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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1998)
! James Nicas Weekend at Notre Dame shows spirit SOUTH BEND. Ind. Every once m awhile, evervbodc usually gets to expenence something mysti cal. Last weekend, I got to witness the experience and thrill of a Notrc Dame football weekend. hvery major football school has its own pageantry', rituals and tradi tion. and at Nebraska it is no differ ent. However. 1 suspect that no school can duplicate the atmosphere through an entire weekend like the Fighting Irish. On Friday afternoon, the Irish had their weekly luncheon lor their boosters that congratulated the seniors. The first player to speak was a walk-on who said. “Despite getting other scholarship offers, walking on and not playing for the Irish was the greatest decision in my life.” Although tins same attitude goes on at Nebraska, it made me feel right away like i was sitting through an enacted version of the movie “Rudy.” That night the students and alumni all joined together for a pep rally to cheer on their Irish for the big game. Texas A&M has Midnight Yell practice, and the Irish have their pep rally, but I wonder why the closest Nebraska comes to a Friday rally is ordering the prime nb at Misty’s. Game day officially begins after the team has Mass at the basilica and then walks through campus with thousands of Irish fans applauding their heroes. The game itself is played to please fans, and in particular the stu dents. Although there are only 10,300 students at Notre Dame, they get 11,000 tickets, and every seat is taken. iNoire uame is probably the worst university when it comes to commercialization because of its contract with NBC. But that contract makes Irish games appear to be the simplest and purest form of college football. There are no IrishVision screens, no advertisements, besides one NBC sign, and Oscar Mayer isn’t hurling hot dogs into the stands. The fans, band and cheerleaders created every cheer, and nothing was enhanced by the Rolling Stones. After the game, the players acknowledge their fellow students with a raising of the helmet directed to their classmates. The camaraderie between the players, students and alumni is something that can’t be duplicated. A football weekend at Notre Dame makes you feel like you are watching a game in the 1890s. In today’s world of “amateur” college football, there couldn’t be a better thing. James Nicas is a senior man agement and marketing major and a Daily Nebraskan staff writer. Matt Miller/DN SENIOR KRISTEN GAY, center, and freshman Kelly Rheem, right, sit on the bench after NU lost to Notre Dame 2-1 on Friday night in South Bend, Jnd. The Sweet 16 loss ended the Huskers’ season with a 17-4-1 overall record. It is the second season that the Fighting Irish have ended Nebraska’s season in the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the Irish defeated NU 6-0. Irish oust NU from tourney again By James Nicas Staff writer SOUTH BUND. Ind. After losing 6-0 in last year's NCAA Tournament to Notre Dame. Nebraska Coach John Walker could have had a reason to play a defensive style of soccer heading into Friday night’s game against the Fighting Irish. However, Walker kept the No. 13 Cornhuskers’ traditional aggressive jppn)ueh. This year's score turned out to be much different than last year's. Unfortunately for the Huskers. the final outcome Notre Dame 2 was st,n the same. Nebraska 1 Despite a great perfor mance from NU goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, Irish forward Monica Gerardo scored the deciding goal in the 71 st minute to break up a l -1 score, leading the No. 4 Irish to a hard-fought 2 1 victor} o\er Nebraska m Iront of a crowd of 332 at Alumni f ield in the third round of the NCAA Champion ships. Gerardo's goal was set up b\ a run by fullback Kelly Lindsey down the left side of the field. After pressure from a NU defender sent Lindsey toward the endline, she sent a crossing pass in front of the goal box to Gerardo that was deposited to the back of the net. “I was making a dummy run to get the defense out of position,” said Lindsey, ’an Omaha inni\eO.'{J^rui\ ; Streiffer passed me the ball, and two girls came to me, so 1 saw Monica in the hole, and ! tried to touch it in there.” The game-winning goal ended the scoring to an exciting game that was tied for 68 of the previous 70 minutes. Nebraska and Notre Dame's physi cal and up-tempo style led to a back and-forth game that led to many scoring opportunities for both teams. Please see SOCCER on 8 NU coaches, teammates sing praises of LeBlanc By Adam Klinker Staff writer SOUTH BEND, Lnd. - The first time Nebraska goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc walked into the locker room after the Comhuskers’ third-round loss in the I li I I—M——E-J LeBlanc NCAA Tournament, she left as quickly as she came. NU Coach John Walker was giving his post-game inter view, and LeBlanc, set to be interviewed next, walked in just as Walker was praising her for her solid play in a 2-1 loss to No. 4 Notre Dame. LeB lane lingered there just for a second. Her eyes welled with tears, and she walked out. Maybe it was because Leblanc had just finished playing one ot the best games of her young career and it didn’t matter. NU lost, and its season was over. “I’m very pleased; Karina had a good year,” Walker said. “She really did an outstanding job for us tonight.” LeBlanc had 10 saves - seven in the first half all coming at crucial moments in the game. Several times she held off the Irish with skilled acrobatics. NU midfielder Meghan Anderson, who had been LeBlane’s back-up after Jackie Erdkamp went down with an injury, said the sophomore’s play was a rallying point for the team throughout the game. “It was amazing,” Anderson said. “She kept us in the game and kept us going.” « It was amazing. She kept us in the game and kept us going.” Meghan Anderson NU midfielder In the first half, the Irish put together several good runs at the goal and got off seven shots, but LeBlanc stopped them all to preserve the 0-0 tie. But the Irish broke through twice in the second half, good enough for a one-goal win. “Those were key points iri the game,” LeBlanc said of the two goals. “After that second goal, it was either we turn it around or we don’t.” Notre Dame thrashed the Huskers last season 6 0, but the same couldn’t be said Friday night. Much of the difference, Irish Coach Chris Petrucelli said, was LeBlanc. “LeBlanc was outstanding,” Petrucelli said. “I don’t know of anybody that’s played better against us in the goal. “She kept them in the game.” LeBlanc eventually came back in and took a seat next to Anderson in the locker room as their coach spoke about the team’s play. When it was her turn to be interviewed, LeBlanc said she considered it another day at the office. “I just do what’s expected of me,” LeBlanc said. “I didn’t put any extra pressure on myself.” NU rebounds from first loss by routing UT By Andrew Strnad Staff writer While it’s no longer undefeated, the Nebraska vol leyball team still controls its own destiny for the Big 12 Conference championship. The Comhuskers (25-1 overall, 16-1 in the Big 12) dropped a lengthy five-game match to No. 22 Texas A&M on Friday night, but rebounded the next evening 10 ueieai ino. iz Nebraska 15 15 15 Texas 15^t, 15-7, _ _ _ _ 15-2 in Austin, Texas 4 7 2 Texas ■ 1 1 Nebraska’s loss was the first in the regular season since Oct. 29, 1997, breaking a streak of 35 straight wins. NU’s win Saturday dropped the Longhorns (22-4, 16-2) a game behind die Huskers for first-place in the Big 12. “After losing on Friday, we really took it upon our selves to show everyone why we’re the No. 3 team in the nation.” NU junior outside hitter Mandy Monson said. Monson, who had started only a handful of match es this season, started Saturday and was one of three Huskers with at least 10 kills, as she smashed a season high 11 kills to go along with 18 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Nancy Meendering led Please see VOLLEY on 8