone so aptly described it, “revolutionary music you can dance to.” noname isn’t quiet about her socialist influences; on “rainforest,” she weaves together a rich tapestry of political and philosophical ideas ranging from the ills of capitalism to the destruction of the natural world, as well as how those issues compound one another if you’re black. noname isn’t a lyricist so much as she is a poet, and after you give “rainforest” a listen — which you must — you’ll want to dive into its Genius page and linger over each and every line.
Also, stream her first two records, “Telefone” and “room 25.”
“Leave the Door Open” — Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic
By Jake Winningham, Associate Scene Editor
bruno mars has burnished his best-weddingband-ever vibe on the backs of singles aimed at updating the most popular sounds of decades past: “Locked out of heaven” quoted from the Police just as much as “Uptown Funk” (perhaps illicitly) parroted the Gap band. his new single, “Leave The door open” — released as a part of the Anderson .Paak collaboration silk sound — is the latest track in this lineage, fitting into a 70s-influenced sweet spot that owes as much to billy Paul as it does bobby charles. .Paak and mars trade lines over a tight full-band arrangement, albeit one that never quite flourishes into the same Isley brothers-meet-morris day vibe that marks mars’ finest work.
By Dessi Gomez, Scene Writer
“spinning” lives up to its name with a chaotic cacophony of sound. This great collaboration between no rome, The 1975 and charli XcX is an ideal release for springtime, when we start to get that taste of summer and good weather. The song’s upbeat dance mix will cheer you up when the permacloud inevitably returns in late march or April. I currently relate to the song as a second semester senior trying to figure out post-grad life while also doing my best to enjoy my time left on campus. I will play this song in those moments of bliss that go by in a blur because before I know it, I will be graduating and wishing I had enjoyed these moments more.
This song also gives me hope for a picture that matty healy of The 1975 put on his Instagram story last week featuring up and coming artist holly humberstone.
Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu Contact Aidan O’Malley at aomalle2@nd.edu Contact Jake Winningham at jwinning@nd.edu Contact Dessi Gomez at dgomez5@nd.edu
By DILLON BEGLEY
scene Writer
When it comes to marvel and its cinematic Universe (mcU), we as an audience are always told to expect the unexpected. however, all 23 films released thus far share many things in common. They all follow a similar story arc, are known to be magnificent cGI set pieces and are all presented as two or two-and-a-half hour movies. With “Wandavision,” marvel has subverted even those expectations, turning its own template upside down with a new venture into television on disney+.
The first marvel television show to premiere on disney+, “Wandavision” started in January and finished with its series finale on mar. 5. now, this was not marvel’s first live-action show ever, as they’ve produced previous shows such as “Agents of s.h.I.e.L.d.,” “daredevil” and “Jessica Jones.” however, this would be the first show to truly be considered canon in the mcU and to tie heavily into the marvel franchise movies. Instead of being presented as one singular two-hour movie, “Wandavision” comes as nine separate 30-40 minute episodes released weekly. Furthermore, instead of being primarily actionfocused, this show follows the tradition of one of television’s earliest inventions, the sitcom. essentially, it’s a sitcom set in the mcU with some special twists.
And I loved every second of it. This show is nothing but pure fun with two of our now most beloved marvel characters. As Wanda, elizabeth olsen gives her best performance to date. she shows range, handling both the traditional sitcom moments and the deep emotional ones we’re more used to. Paul bettany also gives a superb performance as vision and is similarly excellent in the sitcom aspect of the episodes. vision’s character arc throughout the series is worthwhile and leaves hints for future projects.
The writing and dialogue for these characters and others were outstanding. The same can be said for the directing of the show. Its cinematography is certainly inspired by classic shows of the past and it truly emulates these shows with certain episodes. each episode before the finale takes place in a different decade so-tospeak and imitates that decade’s version of sitcom television. The first three episodes are reminiscent of “The dick van dyke show” and “I Love Lucy.” Later on, they turn to‘70s and ‘80s shows, but my personal favorites are the episodes which are reminiscent of 2000s classics like “malcolm and the middle” and “modern Family.” The writing for this show is well done and also supremely funny when imitating these classics.
“Wandvision” is primarily about our two main characters, although there are some other nice additions like Kat dennings and randall Park that make their returns to the marvel Universe. While the side plots are intriguing, it’s olsen and bettany as Wanda and vision who really hold the show together, and it’s in their main plotlines where the show shines, delving deep into the psyche of the couple. The show appropriately continues Wanda’s storyline from what we have seen in “captain America: civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” and there are even some great callbacks to her start in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” too. It also deals with her trauma and past tragedies from these films.
“Wandavision” keeps the audience guessing with its little hints about the greater mystery to be solved. This viewer didn’t even realize who the true villain was until the last two episodes. That and all the post-credits scenes certainly help shape the future of the mcU and set-up more potential movies and shows.
Anyone who is a fan of the marvel movies should give this show a shot, although they should be aware that it is not like the movies in terms of presentation. With that said, I strongly suggest binge-watching this show as soon as possible. Its high quality has me extremely excited for the other marvel shows — “The Falcon and the Winter soldier” and “Loki” — coming out later this year.
Contact Dillon Begley at dbegley@hcc-nd.edu
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn Favorite Episodes: Episode 6, Episode 9 If You Like: Marvel movies, classic sitcoms
Follow us on Twitter.
@ObserverSports
sudoku | ThE MEPhAM grOuP
Happy Birthday: refuse to let change throw you off guard this year. Accept the inevitable, and keep moving forward. use your ingenuity, and you’ll find new ways to use your talents to fit whatever is trending. keeping up, staying informed and projecting a positive attitude will attract attention. Surround yourself with projects that promote personal growth and like-minded people. romance is favored. your numbers are 9, 14, 22, 28, 35, 41, 44. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Adapt and go about your business. Embrace new beginnings with enthusiasm. how you use your energy to get things done will help you gain support and the respect you desire. Don’t take a health risk or make an impulsive purchase. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): keep your life simple and the promises you make doable. refuse to let your emotions get in the way of common sense. focus on selfimprovement instead of trying to change others. Put your energy into something that will benefit you long-term. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t let down your guard, even if someone is complimentary or seductive. recognize manipulation when someone turns on the charm or uses emotional tactics to take advantage of you. Don’t let anger set in when intelligence is required. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Educate yourself before sharing your opinion. Change can be helpful if it saves you money, improves your health or helps you make a difference. Nurture a meaningful relationship, and it will lead to a positive change at home. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Look for the right opportunity. Don’t let someone talk you into something that will benefit them, not you. Carefully pick and choose who you associate with. A partnership will require equality on all fronts if it’s going to bring good results. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): learn through observation, and make adjustments that will help you navigate your way to a better position. An older or established individual will offer insight into possibilities. Don’t be afraid to try something new. love and romance are in the stars. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be receptive to suggestions. focus on education, communication and expanding your interests and circle of friends. let your curiosity mount and your desire for mental stimulation open up doors that will encourage you to use your skills diversely. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Pace yourself, think matters through and look at all sides of a situation. focus on what’s possible, and you’ll find unique ways to navigate your way through situations that are likely to lead to a dead end. Make peace and love priorities. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Put more time and energy into how you earn your living or manage your money or shared expenses and less time into relationships with people taking advantage of you or not being honest about longterm plans. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take care of yourself physically. Start a fitness routine that encourages you to pay close attention to diet and lifestyle, and it will lift your spirits and confidence. Personal improvements will promote better work habits and result in overall success.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Discipline, hard work and persistence will play roles in how well you do today. Getting along and keeping the peace will make your life easier. Consider what’s important to you, and work quietly by yourself to ward off
unwanted interference. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take the initiative to address issues that are slowing you down. focus on efficiency and productivity so you can accomplish what you set out to do. A change of heart will give you a new perspective on life, love and happiness. Birthday Baby: you are spontaneous, aggressive and emotional. you are original and possessive.
Jumble | DAvID hOyT AND JEff kNurEk
WOrk ArEA
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross Community.
Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the two campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home. Make checks payable to and mail to:
Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556
Sterling’s title belt legit as it gets
Greg McKenna
sports Writer
before UFc 259, I was not the only one to predict that Petr Yan and Aljamain sterling’s bout for the bantamweight crown would be the Fight of the night on a main card featuring three titles up for grabs. now, I’m likely one of the few standing by that claim after saturday night (with the official distinction going to Kennedy nzechukwu and carlos Ulberg’s undercard fight).
After seeing the GoAT of female mmA, Amanda nunes, expeditiously dispatch megan Anderson to defend her featherweight title before Jan blachowicz ground out a professional victory over the aspiring “double-champ” Israel Adesanya to retain his light heavyweight belt, the first 19 minutes of relentless pressure from sterling and devastating counterpunching by Yan was by far the most compelling action during the title fights. however, the bout suffered an anticlimax it did not deserve. With Yan up on two of the judges’ scorecards after three rounds and clearly ascending in the fourth against a fatigued sterling, Yan threw away his title defense with a blatantly illegal knee to the head while sterling maintained a guard that rendered him a “downed opponent.” sterling won the title due to Yan’s disqualification after being deemed unable to continue. From a cynical perspective, sterling would have had little incentive to convince the referee and doctors he was fit to continue (which, again, he most obviously was not), which prompted ridiculous and deeply problematic accusations from henry cejudo, darren Till and many others that the Jamaican American was faking an apparent concussion. sterling was visibly distraught about the nature of his victory and tossed the belt aside immediately after getting his hand raised. despite requiring assistance to exit the octagon, sterling made his way to a brief post-fight interview so he could apologize to the fans for an unsatisfying conclusion that was clearly not his fault.
“The Funkmaster,” however, had every right to proudly adorn his newly acquired bling all the way to the hospital if he so wished. Just because he likely would not have won without the egregious mistake committed by his opponent does not make his victory any less authentic.
After all, I didn’t hear anyone argue Florida deserved a mulligan for their loss to LsU and a spot in the college Football Playoff just because marco Wilson thought it best to celebrate a critical thirddown stop, which would have given heisman finalist Kyle Trask nearly two minutes to lead a field goal drive against a historically bad and shorthanded Tigers defense, with a now-infamous shoe toss. changing games by penalizing minuscule self-inflicted infractions, never mind punishing illegal knees, is a commonly accepted dogma by fans of other sports.
If a receiver drops the football millimeters before the goal line without a defender in sight, we do not yell at officials for looking at replay to take away points the scoreboard operators were putting up when the receiver was at the 20-yard line, but instead laugh at the humiliating unforced error.
The team that almost gave up the big play does not “deserve” to have recovered a fumble purely based on their recent performance, but it is, nonetheless, considered to be the most just outcome. serena Williams lost a match point in a 2009 U.s. open semifinal against Kim clijsters after being penalized for verbally abusing a line judge and dropped an entire game due to a similar code violation in her 2018 U.s open Final defeat to naomi osaka. While both rulings were controversial, they did not “cheapen” clijsters’ or osaka’s respective achievements.
If fans want mmA to gain further mainstream acceptance as a sport and not a bloody gimmick, they will regard sterling’s title with similar respect.
If someone kneed me in the face when they did not have the right to do so, I would, at the very bare minimum, expect my lawyer to win me a gaudy, oversized belt in damages. so until the two scariest men in the world at 135 pounds inevitably have their rematch, mr. sterling has the right to flaunt his new girdle whenever and wherever he pleases without facing a peep of critique.
Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contenders, pretenders and dark horses in March
Jamison Cook
sports Writer
march has arrived, and that means it’s tournament time. It seems absurd that it has already been 12 months since the pandemic robbed us of the basketball heaven that is march madness (among other things).
For those of us who suffered even more in quarantine due to the absence of 12-5 upsets, buzzer-beaters and bracketbusting cinderella stories, the fast-approaching selection sunday is a beacon of hope. The return of the tournament not only promises a level of excitement that the seven-game series of the pros cannot deliver but also represents a return to a semblance of normal life, at least in the sports world.
The one-and-done format allows for just about anything to happen, and year after year we see mid-major programs knocking off blue bloods like it’s their job. however, I will attempt to help those looking for some last-minute bracket advice with some insights on who is a real contender, a pretender and a dark horse in this year’s tournament.
CoNtENDErS
baylor bears (19-1, 11-1 big 12) baylor claimed its first big 12 regular-season title in over 70 years with an overtime victory over West virginia on Tuesday. At the time of writing the big 12 has seven teams ranked in the top 25, making this one of the most significant conference titles in the country. Jared butler, davion mitchell, and macio Teague are as good as any trio of guards in the country, and in the tournament is all about guardplay down the stretch. I would be shocked if they aren’t a no. 1 seed and exit before the elite eight. Quite honestly, I thought this team might be unbeatable before their loss to Kansas.
Illinois Fighting Illini (19-6, 15-4 big Ten)
Tuesday was a big day for the Illini as well as they ran michigan off their home floor and made a statement heading into the big Ten Tournament. They did this without arguably their best player, Ayo dosunmu. dosunmu can play with anybody in the country, and he is surrounded by a nice complement of guards in Trent Frazier, Adam miller and Andre curbelo. Illinois also has a dominant inside presence in the 7-foot, 285-pound Kofi cockburn, one of the most physical big men in the country. once again, guardplay will determine a team’s success down the stretch, but the pairing of good guards with a dominant big man gives Illinois the chance to make a deep run. oklahoma state cowboys (176, 10-6 big 12) oklahoma state has made this list for one reason in particular: cade cunningham. The presumptive no. 1 overall pick has dazzled this season, highlighted by a 40-point performance in a win against rival oklahoma on saturday. but what sold me on the cowboys was how they beat oklahoma again just a few days later when cunningham did not dominate. oklahoma state has depth and a great collection of guards, including Avery Anderson and Isaac Likekele. All six of their losses have come in the big 12, which is really not a negative due to the quality of the conference. When the lights get bright, cunningham doesn’t shy away, and oklahoma state fans should feel very secure when the ball is in his hands.
prEtENDErS
ohio state buckeyes (18-7, 12-7 big Ten)
I have not been high on ohio state at any point this season, and their current three-game losing streak has served as proof of my suspicions about this team. While many of the buckeyes’ recent losses have been close, they have not shown the ability to close games or their chance to narrow the gap on the conference title. The loss to michigan state is a bad one, and although neither of the losses to michigan or Iowa can be considered bad, these are games you have to find a way to win in a close conference race at home. Additionally, ohio state lacks size in its rotation, and this weakness was exposed against both michigan and Illinois. The buckeyes are trending in the wrong direction at the wrong time. villanova Wildcats (15-4, 10-3 big east) villanova appears on track to win another big east regularseason title this year, but this is not saying much. There are only three other teams above .500 in the conference, and creighton is the only other tournament team. A recent loss to 9-13 butler does little for my confidence in the Wildcats, and their lack of depth is a major concern. villanova’s insane amounts of tournament experience, great leadership from collin Gillespie and great coaching from Jay Wright will get them through the first round or two, but this is not their year to make a run. virginia cavaliers (16-6, 12-4 Acc) virginia is another team that has experience and coaching, but I simply cannot justify picking past the sweet 16, if they are lucky enough to get there. The cavaliers’ two leading scorers are forwards, and I have stated above, guard-play is what wins games at this stage of the season. Kihei clark has proven he can play on the biggest stage, but it is tough to trust a 5-foot-9 guard to handle constant pressure against bigger guards. The cavaliers also only have four players averaging above nine points, and one has to wonder where the offense will come from if hauser or huff cannot get going (esPn).
DArK horSES
san diego state Aztecs (19-4, 13-3 mountain West) san diego state was 30-2 last season before the pandemic hit and cost them a chance at tournament glory with one of the best teams they had ever seen. The Aztecs did not lose a ton from last year, and they will be hungry to capitalize on their chance to compete this season. matt mitchell and Jordan schakel are guys who can score, and the team as a whole can put up points if needed. san diego state proved they can play with anyone last season, so don’t discount them for being in the mountain West.
Loyola chicago ramblers (21-4, 16-2 mvc)
If this name sounds familiar, it should. Loyola chicago made a run to the Final Four in 2018, making them one of the biggest cinderella stories in tournament history. This year they have not been able to fly under the radar as much, as they are currently ranked 20th in the AP Poll. cameron Krutwig, who started at center for the 2018 team, is back and leading the team in almost every statistical category. Loyola has plenty of depth, so look for them to make some more noise this year.
Contact Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Early 2021 football preview: Florida State
Observer Staff Report
It’s been just three months since notre dame’s 2020 season came to an end, but it feels much longer than that for all of us here at The observer, so to pass the time, we are previewing every game on notre dame’s 2021 schedule. Last year, our predictions were an exercise in futility because the schedule changed almost completely, but hopefully this year there won’t be any last-minute changes.
The Irish are set to kick off their season in Tallahassee, Florida, against the Florida state seminoles on sept. 5 in a rare sunday college football contest. We’ve provided a history of the matchup, a breakdown of the opponent and some way-tooearly predictions from our staff to help tide you over until the fall. opponent: Florida state seminoles date: sept. 5, 2021
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Kickoff: Tbd
History of the matchup
This will be the 11th meeting between the two programs. The seminoles own a 6-4 record against the Irish, but notre dame has won the last two games, including a 42-26 home victory last year. by far the most notable matchup was the 1993 contest, dubbed the “Game of the century.” Florida state came in as the top-ranked team, but the second-ranked Irish emerged with a 31-24 victory thanks to multiple late defensive stands. Another battle between top-five teams took place in 2014, when the Irish were ranked fifth and the seminoles second. Florida state was victorious, 31-27, in the back-andforth game after notre dame had the potential game-winning touchdown called back due to offensive pass interference.
2020 performance
Florida state had a difficult season last year in what was head coach mike norvell’s first season with the program, finishing with a 3-6 record, including a 2-6 mark in the Acc. however, one of those wins was a massive upset against thenno. 5 north carolina, and their other two wins came against an Fcs opponent, Jackson state, and in the last game of the season against duke.
They had a revolving door at quarterback, with four different signal-callers starting at times throughout the season, due to injuries and poor play. The seminoles were among the youngest teams in college football last season, with underclassmen making up more than 74% of their roster. They were also hit hard by the injury bug and covId-19-related issues, making it difficult to maintain continuity throughout the roster.
2021 outlook
by far the highest-profile addition the seminoles made this offseason was former UcF quarterback mcKenzie milton, who led UcF to an undefeated season in 2017 before being sidelined by a devastating knee injury the following year. early reports from Tallahassee indicate he is fully cleared to begin spring practices, and he should challenge for the starting job. Jordan Travis, who started six games last season, will likely compete with milton for playing time as well.
The seminoles return their top wide receiver, ontaria Wilson, but beyond that, there is not much experience within that group. The seminoles averaged nearly 200 yards on the ground last year and return two of their top three running backs, so with question marks at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, they may rely heavily on the run again. on the offensive line, the seminoles had a very young group last year, but they return four starters. defensively, Florida state allowed the third-most yards per game in the Acc. The defense should be much improved this season, thanks to the addition of multiple transfers, especially in the secondary, although former All-American defensive tackle marvin Wilson will be difficult to replace.
Way-too-early Predictions
Liam coolican — sports Writer
Florida state was the one of youngest teams in college football last year and made some intriguing transfer pickups. They’ll certainly be better than they were a year ago, but the degree of improvement will largely depend on the quarterback position, which remains a question mark. Playing on the road in Tallahassee is never easy, and the seminoles may provide an early challenge for the Irish. I predict a close first half, much like we saw last season, but the Irish have the superior talent at nearly every position and will run away with the game in the second half.
Final: notre dame 45, Florida state 24
mannion mcGinley — Associate sports editor based on the 2020 match-up these two had and how both teams’ seasons played out after that — the Irish heading to the cFP and the seminoles finishing 3-6 — I should expect a similar score, but there are things that make me nervous. In 2020, the seminoles were having a quarterback issue, and coming into the 2021 season, they have two very viable options. They also have more stability, as it will be head coach norvell’s second year with the team. The Irish, on the other hand, now have to decide on who their leading signalcaller will be. And, will the quarterback be able to lead the Irish well enough on offense to make the point margin as significant as 42-26? can Kelly help whoever takes the helm to achieve that? If he can’t, by the grace of the defense, this will be a narrow win.
Final: notre dame 24, Florida state 17
ND MEN’S lACROSSE
Irish off to fast start, move into top 10
By NATE MOLLER
sports Writer
The ninth-ranked men’s lacrosse team recorded their second victory of the season this past saturday against bellarmine with a score of 12-6.
Although it took some time for the Irish to ultimately pull away and win, the Irish finished off the game with a strong fourth quarter to win the game by a fairly comfortable margin.
After grabbing a 5-1 lead in the first quarter, bellarmine was able to fight back and bring the score to 7-4 at halftime. despite these minor miscues early on in the game, the Irish were able to stay composed and put together a dominating fourth quarter performance to secure the victory by a six goal margin. head coach Kevin corrigan was pleased with the play of his setup defense against bellarmine on saturday.
“I thought that our defense was good, and they had trouble generating any opportunities against our set up defense,” corrigan said. corrigan was disappointed, however, that his team gave bellarmine chances outside of the setup defense, allowing the
Knights to hang around in the game.
“We gave them opportunities to score outside of the setup defensively. When you have a team who can’t generate things against your setup defense, part of understanding the game is understanding that you don’t give up other opportunities,” corrigan said. “That’s something we’ve got to be better at. because that was a day where we could have had a more dominating defensive day and we kept ourselves having that a bit by giving them penalties and transition opportunities that we shouldn’t have given up.” corrigan was pleased with his teams’ ability to keep their composure even after some mistakes.
“our guys did keep their composure and they didn’t make it into something worse until we ultimately were able to make some plays to stretch the lead a little bit,” corrigan said. corrigan was proud of his team’s ability to distribute the ball and work together. The Irish had seven different players score in saturday’s game.
“We continue to be pretty selfless with the ball, and we move the ball really well. We have a lot of different people contributing,” corrigan said. corrigan was also very pleased with his defensive midfielders’ abilities to create offensive chances for his team.
“At the offensive end of the field, our defensive midfielders continue to do an outstanding job of not just playing deep and clearing the ball but even creating offensive opportunities for us at the other end,” corrigan said. “There’s a lot of good to build on and certainly some things that we need to look at closer and get better.” sophomore attack Pat Kavanagh was once again outstanding for the Irish, recording six assists on the day. Through two games this season, Kavanagh has an astounding 13 assists. corrigan attributes the success of Kavanagh to his skillset and the zone defense that bellarmine and robert morris showed against the Irish this season.
“Pat is the trigger guy in our zone, and he’s got a great sense of the game” corrigan said. ”he’s got good skills and great eyesight, and he really sees the game. If they’re gonna let him stay back there and have his hands free and his eyes up, they’re gonna pay a price for that.” corrigan was also pleased with the play of junior midfielder Quinn mccahon who scored four goals on saturday.
“Quinn mccann played a really good game. he had a really smart day and scored four goals, but all were within what we were doing,” corrigan said. “They were just the type of plays by nothing spectacular, but just a lot of good lacrosse from him.” corrigan also mentioned senior midfielder ryan hallenbeck, senior midfielder daniel cassidy and junior Lsm Jose boyer for their efforts on saturday. corrigan also praised his whole defensive unit in sixon-six situations.
“our first defense in six on six situations was very effective,” corrigan said. “I think that we have to know that and appreciate that in those situations, we did a really good job.” corrigan was also ecstatic to see fans in the stands on saturday, and he hopes more and more fans can continue to attend if covId-19 health guidelines allow.
“It’s nice to see people there, that’s for sure,” corrigan said. “I’d love to play in front of a full house forty years over. hopefully we can keep getting there.” corrigan explained how playing in front of a limited crowd serves as a good reminder to his players that the covId-19 pandemic is still very real.
“For us it’s still a reminder that everyday is a day that we have to make good decisions, and make sure that we protect each other,” corrigan said. “I’m really proud of our guys this spring and the way they’ve done that so far, but they need to continue doing it because it can all turn around in a moment. While we may be closer to the end than we are to the beginning on this thing, we’re not out of the woods yet.”
The Irish will return to action next Wednesday against marquette in Arlotta stadium.
sheet, too. clurman deflected a shot from junior forward Jake Pivonka past Autio to put the game out of reach with five minutes remaining.
Game two got off to completely the opposite start; notre dame came out of the gates guns blazing, registering the game’s four shots. however, for the second consecutive game, the nittany Lions struck first. Penn state freshman forward christian sarlo broke behind the Irish defense and barely beat st. cyr with a backhander.
It took the Irish a bit longer to respond, as they entered the second trailing 1-0. but just 33 seconds into the frame, senior defenseman matt hellickson sprung Alex steeves to the goal uncovered. Alex would make it a two-goal weekend for the steeves brothers, beating Autio high to the glove side to tie the game 1-1. notre dame would add two more goals to their total before the second period concluded. Pivonka sniped one past Autio to break the deadlock after ellis forced a neutral-zone turnover. Just a few minutes later, the Irish struck again. This time, Janicke deflected a point shot by senior defenseman nick Leivermann to the back of the net, giving notre dame a 3-1 lead heading into the final 20 minutes. but Jeff Jackson’s club was not content with sitting on their lead, adding to it with a four-goal barrage. Impressively, all of the goals came at even strength, despite Penn state freshman defenseman christian berger receiving a five-minute major for contact to the head, which combined with another penalty, gave notre dame a full 2-minute 5-on-3 and an additional three minutes at 5-on4. It was the culmination of a very physical series. Game two was especially physical, featuring several scrums and big hits.
After Penn state’s forecheck dominated the early portion of game one, notre dame’s forecheck finished the series strong. early in the third, ellis again forced a Penn state turnover, this time behind their own net. sophomore forward Jesse Lansdell received a pass near the net and deftly lifted the puck over Autio’s glove. The goal gave notre dame a commanding 4-1 lead and a goalie change for the nittany Lions.
The Irish continued to do the right things as the period went on, and continued to be rewarded. senior forward colin Theisen won a battle along the boards that caused the puck to pop into the slot. A wide-open Janicke was waiting there to score his second of the game and fourth of the year with a perfectly placed wrist shot. notre dame continued to pour it on with a pair of late two-on-one goals. The first was a gorgeous give-and-go between junior defenseman spencer stastney and ellis. The slaggert brothers would combine for notre dame’s final goal of the regular season. Landon hit junior forward Graham slaggert backdoor for his seventh of the year. Third goaltender senior nick sanford came in for the last five minutes. sanford made a nice save on a backhander, the only shot he faced, to preserve the 7-1 final.
With the regular season complete, notre dame shifts its focus towards winning another big Ten championship. This year’s tournament will be held at compton Family Ice Arena from march 18-20. The Irish will face the same Penn state team in the quarter-finals.
The Irish are 3-0-1 against Penn state this year. The clubs split a pair of overtime decisions in state college in december.
Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish sophomore forward Solag Bakich pursues the puck during Notre Dame’s 0-3 loss to Minnesota on Feb. 13 at Compton Ice Arena.
Thomas
conTInued From PAGe 16
dancing with the stars. The stated reasoning behind this was that ogunbowale’s appearance was not directly related to her basketball career, although it was evident her fame from hitting consecutive buzzer-beaters to help the Irish win a championship was helpful — to say the least — in generating some of these opportunities. so yes, I think it’s good that notre dame withdrew, at least for now, from the eA sports game. but, let’s not ignore the hypocrisy that is simply dripping from Jack swarbrick’s comments. It’s easy for swarbrick to issue a nicesounding quote about putting the students first and ascend to his almighty throne as a champion for student rights, but isn’t notre dame just as guilty as pretty much any other program in the country at taking advantage of nIL?
What about all those football jerseys in the bookstore? Is it a coincidence that the no. 12 football jersey is so prominently displayed and the best-seller? does that bear no relation to a certain no. 12 who became the winningest quarterback in notre dame football history this past fall? no? Just a random no. 12? What a coincidence. much like eA sports had to shelve their ncAA football game for having game characters like “notre dame Quarterback no. 12.” It’s not fooling anyone. everyone buying the jersey knows they are buying an Ian book jersey.
A quick visit to the bookstore also reveals a few other of the more common numbers present on the purchasable football jerseys: no. 6 (definitely not related to Jeremiah owusu-Koramoah, notre dame’s star linebacker and likely first-round pick), and no. 11 (certainly not transfer wide receiver ben skowronek). notre dame is directly capitalizing on the fame — or at least campus-wide popularity — of their top athletes on their most prominent athletic team. Jerseys are a clear and direct implication of using name, image and likeness without compensating athletes. but for Jack swarbrick, video games is where he draws the line? Was it a profit calculation — the risk of getting involved in a potential nIL lawsuit prior to the vote wasn’t worth being in the game. The notre dame brand transcends eA sports, and it certainly doesn’t need to be in the game to survive in the modern era, despite some arguments that it could harm recruiting. so swarbrick isn’t exactly making some monumental sacrifice for his student-athletes here, and let’s not just look over all the tangible “coincidences” he could take out of the bookstore that harm the nIL movement directly.
That’s a lot of coincidences for someone who’s trying to plant his flag as a studentfirst guy who doesn’t want a video game taking advantage of his athletes. The hypocrisy is particularly noticeable when you consider the upcoming company, moGL, co-founded by former notre dame quarterback brandon Wimbush, dedicated to providing a digital agency for college athletes to maximize their brand-building opportunities. Wimbush and his co-founder — and fellow notre dame graduate — Ayden syal, have made appearances at notre dame events to promote the company. As that company, looking to empower athletes in the nIL era, gains publicity, while being spearheaded by two notre dame graduates, including a former quarterback, swarbrick’s comments ring even more hollow. so please save us your hero-talk, your made-for-press comments designed to make it sound like your for the athletes. And maybe focus on what you could have already done to help in the name, image and likeness revolution — for starters maybe taking those “12” notre dame football jerseys off the shelves.
Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish graduate student quarterback Ian Book passes to a teammate during Notre Dame’s 14-31 loss to Alabama in the Rose Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlinigton, Texas on Jan. 1 in the CFP semifinal game.
Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Irish beat Virginia Tech, drop one to Virginia
Observer Staff Report
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online March 8.
With a big series win this past weekend at clemson, the notre dame baseball team improved to 4-2 both on the season and against Acc opponents and earned the no. 25 national ranking. on Friday night, notre dame dropped the first game of the series 13-7 in an offensive showdown. rbIs from senior center fielder spencer myers, senior second baseman Jared miller and senior first baseman niko Kavadas weren’t enough for the Irish against clemson’s bats, which put up seven runs in the fifth inning alone. both offenses cooled down in the second game of the series, and the Irish rallied to beat the Tigers 3-1 on saturday. Kavadas gave notre dame an early lead in the top of the first with a two-run home run that was crushed to dead center to bring junior infielder carter Putz home. Graduate student left-handed pitcher John michael bertrand had a quality start, striking out eight batters over seven innings of work to hold clemson to a single run. In the eighth, the Irish reached for the bullpen for the first time all game, and Will mercer earned his first career save with a scoreless final two innings. notre dame carried this defensive dominance over to the sunday matinee. The Irish defense and relief pitching shined to drive the team to a 3-2 victory and series win. After clemson jumped ahead with a run in the second inning, the Irish went to the bullpen early bringing out graduate student Joe sheridan in relief. sheridan and sophomore Liam simon combined for an impressive seven innings of relief, one earned run, and nine strikeouts.
In the sixth, designated hitter carter Putz doubled deep to left field to drive in two runners and give the Irish a 3-1 lead. sophomore right-handed pitcher Jack brannigan faced the final clemson batter with the tying run on third and forced a pop-up to the infield to end the game at a final score of 3-2 and secure another Irish victory over the Tigers.
The Irish return to action this Friday afternoon in charlottesville to face the virginia cavaliers (6-5, 2-4 Acc) in a three-game Acc series this weekend. Friday’s game starts at 3 p.m., and the matchups saturday and sunday begin at 1 p.m. All the games will be broadcast on Acc network extra. notre dame’s home opener is the following weekend against duke (6-5, 3-3 Acc).
BASEBALL | cLemson 13, nd 7; nd 3, cLemson 1; nd 3, cLemson 2
ND drops game, wins series against Clemson
Observer Staff Report
With a big series win this past weekend at clemson, the notre dame baseball team improved to 4-2 both on the season and against Acc opponents and earned the no. 25 national ranking. on Friday night, notre dame dropped the first game of the series 13-7 in an offensive showdown. rbIs from senior center fielder spencer myers, senior second baseman Jared miller and senior first baseman niko Kavadas weren’t enough for the Irish against clemson’s bats, which put up seven runs in the fifth inning alone. both offenses cooled down in the second game of the series, and the Irish rallied to beat the Tigers 3-1 on saturday. Kavadas gave notre dame an early lead in the top of the first with a two-run home run that was crushed to dead center to bring junior infielder carter Putz home. Graduate student left-handed pitcher John michael bertrand had a quality start, striking out eight batters over seven innings of work to hold clemson to a single run. In the eighth, the Irish reached for the bullpen for the first time all game, and Will mercer earned his first career save with a scoreless final two innings. notre dame carried this defensive dominance over to the sunday matinee. The Irish defense and relief pitching shined to drive the team to a 3-2 victory and series win. After clemson jumped ahead with a run in the second inning, the Irish went to the bullpen early bringing out graduate student Joe sheridan in relief. sheridan and sophomore Liam simon combined for an impressive seven innings of relief, one earned run, and nine strikeouts.
In the sixth, designated hitter carter Putz doubled deep to left field to drive in two runners and give the Irish a 3-1 lead. sophomore right-handed pitcher Jack brannigan faced the final clemson batter with the tying run on third and forced a pop-up to the infield to end the game at a final score of 3-2 and secure another Irish victory over the Tigers.
The Irish return to action this Friday afternoon in charlottesville to face the virginia cavaliers (6-5, 2-4 Acc) in a three-game Acc series this weekend. Friday’s game starts at 3 p.m., and the matchups saturday and sunday begin at 1 p.m. All the games will be broadcast on Acc network extra. notre dame’s home opener is the following weekend against duke (65, 3-3 Acc).
Observer File Photo
Irish senior centerfielder David LaManna bats during Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over Virginia on April 5, 2019 at home.
MBball
conTInued From PAGe 16
somebody would make a play and get it to ten,” coach mike brey said of their opponent’s lead in his post-game interview.
In addition to this, the team suffered on defense. The players were unable to get the rebounds necessary for them to retake the lead. This put the Irish several points behind the demon deacons, which they were unable to recover from until the final minutes of the game.
“We didn’t rebound very well, early, to dig that hole,” brey said. “We defended most of the game saturday against Florida state. We didn’t tonight.”
According to Wake Forest coach steve Forbes in his halftime interview, his players “got some easy baskets” against notre dame’s defense, which put them ahead. by the end of the half, junior forward nate Laszewski, who has proven himself to be a linchpin player on the court, already had three fouls to his name, and Wake Forest led the score, 44-37.
The second half started on a similar foot. The demon deacons continued to make three-pointers, subsequently furthering their lead. At the 16 minute mark, the Wake Forest bench shouted cheers after a successful play, further contributing to the air of Wake Forest domination. Laszewski and Wertz both gained their fourth foul, while junior guard cormac ryan suffered an injury to his hip, taking him out of the game for a period of time. however, the half marked an upswing in basket-making for the Irish. Junior guard dane Goodwin helped keep the Irish on the board, scoring nine points in the second half. Graduate student guard nikola djogo also proved to be a force on the court after making his own three-point shots and blocking Wake Forest attempts at a basket. hubb also gained his first points of the game, causing his level of gameplay to continue to improve.
“You can’t keep a winner like that down for 40 minutes,” brey said of hubb.
As for the turning point for the team, brey named the tenminute mark as the time they began to pick up momentum.
“At the ten minute mark, it didn’t look very good,” brey said. “I said ‘fellows, how we finish the game is really going to determine a lot about how we go into next season … show me how you’re going to play it, because I’m really interested.’” hubb tied the score 75-75 after sinking a three-pointer, putting the team back into the competition. notre dame held a fourteen-point streak for over five and a half minutes, while their defense solidified, making Wake Forest unable to advance their score.
“I thought our defense in the last seven minutes was the difference,” brey said. “I thought the lineup we had on the floor really defended well together.” ryan also spoke on the energy of the team during those moments.
“We’ve got hungry guys in the locker room, and we’ve got a bunch of fighters, and we weren’t going down without a fight,” ryan said. “And that’s exactly what we did: we fought back and got it done.”
When the score was tied again at 77-77 in the last seconds of the game, ryan obtained the ball and passed it to Wentz, who made the winning shot, causing the stadium to erupt. This made the final score 80-77, notre dame. brey said that it was a special moment for Wertz, as he is from north carolina and had never played in the Acc tournament before.
“When he rose up to take it, I’m going ‘this could be such an unbelievable story,’” he said. “he’s never played in the building. he’s watched the Acc tournament his whole life, and his first game he drills it in his home state. I mean, it’s just a great story.” ryan, who gave the pass to set up the shot, said he felt it would go in the second it left Wentz’s hands.
“We knew it was good,” ryan said. “We were walking off the court already.”
For Wertz, a part of his reason for committing to notre dame was to play in the Acc.
“It’s a dream come true; as a little kid dreaming of playing in the Acc and to be able to do that … I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Wertz said. “We were laughing about it on the court that I wasn’t even supposed to play this year. And now that I’m back here in the Acc tournament in my home state, playing in something I grew up watching my whole life, and to be able to hit that shot is really surreal.”
As for the game as a whole, brey commented on the team’s camaraderie as a vital component to their success.
“I think there’s a toughness about them, and there’s a togetherness about this group,” brey said. “even through everything they’ve been through, they’ve had each other’s back.” he hopes this continues into the game against north carolina Wednesday night.
“What we do in the Acc is kind of amazing, quite frankly,” brey said. “If you can win the first one, which we’ve done many times in the Acc, it kind of gives you hope.”
