Water polo wins Midwest Division
Special to The Observer
Highlighting the weekend's activities was the men's water polo club winning its first ever Midwest Division Championship. The team qualified for the Nationals at the University of Arizona, in Tucson, another first for the Irish.
The team opened with a 27-0 victory over Bowling Green, a shutout for reserve goalie John Sample. In the quarterfinals, Ohio University fell 16-4, and in the semifinals, the Irish defeated host Miami (Ohio) in a nailbiter.
Tied 6-6 after regulation, and 7-7 after overtime, the Irish won in the last minute of sudden death, as Matt McNicholas found the back of the net.
Starter Nick Malone tried to continue playing after slipping on the bulkhead at the start of the third quarter. After playing a couple minutes, he was removed from the game. It was later discovered he had a fractured rib and punctured lung. He is doing well and will be released from the hospital Wednesday.
The finals saw Notre Dame defeat No. 1 seed Dayton, the reigning four-time champion, 8-0. In goal, Brendan Dougherty posted his sixth shutout of the season. Leading scorer for the team in the tournament was McNicholas with 17, while Nick Malone and Brian Hench each tallied six goals.The team will face Richmond, a division victor over Penn State, in the first round of the 12 team nationals, this weekend.
u The field hockey club, playing before a large contingent of parents and fans, swept the University of Chicago off Stepan Field with a stunning 10-1 victory. Stephanie Frigon and MIke Lazinski each scored twice, while Laura Antkowiak, Liza Naticchia, JR Doria, Kyle Frigon, Lisa Mohrman and Kristen Sullivan all contributed to the balanced scoring attack. The Irish completed the fall season 3 - 1.
u Missing four of six starters, the men's volleyball team opened the season with a disappointing 2-4 mark at the Michigan State Invitational. Starting three freshmen and two other first-time players, the team dropped matches to MSU, Texas, Marquette, and Northern Illinois. The team defeated Calvin and Michigan.
u The men's rowing club participated in the annual Head of the Elk in Elkhart. The strong field included Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State and many other top programs. Best finishes for the Irish were fourth place in the lightweight fours, and fifth place in the open fours, with 26 teams competing. Other very respectable finishes included seventh and eigth place finishes in the open eights and novice eights, respectively.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, November 2, 1999
