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Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

ND to face Stony Brook after loss

After dropping their first ACC game to Boston College 15-10 on Feb. 18, the No. 15 Irish face non-conference opponent No. 12 Stony Brook on Saturday at the Loftus Center.

Irish sophomore attack Rachel Sexton races upfield during Notre Dame’s 15-10 loss to Boston College on Saturday.
Irish sophomore attack Rachel Sexton races upfield during Notre Dame’s 15-10 loss to Boston College on Saturday.
Irish coach Christine Halfpenny said it didn’t take Notre Dame (1-1, 0-1 ACC) long to put the loss to Boston College (1-0, 1-0) behind them.

“On Monday in a team meeting we were able to regroup and come right back to the drawing board,” Halfpenny said. “It was really exciting to see what this team is made of. That’s typically when you find out what you’re made of, when things don’t go your way, and our team was focused, energized, and ready to get right back at it.”

The Irish face a difficult opponent in Stony Brook (2-0) this weekend. Halfpenny said the team out of Long Island tends to play rougher than many of the teams Notre Dame is used to.

“They are really aggressive,” Halfpenny said. “They run some schemes and strategies that we’ve seen on films and that we’ve known about in the past years, so we’re preparing for what they’re going to throw at us.”

The Sea Wolves’ arsenal includes a returning standout in senior goalkeeper Frankie Caridi, who earned the first shutout in Stony Brook history last weekend against Monmouth. Notre Dame will also have to face a unique defensive style from a team that doesn’t play typical zone defense.

“We’re continuing to do what we do,” Halfpenny said. “However, we need to prepare adequately for what they throw at you. They run a different style of defense. … They have some outstanding players, [Caridi] in goal … we obviously have to pay attention to that and we’ll do that as a team.”

The Irish, meanwhile, will be relying on a wide array of players to lead the charge against Sea Wolves.

Irish junior goalie Allie Murphy started against Boston College and had five saves. Junior midfielder Caitlin Gargan tied her career high with four goals, and sophomore attack Rachel Sexton scored three goals against the Eagles.

Halfpenny said the Irish aren’t so much changing their game for Stony Brook as they are finding their identity on the field.

“I don’t think there are any changes, it’s just continuing to develop,” Halfpenny said. “It’s still early in the season. We’re a spring sport and it’s only February, so we’re continuing to add to what we’ve done, which was our plan for the whole season.”

The Irish are back in action on Saturday when they take on Stony Brook at 8 p.m. in the Loftus Center.

 

Contact Katie Heit at kheit@nd.edu