THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 |
Students reflect on Zach Bryan stadium concert
By Sophie Hanawalt and Megan Cornell Notre Dame News Editor and Associate News Editor
Over 80,000 people gathered in Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday night to watch country music artist Zach Bryan, comedian Shane Gillis and opener Dermot Kennedy.
The concert was the stadium’s first since Billy Joel performed in 2022.
To pull off such a largescale event, the University Operations, Events, and Safety team coordinated transportation with the Notre Dame Police Department and transformed the stadium into a stage with floor seating. The preparations were largely successful, according to executive director of the events team, Lee Sicinski.
“Saturday night, Notre Dame Stadium proved to be more than a venue for winning
On Saturday evening, singer-songwriter Zach Bryan performed for over 80,000 people in Notre Dame stadium. Before he took the stage, comedian Shane Gillis and Irish artist Dermot Kennedy opened the show.
Hundreds of families gather for 75th Rosary Rally
MEGAN CORNELL | The Observer
On Sunday, families and students gathered outside for Rosary Rally, honoring the 75th version after Venerable Father Patrick Peyton, CSC.
By Megan Cornell Associate News Editor
On a Sunday afternoon in 1950, Venerable Rev. Patrick Peyton prayed the rosary with 20,000 people in Notre Dame Stadium. Known as the “rosary priest,” Father Peyton graduated from seminary at Notre Dame in 1937 and founded the Holy Cross Family Ministries, a global ministry promoting family values through the example of Mary. He traveled across the world leading
NEWS | PAGE 2
ND prof. on Doctor
Jennifer Newsome Martin
helped name St. John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church.
“Rosary Rallies” with thousands of Catholics in attendance, where he had preached to 28 million people in person at the time of his death — more than any other Catholic.
75 years later, hundreds of students, families and Holy Cross priests gathered in Bond Quad on Sunday for a “Rosary Rally” led by Holy Cross Family Ministries and Rev. Peter McCormick, the University’s assistant vice president for Campus Ministry in the Division of Student Affairs.
OPINION | PAGE 5
Message for students
Jim VandeHei, Axios CEO, shares a few words of advice to college students on jumping into
Meigs Turgeon, the special assistant to the president at Holy Cross Family Ministries, explained the significance of the rally and Peyton’s mission.
“We are celebrating the 75th anniversary of Father Patrick Payton’s Rosary Rally at the University of Notre Dame football stadium … We are continuing Fr. Peyton’s mission of promoting the Rosary and encouraging devotion to our Blessed Mother,” he said.
Holy Cross Family Ministries encouraged rally participants to pray for Fr. Peyton’s path to canonization.
“Fr. Peyton is currently venerable and the next step would be for him to become blessed and then the final step on the path to canonization is sainthood, so he’s two steps away. Right now, we’re trying to encourage people to pray for Fr. Peyton’s intercession, if they have any kind of problems in their lives, to ask for his prayers. If a medical miracle is attributed to his intercession, then there’s a possibility that he could be recognized as a blessed,” Turgeon said.
Rev. McCormick opened the
see “Rosary” on page 2
SCENE | PAGE 7
Zach Bryan concert
It was a night of music and comedy, audio and visuals, masculinity and emotionality.
football, it was the setting for a great night of music, with more than 80,000 people enjoying beautiful weather and great music in a historic setting. From our law enforcement partners who managed traffic, to our vendors who served through the evening and events personnel who attended to every logistical detail, it was an enjoyable evening for all and the perfect tune-up for our season opener with Texas A&M,” Sicinski wrote in a statement to The Observer.
Irish artist Dermot Kennedy opened the concert, performing hits such as “Outnumbered” and a rendition of Irish ode “Carrickfergus.” He thanked the University for raising the Irish flag in the stadium, sharing the sentiment — “We’re all home.”
see “Concert” on page 4
Six HCC students struck by car
By Berhan Hagezom
Saint Mary’s News Editor
On Sept. 1 at 5:15 p.m., six students from Holy Cross College were injured by a vehicle turning left at the intersection of State Route 933 and Dorr Road. Three of the students were transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend with minor injuries while the other three remained on campus, as reported by ABC57.
Holy Cross College President Marco Clark released a statement that afternoon, saying that first responders quic kly took care of the situation and handled all individuals immediately affected, including the victims and the driver. Clark said the College is still gathering information regarding the incident and will continue to provide updates on the matter.
On Friday, Clark further elaborated on the situation via an email to the Holy Cross community regarding the condition of st udents.
As several of us sat in the emergency room with our students
SPORTS | PAGE 11
Irish women’s soccer
Izzy Engle and the Notre Dame women’s soccer team face NC state in first conference game.
and have followed up with them and their families since, I am grateful to be able to share they are all improving,” Clark wrote, “I’m also grateful that seve ral of you have reached out to express your concern for these students and offered to support them in any way you can. I t has been amazing to me to see the show of support from the Holy Cross community rallying around these students.”
Students said that they heard about the incident first from their friends and later from Clark ’s emails. A few discussed their perspective on safety while crossing the major intersection.
Freshman Jordan Nowak shared, “I bike across there and walk across there pretty much daily. It raises questions about safety on that street because it is a highway and there are lots of cars c oming at really high speeds. So, I don’t know what changes they are going to have to make, but I feel that it is kind of a
see “Injuries” on page 4
SPORTS | PAGE 12
ND men’s soccer
The team battled vigilantly against the No.4 Indiana Hoosiers, but fell short 1-0.
Gabriella Martin | The Observer
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ND Professor helps promote Doctor of the Church
By Zach Pohlman Assciate News Editor
This July, St. John Henry Newman became the 38th Doctor of the Church. The saint, who was canonized in 2019 by Pope Francis, was elevated to join the ranks of influential Catholic Church fathers like St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Anthony of Padua.
Each of the 38 Doctors of the Church, including Newman, are canonized saints that have a significant body of writings that were both influential during their lives and continue to be so during the modern age.
The final step in being named a Doctor of the Church is for scholars to make a case for the proposed Doctor in a set of writings called a positio. The positio defends the claim that the proposed Doctor has made a significant and lasting impact on the modern Church through his studies, teachings or doctrine.
Notre Dame professor Jennifer Newsome Martin was one of the contributors to the positio submitted to the Vatican last fall. The 19th century Englishman is very close to Martin’s heart.
“Newman has always been a bit of a companion, I think, through my own conversion,” Martin said. “Newman himself had a very kind of public and very important conversion from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism.”
Like Newman, Martin’s path to being an expert on Catholic theology was unpredictable.
“I grew up as the child of a Protestant minister in the deep south of North Carolina, so the odds that I would be teaching Catholic theology at the US’ premier Catholic, flagship university. It strains credibility in
Rosary
Continued from page 1
event by discussing the power of prayer, especially the intercession of Mary. He mentioned that, “Prayer has united and sustained this university since her founding in 1842 and prayer will unite and sustain this University for generations to come. As a family of Notre Dame, we have sought to embody Patrick Peyton’s classic saying, ‘the family that prays together stays together.’”
After a prayer for Fr. Peyton’s intercession, McCormick introduced the keynote speaker, Alex Jones ‘15. Jones is the chief executive officer and founder of Hallow, a Catholic meditation app with audio-guided prayers, Bible stories and Christian music.
“[Hallow] is at 27 million downloads, so Father Patrick Payton still has me beat on the number of people … What’s
certain ways, it’s hard to believe,” she said.
She now teaches classes in the program of liberal studies and serves as the director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. After attending Notre Dame for graduate school, Martin applied to teach at Notre Dame, first as a visiting professor and then for a tenure-track job.
“I came to Notre Dame in 2005 and thought I would be here for two years, but this is year 20,” she said. “So it’s just pretty special, it’s a pretty special place, you know, you never want to leave. And then I was really lucky, because I never had to.”
Even for a professor at one of the best theology schools in the world, contributing to a positio like this is no small feat. The effort to name Newman a Doctor of the Church spanned across an ocean, originated in Newman’s native England.
“The English bishops wanted Newman to be elevated, and then they partnered with a group in the US, in the National Institute for Newman Studies in Pittsburgh. They have been extraordinarily key in making this happen,” Martin said. “They basically digitized almost all, if not all of Newman’s writings, and made them available online.”
Martin had worked previously with the National Institute for Newman Studies (NINS). When the wheels started turning on the process to get Newman named a Doctor of the Church, she was ready.
“I had just actually given a talk the year prior, on the sensus fidelium, or the sense of the faithful, and they asked me just to write the chapter on the sense of the faithful and the laity,” Martin said.
In order to be named a Doctor, Newman’s teaching had to be relevant to the Universal Church, even today. NINS collaborated with a Vatican dicastery to compile the
crazy is that of the 100,000 prayers we have on the app, [the rosary] is still the most prayed,” Jones said.
At the beginning of his address, Jones reminded the audience not to overcomplicate their faith. Although he was always Catholic, Jones initially felt that his call to the faith was because of “the weird stuff,” like fasting, imaginative prayer and Carmelite spirituality. However, it wasn’t until he started praying the Rosary daily that he understood the importance of the habitual parts of the Catholic faith.
“I started to fall in love with Our Lady with the Rosary. Falling in love with something truly good is not like dating. It’s not this rush of emotion and feeling, it’s more like starting to eat healthy or run or get in shape. It’s slow and it’s monotonous and can be painful, but gradually a change starts to take place,” Jones said.
He situated his address in today’s political climate, where “thoughts and prayers” as a
positio.
“The idea is that there’s something about that saint’s holiness or sanctity or teaching or doctrine, there’s something about that saint that is eminent. That’s the language that’s often used,” Martin said. “The doctrine is eminent, and it means that it basically has abiding and contemporary value in the church.”
Martin’s chapter of the positio focused on sensus fidelium, concerning the relationship between the church and the laity.
“In the church, there’s a kind of, communal, ecclesial instinct is the language that gets used, an instinct for the faith, this capacity to recognize the faith,” he said.
Newman strongly advocated for the Church of his era to consult lay people more on issues such as education. Many of Newman’s writings are concerned with education, especially what a university should be. He also wrote about religious epistemology, or what can be known about religion.
“He gives this really amazing example of a man who’s fallen off a cliff and someone is throwing him a rope, and he’s like, ‘No, I need a steel beam. I can’t possibly pull myself up on a rope because it may break,’” Martin said. “And he said that would be ridiculous, just as ridiculous as it is for someone to insist upon empirical proof.”
Newman’s writings span a wide range of theological issues.
“Newman is a very complicated figure insofar as it is impossible to pigeonhole him into a binary of liberal or progressive or right or left which I find really refreshing,” Martin said.
Newman can cause division, not just in a political sense, but an ecclesial sense as well.
“He is interested in the church, interested in the past, interested in tradition and in conserving the tradition, but he sometimes gets accused of being too interested in
response to tragedy has divided religious Americans.
“We live in a world today, especially now, where there’s a lot of talk about thoughts and prayers. There’s criticism, there’s mockery and there’s hate. Of course, prayer must lead to action and a life or deeper love … But also prayer works. It is not a waste of time, it is not a self help tool [and] it is not something we say to make ourselves feel better. Prayer is real,” Jones said.
Following his remarks, attendees raised their rosaries in the air and prayed. Some attendees spread out across the quad, while others joined together to hear the Rosary.
Holy Cross Family Ministries president Fr. Fred Jenga, CSC, concluded the Rosary by asking for prayers for the ministry and Fr. Peyton’s mission. “The mission [Fr. Peyton] founded has never been needed as it is right now. Family life is in need of evangelization, and it is in need of help. The central mission of this
innovation,” Martin said. “He gets criticized from everybody, which makes me think he’s doing it right.”
Now that he’s a Doctor of the Church, Martin said she hopes that Newman’s works will be read more often and can create positive momentum for the church.
“Newman could be a figure that is quite a bridge builder, that could heal some of the divisions in our ecclesial and political landscape,” she said.
The entire positio, most of which take five to six years to finish, was completed in just a few months. The quick turnaround was primarily so Newman could be officially declared to the honor in the 2025 Jubilee Year.
“I think there’s something really beautiful about Jubilee Years,” Martin said. “I mean, there’s a lot of energy around the church in the Jubilee … there’s something about a Jubilee Year that kind of interrupts time in a way, and the nowness and newness of the Catholic faith kind of asserts itself.”
The plan to make Newman a doctor during the Jubilee went on pause, however, when Pope Francis passed away in April.
“[The positio] was originally to be presented to Pope Francis, who was very enthusiastic about about Newman becoming a Doctor of the Church. And so when he passed, everything kind of stalled for a little bit,” Martin said.
Pope Leo XIV put the stamp of approval on Newman’s case for Doctor on July 31.
“It was actually this moment of providence, maybe, or at least poetic loveliness.” Martin said. “It was Leo XIII who made Newman a cardinal, and then Leo XIV who made him a doctor of the church. There’s a certain kind of like bookend quality to that, which I think is actually quite nice.”
Contact Zack Pohlman at Zpohlma2@nd.edu
organization is to simply be educators in prayer,” Jenga said.
Jenga reiterated Fr. Peyton’s message that families who pray together stay together. “That means that when we allow God to become an active part of our families, especially in family prayer, God changes the chemistry of that family and the life of an individual,” he said.
Charlotte McIlnay, a catholic outreach intern for the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry at Saint Mary’s College and her roommate, Jayda Millspaugh, are juniors who attended the event and spoke the fifth mystery.
“[The event] was a reinstitution of the love of Mary in my life as a leader I really need and it also reinforced within my heart the love of Our Father and Jesus through his mother. It was really great to be able to spend time with other Catholics in a great community,” Millspaugh said.
Contact Megan Cornell at mcornell@nd.edu
and “Something in the Orange” as he performed at Notre Dame stadium Saturday night to over 80,000 fans. As the concert concluded, Bryan spotlighted the members of his band and brought openers Dermont Kennedy and Shane Gillis back on stage while fireworks erupted.
Concert
Continued from page 1
Gillis took the stage afte r Kennedy and spoke for about half an hour, delivering raunchy jokes on subjects ranging from high school football to a childhood trip to Notre Dame.
“This is totally inappropriate for this venue,” Gillis quipped at one point.
Kirra Halfman, a Saint Mary’s sophomore, saw Zach Bryan last summer but thought that having Shane Gillis as an opener set the experience apart. “I feel like the atmosphere was just a lot better at this one. I really like how we had Shane Gillis as an opener … knowing he was such a huge fan [of Notre Dame], it was cool to watch somebody
fulfill their dreams,”
Halfman said.
“I like Shane Gillis and most of his jokes but I think he’s at his best when he’s like making fun of himself, I’m not a fan of ‘mean jokes’ and I feel like being mean doesn’t align with Catholic values,” sophomore Andrew Severino said. When asked if they preapproved Gillis’s set or Zach Bryan’s setlist, the University declined to comment.
After taking the stage, Bryan performed hits from “I remember everything” to “Pink Skies.” Between songs, he expressed how great of a dream it had been for him to play at Notre Dame.
Many Notre Dame students were big fans of Bryan’s
music before the concert.
Antonio Congelos, a sophomore in Duncan Hall, said that knowing the lyrics to Bryan’s songs enhanced his experience. “It really is hard to articulate just how special that concert was. Being in the stadium where I hold so many memories, surrounded with my closest friends, screaming the lyrics of an artist I love so much was simply life changing,” he wrote in an email.
Junior Meghan Gruber celebrated her 20th birthday at the concert and echoed Congelo’s sentiment.
“The Zach Bryan concert was such a perfect way to celebrate my birthday! He made the night unforgettable, and it was even better being surrounded by friends who made the
experience so special. It wasn’t just a concert, it was a memory I’ll hold onto for a long time,” she wrote via email.
Even students who were not previously familiar with Bryan’s music reflected positively upon the concert. “I’m not a fan of country music, so it was my first time hearing most of the songs. I thought he was a good performer but most of the songs sounded the same. Even though I’m not a huge Zach Bryan fan, being in the stadium and spending time with my friends was really cool,” junior Olivia Quinn wrote.
Multiple students noted the show wasn’t their typical concert experience, with an environment filled with
Injuries
Continued from page 1
liability at this point.”
Freshman Abigail Muccio said that she knew victims of the incident. She believes that the administration handled it appropriately.
“I think they did really well. They were very quick to send out emails to parents and students and also I know that a lot of faculty and the students’ advisors were there at the hospital with them. That made me fee
l good knowing that they had people there to support them,” Muccio said.
Another student shared her belief that the College needs to further address the issue of campus safety at the intersection.
“I think they probably handled it the best way that they could have. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of a response to it though, maybe putting some sort of crossing guards out there or changing
fellow students and Bryan changing his lyrics to include “Notre Dame” and “South Bend.”
“Honestly it was better than [the Zach Bryan concert] that I went to last summer … seeing it in the stadium was just a completely different experience,” Saint Mary’s sophomore Molly Lanahan said. Bryan finished his set by playing his hit song, “Revival.” He spotlighted the members of his band and brought out Kennedy for the final verse. As the song finished, a firework show erupted over the stadium.
Contact Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.edu and Megan Cornell at mcornell@nd.edu
something with the turn signals … It would be nice to see maybe some sort of bridge or walkway put up above the highway just because it’s not safe for stude nts right now,” freshman Rose Turnwald said. She said that two of her suitemates obtained minor i njuries in the incident.
Clark wrote in his email that the College is meeting with local partners to enhance the pedestrian crosswalk for safety and noted previous safety initiatives adopted at the intersec tion.
“We recently installed additional lighting at the Route 933 intersection leading to our public entrance. We have worked with local partners to lengthen the crosswalk signals at the main intersection and have added turn signals coming from th e north and south corridors. These measures help, but they are just a start,” Clark wrote.
Contact Berhan Hagezom at bhagezom01@saintmarys.edu
GABRIELLA MARTIN | The Observer
Zach Bryan’s setlist included “Pink Skies,” “I remember everything,” “Revival”
BERHAN HAGEZOM | The Observer
On Monday evening, six Holy Cross students were injured by a vehicle at the pictured intersection of State Route 933 and Dorr Road. Three of the students were transported to nearby Memorial Hospital. The College president has been in communication with Holy Cross about the incident.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Axios CEO: You’re being duped
Millions of you, including my two boys, just started a new school year swamped by toxic politics, a tough job market, and tectonic AI shifts on campus and off.
It’s easy to understand why stress, uncertainty and sadness are soaring.
Why it matters: I want to offer you a very different way to see the world awaiting you — one with a lot less impending doom. It’s based on a belief I grow more certain of with each passing month:
You’re being duped!
It’s not your fault. We all are:
You’re being duped into thinking most people are nuttier, meaner, more polarized than they actually are.
You’re being duped into thinking America is more broken, more unfixable and more hostile than it actually is.
You’re being duped into thinking you can’t shape your life on your terms in your own way. You actually control a lot more of you than you realize.
What if I told you that politicians, the media and your social media feeds are all chasing the exact same thing … your attention?
And all three get your attention, to varying degrees, by amplifying conflict and juicing your emotions — mainly your negative ones. Our brains are hardwired with what is called “negativity bias.” So we’re all susceptible to eating this up.
The result: Everything — and everyone — appears nastier, more outrageous, more hopeless than they really are.
Think about it: Your reality is shaped by what you see, hear and read. So if your eyes, ears and mind are lit up with doom and gloom, you assume darkness and conflict are everywhere.
But what if I told you most people in the real world aren’t obsessed with politics, aren’t glued to MSNBC or Fox News, or don’t download X?
Most people are the opposite of that: They’re normal — living their lives with friends and family just like you. It’s the people lighting up your social feeds who aren’t.
Most people don’t care about Sydney Sweeney’s jeans/genes or Cracker Barrel’s logo.
Reality check: I’m not diminishing the real-world, real-time consequences of politics in an era when
we see that our communities, country and world are changing with historic and at times alarming speed. And, yes, there are big, urgent challenges, from rising pessimism to AI’s effect on entry-level work.
But let me lay out a different way to think about tackling all of this. First, some context:
Yes, I’m in the media, so you can argue I’m part of the problem. But Axios doesn’t have an opinion page — our reporters cover their beats clinically, like doctors, and we aim to be sources of truth amid the noise.
I come at this view as a father of two sons in college, and a daughter who graduated recently. I helped co-found two companies, Politico and Axios. I’m CEO of 450 employees — and I’m an unapologetic beneficiary of democracy, capitalism and America’s entrepreneurial spirit.
My perch allows me to talk to CEOs, political leaders, tech and business executives, and lots of young people who work at Axios or move through my daily life. Here’s what I see, and what I hope my kids and the rest of you will consider:
1. America rocks. Yes, there are countless things we could do better. And lots of areas of legit concerns.
But I beg young people to understand the enormous, indisputable advantages of this country, especially compared to other nations. We’re the best-performing economic and new-ideagenerating machine on the globe. We’re blessed with two oceans on our shoulders and friendly neighbors north and south. We’re sitting on more energy than was ever dreamed possible, and we have the freedom to move, live and work anywhere. We’re leading AI and health advances — and we’re the envy of all for our startup culture and can-do spirit.
2. It’s your country. I don’t get the hopelessness and defeatism about changing things. The last three presidential elections all came down to a few hundred thousand votes in a few states. The tiniest of shifts would have tipped the White House — and the House of Representatives — the other way. Hell, every president going back to Bill Clinton (25 years ago!) enjoyed all-party rule (the White House, Senate and House) for at least two years. No stat better captures what a 50-50 nation we are. So your
individual ability to change things, regardless of party or age (provided you’re 18+), has never been stronger.
3. No, things actually have been a lot worse. We all suffer recency bias. And assume “it’s never been this bad.” It sure as hell has. Crime is near a 50-year low. Murders? Low, and dropping by double digits three years in a row. War? Military deaths are at a historic low. Yes, but this economy sucks! Cost of living has gone up — but inflation is nowhere near as bad as three years ago, and unemployment is holding near historic lows. But poverty. Yes, it’s 11%, which sucks — but that’s half the rate in 1959.
4. You control you. Those are the most important three words of advice I will ever offer. We’re often caught up in a blame-others or blame-life culture. It’s a stupid waste of time. And wrong. You control how early you wake up, what you eat, whether you exercise, how you treat others, whether you pray or meditate or take time to think, what you read, watch and listen to, and what you do at night.
5. You control your reality. You choose the read, watch, listen inputs that feed your mind and shape your reality. Too many feeds are awash with
dumb, trivial, fake news. You choose whether to stare at stupidity or fixate on phony, airbrushed versions of people and events. There’s more high-quality, lifeenhancing, mind-enriching content available for free on YouTube, podcasts and elsewhere online than at any point in history. And it’s not close. You simply need to choose it.
6. You’re living history. Pay more attention to the world unfolding before you. The way we work, communicate, travel, learn, practice politics, wage wars and explore space are all rapidly chanwging before our eyes. So open them. Be curious. AI alone might be bigger than the internet or electricity. You know it’s going to change the world. So use it before you have to. Learn about it. Question it. Life is too short to be a silent, clueless bystander.
7. Get in the damn game. These might be the five most important words of advice after “You control you.” You have roughly 80 years on Earth, one-third spent asleep. So don’t piss them away wishing, wondering, whining. Jump in. Trust me, life will hit you hard with unexpected punches that truly hurt and leave a mark. So use every punch-free day to get
in the fight on your terms. Try new things. Read new things. Meet new people. Find new passions. Change things you want changed. Do good things for others. Yes, America has big problems. Always has. Always will. So help fix ‘em.
8. Be grateful. It sounds cheesy and trite even to write it. But we live in extraordinary times, in an extraordinary nation, full of extraordinary people. It’s easy to doom-scroll life away, both on your screen and in your mind. Don’t. Want proof there’s more to be grateful for than you think? Starting today, keep a running list (I use the Notes function on my iPhone) of people who do things, big or small, that brighten or better you. You’ll be astonished how long this list grows — and how seemingly little things leave a big mark decades later.
The bottom line: There’s a lot to lament. Just look at social media and the email you’re about to send me telling me I’m a privileged, delusional knucklehead. But there’s a lot more to love — once you realize you’ve been duped.
Jim VandeHei
Axios
Gray Nocjar | The Observer
A view of a conference room meeting on the second floor of Duncan Student Center, a campus hotspot for career discernment and development activities sponsored by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development.
The dining hall rivalry has tilted
By Redmond Bernhold Opinion Editor
Probably the biggest rivalry within the Notre Dame family has even the most dedicated, loyal students going back on their long-time favorite.
South Dining Hall’s (South) renovations in honor of the facility’s centennial year in 2027 are disorienting for many residents of nearby residence hall quads, groups known to rarely visit North Dining Hall (North). Although the project boasts of future sleek redesigns and much-needed equipment updates, the construction seems to be drawing students to NDH, based on traffic and student opinions. This disrupts the pattern
of students who live close to North — who in years past may have opted for South during the few nice days of each semester, when they had the time, energy and light of day to take a stroll to the charming South. No longer.
Take this scenario, for example. If you were to magically spawn at both halls at 12:30 p.m. on a Tuesday or Thursday, lines for “Boom Boom” and Southwest salads would be drastically different. In South? Barren, maybe 10 people at most. At North?
To the door and then some.
I have been to both dining halls at this time, and this is what I’ve noticed.
In the midst of what feels like too many changes at North, my vegetarian
friend (who is a resident of East Quad) and I have begun only eating at South for lunch and dinner — even when my friends and peers haven’t. Previously, I went to South less than ten times per semester.
A friend and RA in West Quad said he is going to North more frequently now. He also said South “isn’t the same.”
South long upheld the claim that that its charm and aesthetic attracted more people, even from dorms closer to North. After all, it’s the “Rudy” dining hall, right?
Now, it seems like the charm isn’t strong enough to hold students. North has become the more accessible option to those who are still holding onto the traditions
and expectations of South.
An article on student reactions to South’s renovations, published earlier this semester by The Observer, supports that some students, especially those with dietary restrictions, say there are fewer options.
But that’s something happening at both dining halls.
My vegetarian friend and I have noticed that avocado has disappeared at North’s breakfast. Personal pizzas haven’t returned. On top of that, growing lines frequently exacerbate already long waits.
Although there are grievances from many students in both dining halls, it seems odd that a generations-long rivalry can be shaken up with a two-year
renovation project. The project is needed, of course. And it will certainly give much-needed improvements to a space that once looked straight out of the 1960s. Looking to the future, I don’t think this trend will hold, especially when long, cold South Bend nights return. Eventually, students living close to South will likely not trek to North, and as renovations debut, North’s current long lines may shorten.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Redmond Bernhold at rbernho2@nd.edu
Zach Bryan: A spirited night of fraternity
By Genevieve Le Leux Scene Writer
The Zach Bryan concert was an exciting night for the community, and it certainly did not fall short of expectations. The crowd indicated a nearly sold-out show; it looked like every section was completely packed with groups of boys in trucker hats and blue jeans and girls in white skirts and cowboy boots. Expectations were astronomical, but the show did not disappoint. Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy and American comedian Shane Gillis were strong openers, with Kennedy’s melancholic ballads and Gillis’ crudely witty (and only somewhat apologetic) storytelling. These two voices, paired with Bryan’s compelling melodies and powerful lyrics, created a particularly masculine presentation of longing and emotional dissatisfaction. One of Bryan’s opening lyrics, “I want to hear my father say that he loves me,” seemed to center the mood appropriately. It’s a powerful statement, perhaps made even more so by the illumined image of Touchdown Jesus that hung in my point of view. Zach Bryan’s brand is certainly soulful and unmoored, and these motifs showed their face in the show’s incredible special effects and video setup.
Dermot Kennedy opened the show beautifully. He has incredible vocal talent and set the tone with his gorgeous and mournful ballads. One thing I loved about his performance was his sweet and charming commentary between songs, which connected with the Notre Dame community through his patriotism for his home country, Ireland. He specifically thanked ND for raising the Irish flag in the stadium, sharing the beautiful sentiment, “We’re
all home.” Some highlights from his performance include his song “Outnumbered” and his rendition of the Irish ode “Carrickfergus.” Though many in the audience may not have come to the concert particularly familiar with Kennedy’s work, I definitely believe that all of us left as fans.
Shane Gillis performed his set shortly after, and it was a bit of a mess, yet received a lot of cheers and laughter from the audience. I give him credit for the difficult nature of performing stand-up in a stadium, since comedy is typically meant for smaller venues and more intimate audiences. His content centered around what it’s like to be a man in the 21st century, so it was certainly appropriate for the running themes of the evening, though the appropriateness pretty much stopped there. I will not pretend he wasn’t funny, because his set certainly contained
some strong moments, but between the story about group masturbation and the catastrophic ending about spooking a pride parade, there was certainly some tension in the audience. I guess he was perfectly on brand for himself, so those not okay with his humor probably knew going in that it would be way over the line. Altogether, however, his stories emphasized the importance of community and brotherhood, which ultimately contributed well to the themes of the evening.
One perfection in Zach Bryan’s set was the overall aesthetic. I really liked how the lighting design, set and filmography paired with the motifs in his music. Many of his songs were featured alongside excerpts from their music videos, which added a “mojo dojo casa house” — type vibe to the stage. His video directors put together some masterful compilations of early 1900s and 1960s
Western-aesthetic footage of vintage trucks, old men with cigarettes, dusty landscapes and brotherhood. These film moments, along with the often black and white or dusty live shots of Bryan and his band members, added a lot to the vibe of the show. A particularly special moment for the effects was Bryan’s song “Something in the Orange,” when an array of saloon-style art deco chandeliers lowered into the audience’s view. It was very cool and added another interesting lighting element to the remainder of his songs. All these elements were crucial to the event’s overall entertainment value, since Zach Bryan’s rather uncreative and repetitive commentary between songs lacked that zing of personality that audiences typically enjoy.
A particular highlight of the performance was the full band, whom Bryan was sure to feature and shout out throughout the night, especially
in his last song, “Revival.” His band included the usual drums, guitar, bass and keys, as well as a fiddler, a brass group and a string quartet. The overall effect was stunning. Bryan’s song “East Side of Sorrow” featured the horns gorgeously, and “Don’t Give Up on Me” presented a beautiful solo moment for the strings. Something I loved that tied the two groups together was the cutesy interspesral of choreography that brought a sense of whimsy and cohesiveness to the stage.
Bryan and his band wrapped the evening up with several of his best songs, including the unreleased “Dry Deserts,” which will come out in his upcoming record. The crowd was also excited to see the return of Dermot Kennedy for a duet with Bryan, who revealed that the two had met and become friends several years before. After a momentary break, the stage was reilluminated for a strong ending, the crowd-pleaser “Revival.”
Though I definitely believe each song contained moments of beauty, some particular standouts from the night for their interesting rhythms, compelling melodies, thoughtful lyrics and/or visual effects were “Blue Jean Baby,” “Tourniquet,” “Nine Ball,” “Burn Burn Burn,” “I Remember Everything,” “River Washed Hair” and “Heading South.” Overall, the night emphasized for me the importance of brotherhood, self-expression and interior thoughtfulness. Perhaps I was bewitched by the ambience and emotional effect of live music, but I definitely enjoyed the cohesive vibe and fraternity of the event, and it seems that the Notre Dame community did too.
Contact Genevieve Le Leux at gleleux01@saintmarys.edu
‘Every Brilliant Thing’ was brilliant
By Peter Mikulski Scene Editor
Before “twee” was used as a genre label for bands like She & Him or ear, it was an insult, and it’s an insult my mom still uses. To the best of my knowledge, it means something like “too earnest” or “too affected,” so much so that it’s embarrassing. Zoomers utilize “cringe” for similar purposes, but there’s something “twee” captures that “cringe” can’t. I bring it up because I was afraid “Every Brilliant Thing” would be twee.
“Every Brilliant Thing” is a oneman show about a family affected by the mental illness and suicide attempts of its matriarch, told by the son who is coping by trying to list “every brilliant thing,” and it was performed at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC) this past weekend as part of this school year’s Presenting Series. Co-written by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe, it debuted at Britain’s Ludlow Fringe Festival,
and Brits — in my experience — tend to be pretty twee. Isn’t there something glib even just about the word “brilliant”? No American would try to name “every brilliant thing.” They’d probably go for the less pretentious option of “every beautiful thing.”
Everyone I knew who saw the show loved it though, and the advertising algorithm on Instagram was convinced I needed to see it too. So, to DPAC then I came. As I walked into the theater, the first usher I saw — a friend of mine — warned me the show came with an extra large helping of audience participation. I shuddered and thought, “There’s nothing more twee than audience participation.”
The second usher — a stranger — only said, “Have a seat,” and then he laughed a wanton laugh that told me I was in over my head. I deliberately sat far back from the front row and far away from the aisles, the seat least vulnerable to audience participation. Those nearby were clearly sitting in the area for the very same reason.
While making small talk with the woman to my right, who had driven 80 minutes from the Fort Wayne area to see the show, she told me her friend was seeing it for the fourth time. I thought that was nuts.
After seeing “Every Brilliant Thing,” I still think that’s nuts — seeing any production four times in a row is nuts — but now I understand the impulse. The show was a little affected, yes, but it was also deeply affecting.
Just as an audience member’s suspension of disbelief clicks into gear at a certain point in the beginning of a theatrical performance, “suspension of cringe” clicked in like clockwork despite the script’s touchy themes and the production’s earnest treatment of those themes. Actor Matt Hawkins and director Stacy Stoltz successfully convinced the audience to follow the hero’s journey wholeheartedly, to put all their chips on the protagonist. They even got the stoic middle-aged husbands, dragged there by their wives, and
the cagey, nervous and kvetching teenagers like me invested in the narrative.
Hawkins is a professor in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre, which I think contributed immensely to the production’s success. A feature of this one-man show is that it occasionally isn’t one, with the performer press ganging audience members into being his scene partners. A man with a British accent in the front row played Hawkins’ father; a woman to his right played Mrs. Patterson, Hawkins’ school counselor; another played a veterinarian who euthanizes his dog; another played his wife. Perhaps because of Hawkins’ classroom experience — word on the street is that he’s an exacting and effective professor — he proved able to draw shockingly good performances from these untrained strangers. He led the father through an emotionally charged conversation, got some great improv out of Mrs. Patterson and coaxed a goodhumored performance out of the
veterinarian. At the advent of any coincidental occurrence, he was at the ready to squeeze the maximum effect from it.
“Every Brilliant Thing” felt a little bit like a modern, atheistic “Everyman.” It tackles the fear of death and explores the goodness of life. Its protagonist is unnamed. On the other hand, there’s a lot more to write home about in the plot department when it comes to “Every Brilliant Thing.” Nevertheless, just as “Everyman” presumably had a cathartic effect upon its medieval viewers, “Every Brilliant Thing” seemingly had the same upon its contemporary audience when I saw it on Sunday. (The only thing I didn’t like about the show — a mistake by the playwrights and not by Hawkins and Stoltz — is that the script dissed Goethe out of nowhere. Why must he still catch strays from moralists in anno Domini 2025?)
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
setter Maya Baker sets to sophomore middle blocker Anna Bjork in Notre Dame’s 3-2 loss to Illinois on Sept. 5 at Purcell Pavilion. Baker provided 24 assists for the Irish, helping Morgan Gaerte to a program-record 34 kills. Notre Dame returns to the court on Sept. 9 at 6:3o p.m. for a nonconference showdown against Louisiana State University.
Notre Dame volleyball falls to 1-2 on the season
By Chris Dailey Sports Writer
Notre Dame volleyball fell to Illinois in five sets on Friday night, dropping to 1-2 on the season. Although the Irish are disappointed to come away with their second consecutive fiveset loss, they were consoled by sophomore Morgan Gaerte’s historic performance. The preseason All-ACC outside hitter recorded an Irish single-game record 34 kills.
Gaerte got off to a strong start in the first set. Her eight kills inspired the Irish to a 25-22 victory in the opening sequence. Up by 22-16, Illinois was able to give Notre Dame a run for
their money. However, between Gaerte’s excellence and the Irish’s block-party on defense, they fell short as Notre Dame took set one.
But, just like their first two games of the young season, the Irish fell short in the second set. Notre Dame bounced back in the third, winning 25-23. Illinois responded with immediate force in the fourth set. Then Illinois jumped out to an early 13-5 lead. That eight-point difference proved to be just too much for the Irish to come back from, as Illinois won comfortably 25-18.
With the match on the line in the final frame, Illinois carried on their momentum from the fourth set. The Illini won 15-11.
While Notre Dame largely relied on Gaerte’s dominant attacking presence, Illinois utilized a much more balanced approach offensively. The Illini had five players record nine or more kills, whereas the Irish only had two. The Irish were also unable to maintain their blocking presence as the game progressed. Initially, Notre Dame’s blocking unit of Gaerte, sophomore middle blocker Anna Bjork and freshman outside hitter Chichi Nnaji were a thorn in the side of the Illini. Notre Dame’s height at the net forced several errors from Illinois attackers, who tried their best to hit around the tall Irish block. Eventually,
however, the Irish’s blocking unit became spread out, allowing Illinois to have easier looks.
Regardless of the result, head coach Salima Rockwell and the entire program can rejoice thanks to Gaerte’s remarkable showing. Her program record of 34 kills is made even more impressive given the fact that the NCAA once played to 30 points per set rather than 25.
With the entirety of her sophomore season and two more years ahead of her, Gaerte is on a trajectory to become one of the best players in the country. Her 5.0 kills per set rank her top 10 in the country, and she’s providing this stellar offense while maintaining a .334 hitting
percentage.
Gaerte’s 75 kills are the most of all-time by any Notre Dame player through the first three games of the season.
A former five-star recruit and fifth-ranked player in the country, Gaerte has not only lived up to the hype, she has surpassed it. Under the stewardship of Rockwell, Gaerte is at the forefront of the Irish’s plan to reach their first NCAA tournament since 2020.
Notre Dame looks to bounce back as they host LSU on Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion. Admission for the match is free.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
Belles golf takes 2nd in Michigan tournament
By Claire Watson Associate Sports Editor
Coming off of a successful 2024-25 season, the Saint Mary’s golf team has kicked off the fall season as they attended the Kyle Campbell Memorial Tournament in Marshall, Michigan.
Competing against a total of 15 other teams, the Belles finished round one shooting 332 (+44) and finished round two
shooting 327 (+39) to have an overall weekend total of 659 (+83). They took second place behind Kalamazoo who finished first shooting 638 (+62).
Sophomore Melanie Maier, who earned all-region honors in the 2024-25 season and was named golfer of the week in March by the MIAA, shot the lowest score of the weekend. The Texas native led the Belles, shooting 160 (+16) overall and tying for sixth place. In round
one of the tournament, Maier finished the day shooting 82 (+10), while in round two she carded a score of 78 (+6).
Following Maier was senior Julia Lizak, who finished the weekend tied for 12th place, shooting a 164 (+20). Lizak finished day one of the tournament shooting 79 (+7) and had a round two score of 85 (+13).
Freshman Katharine Swain finished her first competition with the Belles tied for 18th
place. Swain, a South Bend native, shot a first round 86 (+14) and a second round 82 (+10) to finish with an overall of 168 (+24). Senior Breana Harrington placed next for the Belles, ending the event in the tied for 25th after finishing her weekend shooting 171 (+27). Junior Colleen Hand and senior Amanda Melling tied for 29th after shooting 172 (+28). Melling carded a 91-81 while Hand shot 83-89.
With this season opening result in the books, the Belles now prepare for their second competition, the Illinois Wesleyan Fall Classic on Sept. 13-14. Last season, they finished fourth out of the 19 teams in attendance. After that, the Belles will compete in the MIAA Jamboree on September 22 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
ND VOLLEYBALL
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Freshman
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
What would you rate Shane Gillis’ set last night?
Evan Greer freshman St. Edward’s Hall
“10/10.”
Colin Gibbons freshman Knott Hall
“It was alright.”
Philip Orszulak freshman Knott Hall
“7/10.”
CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
Katie Smolka freshman Pasquerilla East Hall
“8/10.”
Jack Myers sophomore Knott Hall
“8/10.”
SOCIAL MEDIA POLL
Have an idea for a poll? Email dstangel@nd.edu
How was the Zach Bryan concert?
A recent poll conducted by The Observer via Instagram received a total of 258 responses. The majority of students who responded, 70.5% with 182 votes, said that they thought of the concert as “amazing.” Another group of respondents, 16.7% with 43 votes, said that the concert was “good “. An additional 7.8% of students with 20 votes stated that the concert was “okay.” The smallest portion of respondents, 5% with 13 votes, viewed the concert as “bad.”
THE NEXT FIVE DAYS
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Monday
National Suicide Prevention Week: 988 Day Fieldhouse Mall 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Tuesday
Belles volleyball vs. Benedictine University Eagles
Angela Athletic and Wellness Complex
7 p.m.
Wednesday
Saints men’s soccer vs. Bethel University Pilots Saints Field
7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Mosaic Night Alumnae Green
4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday
“An Evening of Irish Singing”: Gearóidín Bhreathnach DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
PHOTO
Actor and stand-up comedian Shane Gillis delivers a set as a warm-up act for the Grammy-winning country artist Zach Bryan during Saturday’s concert at Notre Dame Stadium, with more than 80,000 in attendance.
ELLA MARTIN | The Observer
Holy Cross men’s soccer defeats Oakland City
By Chris Dailey Sports Writer
Holy Cross defeated Oakland City on Saturday afternoon, bolstering their record to 2-1.
Eight minutes into the match, Oakland City junior midfielder Ross O’Brien delivered a well-hit corner kick before pinball inside the box ensued. Eventually, senior midfielder Marc Robertson hammered the ball into the back of the net to take the lead for the Mighty Oaks.
The rest of the first half was a dogfight. Holy Cross was able to produce five shots, but none had enough on them to give Oakland City’s freshman goalkeeper Nicholas Boes a true challenge.
That changed in the second half. After an Oakland City
player tried to chip the ball over Holy Cross’ senior goalkeeper Isaias Rubio from midfield in the 58th minute, the Saints stormed down the pitch. After some lovely interplay between several Holy Cross players, freshman left wing Daniel Alfaro took a clever touch at the top of the 18 before striking a left-footed beauty into the back of the net.
Alfaro has been a revelation for Holy Cross in his debut campaign. He has notched three goals in as many games and has been the player that head coach Omar Gallo was searching for after losing star forwards Juan Perez and Isaac Filippo to graduation.
Ten minutes later, sophomore wing Kai Lulic scored his
first goal of the season after the Saints dispossessed the Mighty Oaks in front of the 18. Lulic’s quick inside-outside move was followed by a calm finish into the bottom corner.
Lulic celebrated by running to the corner flag, and the entire Holy Cross team met him there. However, this moment of breakthrough was quickly followed by chaos. Junior defender Anthony Cruz tripped an Oakland City player making a forward run, and he was subsequently awarded his second yellow of the day.
The Saints were then left to battle a man down with 20 minutes on the clock, or so they thought.
Only four minutes after Cruz’s red card, Robertson was also shown his second yellow card of
the afternoon, sending Oakland City down to 10 men.
Both teams played a scrappy game of soccer for the remaining time left, working in favor of the Saints. Thanks to their stellar defense, particularly inside and around the 18, Holy Cross was able to hold on to its 2-1 lead.
The Saints’ win against Oakland City was everything Gallo was hoping to see out of his team from a mental perspective. Despite going down early and eventually going down a man, Holy Cross remained sharp throughout. The Saints will look to carry this intensity with them as they soon approach Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play.
Before they do that, they’ll have to play yet another local foe.
The Saints play Bethel University at home this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Since 2020, Holy Cross has gone 0-3 against the Pilots. They last met on Aug. 17, 2024, which resulted in a 3-1 win for Bethel. If Holy Cross is to turn the tide against Bethel, they’ll once again look for Alfaro up top. His physicality, blended with a clinical nature, proves to be a proper challenge for any defense. Now with another game of collegiate experience under his belt, the freshmen sensation will only take his game to new heights.
Admission to the Holy Cross vs. Bethel game is free. Streaming can be found on the Holy Cross athletics website.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
Belles soccer takes two wins over the weekend
By Claire Watson Associate Sports Editor
Saint Mary’s soccer kept its winning streak alive over the weekend, collecting two wins to improve to 4-0 on the season.
North Central (Minn.)
The Belles started the week off strong with their tilt against the North Central (Minn.) Rams on Sept. 4. It was a lively first 30 minutes of the match as both teams were pushing to find the back of the net. Shortly after, the Belles put in the first goal of the night thanks to junior forward Eleah Hedstrom with an assist from junior midfielder Aubrey Brown. The Belles kept the Rams away from the net through the end of the first period as they finished with the 1-0 lead. In the opening half, the Belles reigned on the field as they outshot the Rams 17-1.
Less than two minutes into the second half, junior defender Brooke Baumann knocked home a penalty kick after a foul committed by North Central. Now up 2-0, the Belles did not back down as almost 20 seconds later, freshman forward Mia Johnson took the ball and scored the Belles’ third goal of the night. Ten minutes later, a quick pass from Johnson to sophomore defender Kayla O’Neal gave Saint Mary’s a 4-0 lead. Quickly following this goal, sophomore defender Danielle Escobedo knocked in a goal to extend the lead to five with an assist from Hedstrom. North Central managed their only goal of the game in the final minutes to make the final score 5-1.
Johnson led the Belles with a total of eight shots while
freshman midfielder Marley Cady added five. Overall, Saint Mary’s stayed composed as they finished the match outshooting the Rams 34-3, and 19-1 in shots on goal.
Bluffton
In match two over the weekend, the team faced off against the Bluffton Beavers, taking a swift 5-0 triumph.
It was a much more aggressive game than the North Central contest, with a combined 11 fouls called in the first 28 minutes. A few seconds later, the freshman duo of Johnson and forward Bella Musachio worked together to put in the first goal, giving the Belles a 1-0 lead. Six minutes later, sophomore defender
Isabella Kreydich added a goal thanks to assists from Musachio and O’Neal. About eight minutes later, Kreydich put in her second goal of the day for the Belles, off an assist from senior midfielder Grace Reyda. This rounded out the first half with the Belles leading 3-0.
Going into the second half, the Bluffton defense held their ground to keep the Belles at bay. Midway through the 45 minutes, Escobedo found the back of the net to extend the lead to 4-0. Within seconds of that goal, Johnson followed Escobedo, putting in a goal of her own to make the score 5-0. The Belles defense kept Bluffton away from scoring position for the rest of the
period, giving Saint Mary’s the 5-0 win. Saint Mary’s outshot the Beavers 19-3, and 10-2 in shots on goal.
Now 4-0 on the season,
the Belles prepare to host Concordia Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
Irish women’s soccer travels to NC State
By Chris Dailey Sports Writer
No. 5 Notre Dame women’s soccer will make their way to Raleigh, North Carolina this Thursday for a clash against NC State. The match marks the Irish’s first conference game of the season. They head into the game with a 5-0-1 record and the sixth-ranked scoring offense
in the country. Notre Dame’s potent offense is led by sophomore Izzy Engle. Named a preseason All-American, Engle has lived up to her billing through the Irish’s first six games of the season. The goal-getting forward is scoring approximately every 67 minutes she’s on the field, already totaling six – including two braces.
The Wolfpack will need to play a low-block if they are to stop Engle. However, even if they are able to achieve the seemingly arduous task of denying Engle a goal, they’ll also have to be alert of sophomore Anabelle Chukwu. Fresh off a hat trick against Michigan State, Chukwu is one of the nation’s most intimidating forwards. Her natural instinct to find open pockets of
The
Former
space has molded her into becoming not just a reliable No. 2 option to Engle, but a No. 1 target in her own right.
The Irish’s offensive stars are complemented by their crafty midfield. Headlined by sophomore Grace Restovich, whose 11 assists ranked her 11th nationally just a season ago, Notre Dame’s crew in the middle of the park have consistently delivered exceptional service to the forward line. Restovich’s four assists this season is tied for a team-high, alongside fellow senior midfielder Laney Matriano.
Head coach Nate Norman has added to his midfield by bringing his fullbacks’ higher up the pitch, forming a 3-5-2 formation. On the left side is senior captain Leah Klenke. Her presence in the attacking third creates for constant overloads. Klenke’s involvement in the attacking third will be vital for Notre Dame as they seek to start their ACC campaign off strong.
Notre Dame face an NC State team that is out to prove something after a rough start to the year. The Wolfpack started their season with a 3-0 loss to James Madison before drawing to East Carolina 1-1. Since, they have fallen to Michigan State 3-0, Davidson 1-0, Western Carolina 3-2 and Utah 3-0. However, NC State has slowly started to turn their year around with a tie against Elon last Thursday and a triumphant 4-0 victory over Campbell on Sunday
night.
Junior Mary Frances Symmes scored two goals for the Wolfpack in the win. Her second was placed into the top left corner from outside the 18, provoking a lively reaction from a strong home-crowd in attendance.
Between Notre Dame’s status as a College Cup hopeful and their name-brand, the Wolfpack faithful will once again play a big factor in Thursday night’s game.
Last season, the Irish hosted NC State to a 1-1 draw despite owning the ball for 61% of the game. The result was a surprising one for Notre Dame, who were expecting a win. Following their mid-season fixture, the Irish ended up flying to the Elite 8 while NC State finished the season 4-10-4. NC State have not beaten Notre Dame since 2019. Notre Dame cruise into Thursday night on a four-match winning streak. In that stretch, the Irish have scored 18 goals and allowed none. The run is highlighted by a 3-0 rivalry win against Michigan and colossal 8-0 victory over Oakland.
Thursday night also marks Notre Dame’s last away game until their trip to Virginia Tech on Oct. 23. Sandwiched between their dates with the Wolfpack and Hokies is a six-game ACC home gauntlet featuring the likes of No. 3 Duke and No. 7 Florida State.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Junior midfielder Morgan Roy stands over the ball for Notre Dame as Cincinati’s junior defender Ella Burke closes in on Aug. 21 at Alumni Stadium. Notre Dame beat the Bearcats 4-0 thanks to a first-half hat trick from sophomore preseason All-American honoree Izzy Engle. Roy dished out an assist in the second half to sophomore forward Annebelle Chukwu.
has become a staple in
Irish drop rivalry showdown, fall 1-0 to Indiana
By Ben Hicks Associate Sports Editor
Notre Dame men’s soccer was bested 1-0 by Indiana on Sunday evening in their annual Hoosier State showdown. Both teams entered the match unbeaten, but it was the 4thranked Hoosiers who escaped Alumni Stadium with their perfect record intact, thanks to a 35th-minute finish by junior forward Collins Oduro.
Eighth-year head coach
Chad Riley’s Notre Dame side sat at 1-0-2 heading into play, despite a mixed bag of results throughout the first few weeks of the campaign. The Irish collected an impressive 1-1 draw in Ann Arbor against Michigan to open the season, before finishing 0-0 at home against IU Indy the following weekend. Last time out, Notre Dame picked up their first win of the season with a 1-0 home victory over No. 14 Oregon State nine days ago.
Led by 15th-year bench boss Todd Yeagley, the storied Hoosiers have been dominant to start 2025 as they search for the program’s ninth national championship. Indiana started the year with a grueling 2-2 draw with No. 9 Clemson, before collecting four straight victories over San Francisco, Green Bay, No. 14 Oregon State and No. 15 Saint Louis.
Sunday marked the 50th all-time meeting between the Hoosiers and the Irish, with Indiana leading the all-time series 33-11-5. The previous two regular season meetings have ended the same way they started, including a physical 2-2 draw in Bloomington last August. Notre Dame topped Indiana 5-4 on penalties in snowy South Bend en route to the College Cup in December 2023, but have not beaten the Hoosiers in the regular season since the 2016 slate.
There wasn’t much action on either side of the pitch for the first half hour, but Indiana displayed technical prowess to control possession. The 35thminute strike was Indiana’s first real opportunity of the match, and it was spearheaded by a stretch of individual brilliance by senior forward Palmer Ault. The Butler transfer creatively diced his way through the right side of Notre Dame’s defense, before serving a cross through the center of the box. The service fell to the feet of Oduru, who did well to slot his shot from 12 yards out through the collapsing Notre Dame backline.
Speaking postgame, Riley said, “I think the first half is always going to be a little cagey. We just had one moment where we had a miscommunication in the back and they
capitalized on it.”
Indiana outshot Notre Dame 7-3 over the first 45 minutes, but the Irish did most of the attacking after the intermission. Shots finished 14-13 in favor of the Hoosiers, but the Irish had numerous chances to equalize over the second half. The first opportunity came in the 48th minute, when senior midfielder KK Baffour sent one of his five shots just wide of the right post.
Junior midfielder Nico Bartlett entered around the 65th-minute mark, and he immediately made an impact pressuring the Indiana back third. The best Irish chance materialized by the hustle and skill of the Bloomingdale, Illinois native, who saved a through-ball at the touchline, before knifing through two defenders and being brought down around the six-yard box. Play was stopped in the 71stminute after the challenge, but VAR decided no penalty was to be awarded.
Riley complimented Bartlett, saying, “He’s been training well, and he’s got a lot of ability. He comes in and causes different problems for the opposition. He was really active and did a nice job of pressuring the defense to create some dangerous moments.”
Notre Dame’s final chance
came off a Mitch Ferguson free kick in the 82nd minute. The senior defender’s set piece sailed just wide of the post and the outstretched arms of graduate goalkeeper Holden Brown.
Speaking on his side’s inability to break through in the run of play, Riley added, “I thought we were excellent in the second half. I think we were a little unfortunate not to get the game back level, but I’m really proud of the group as a whole and the guys who came in and gave us life.”
Brown finished with two saves, while Notre Dame sophomore netminder Blake Kelly finished with four stops. The Hoosiers escaped South Bend with a 1-0 victory to move to 5-0-1 on the season, while handing the Irish their first defeat. The all-time tally now moves to 34-11-5 in favor of the Crimson and Cream.
Indiana, who will likely move up in this week’s polls following No. 1 Stanford’s defeat at Louisville, will be off until opening Big Ten play next Saturday. The Hoosiers will return to Bloomington to welcome 3-0-2 Michigan to Bill Armstrong Stadium for an 8 p.m. first touch.
The Irish will have a short week as they also open up conference play this coming weekend. The first ACC test of
the season comes this Friday on the road at Pittsburgh. The Panthers were ranked No. 10 entering this week but have dropped consecutive road contests to recent national championship–winning programs. The Georgetown Hoyas used a 75th-minute winner to top Pitt 1-0 two Fridays ago, before No. 3 Clemson won a back-and-forth 3-2 affair in the Lowcountry last Friday.
Commenting on the tough early-season slate for his side, Riley concluded, “I think that’s just what it always is now. I think we both know it’s going to be a good game. They’ve got to play us too.”
The Panthers are led by graduate midfielder Arnau Vilamitjana, who has found the back of the net three times in four contests this year. The Spaniard made 19 starts a year ago coming to the U.S. after having played professionally for both CE Europa and FC Barcelona. Pitt will have to deal with a tough Butler squad at home on Monday before turning their attention to the Irish.
Friday’s tilt from Ambrose Urbanic Field is set for a 7 p.m. first touch, with streaming available on ACC Network Extra.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks@nd.edu
ND MEN’S SOCCER
KEIRA JONES| The Observer
Sophomore midfielder Ian Shaul dribbles the ball near Indiana’s Cristiano Bruletti. After primarily contributing in a substitute role in 2024, Shaul
head coach Chad Riley’s starting eleven through the first four games of the 2025 season. Shaul and the Irish battled hard against the fourth-ranked Hoosiers, falling short 1-0 in a tight matchup.