Notre Dame ...Rising Expectations

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January 11, 2007

Rising Expectations
Notre Dame's Surge Came Faster Than Expected, Now Pressure's On

by Courtney Lewis/CHN Reporter

In its first 22 games, Notre Dame has already collected four more wins than it did all last season.

The Fighting Irish thought they'd be better, but with added depth and new confidence, they've exceeded even their own expectations. Now they have to keep it up.

"It's important we don't rest on our laurels," coach Jeff Jackson said. "That's definitely a concern of mine, all the media attention, polls, all that stuff. There is something to be said for having experience in those situations, and we don't have a lot of that."

Polls and laurels weren't an issue for a program that had just five wins two seasons ago and went 13-19-4 in 2005-06 on its way to finishing ninth in the CCHA. Notre Dame showed some improvement last season –- Jackson's first –- but it was picked sixth and eighth in two preseason polls last fall. The Irish (17-4-1, 11-2-1 CCHA) are currently tied with Miami at the top of the standings and are ranked fifth in the nation after climbing as high as No. 2.

"We knew we were going to be better, but in all honesty we didn't think we we're going to be where we are right now," junior Mark Van Guilder said. "After we beat Boston College (on Oct. 20), the expectations kind of changed. We realized what we're capable of if we played with the same discipline and intensity. For sure, the expectations have risen quite a bit."

Van Guilder said part of the quick turnaround has been that the team is now totally comfortable with Jackson's systems. And Jackson said senior leadership and solid play from goaltender David Brown have been crucial.

Notre Dame has also gotten a boost from its freshmen, particularly forwards Kevin Deeth and Ryan Thang and defenseman Kyle Lawson, who just returned from the U.S. Junior National Team.

"It helps a ton having that kind of depth scoring-wise up front, and Lawson in back, he certainly doesn't play like a freshman," Van Guilder said. "He plays with no fear at all. Up front, Deeth and Thang bring so much energy on the ice and in the locker room."

They've given Notre Dame some much-needed offensive depth. Deeth and Thang are third and fourth on team with 24 and 20 points, respectively. Sophomore Erik Condra, the team's top scorer last year, is again leading the way with 30 points, and after a breakout season in 2005-06, Van Guilder has a team-high 13 goals. The Irish have been able to roll four lines and have relied on all of them.

But Van Guilder said the biggest reason for this season's surprising success has been confidence.

"Last year early in the season or a couple years ago, we'd be afraid to make a play, be creative," he said. "Now we have confidence in our defense and our goalies. We're not afraid to try things offensively. When you're playing with confidence, you have chemistry with your linemates and you score more goals. And we're having more fun on top of that."

Of course, too much of that confidence can get you in trouble. Van Guilder said that was part of what happened last Sunday, when the Irish were stunned by Robert Morris at home after beating the Colonials 6-2 on the road two nights before. The loss snapped Notre Dame's seven-game winning streak.

"We learned quite the lesson," Van Guilder said. "We're not good enough to just show up and beat anyone. Hopefully, that's a lesson we won't have to learn again."

Notre Dame returns to CCHA play this weekend, beginning a stretch where it plays four games on the road and then hosts Miami.

"How we respond to losing on Sunday is going to be important," Jackson said. "It's important that we get back to recognizing that each game has significance."

Jackson said Notre Dame needs to make sure to sustain its strong defensive play and keep using that defense to create offensive chances. Otherwise, consistency is the buzzword. And while expectations may have changed since the beginning of the season, Jackson is trying to keep his team focused on the same things. He's quick to point out that the sterling first half won't mean much if the Irish don't finish strong.

"Our objectives haven't changed," he said. "A lot of our objectives are more about every game than about the long term.

"That goes back to the pressure of being successful in the first half, and maybe players looking at the potential of our objectives changing. We can't look forward. We have to remember what made us successful to be where we are today."

Where the Irish are is a long way from where they were a couple years ago, and not just in terms of wins and losses. In his two-and-a-half seasons in South Bend, Van Guilder has seen the program's culture change.

"Night and day," he said. "The team attitude is way different now. We love coming to the rink. And it has spread around campus. Our building is not the greatest in the world, but it's more packed now, louder. When we go out for warm-ups, the student section is full, and that's a good feeling, knowing it has a lot to do with how we've played."