In the Big Ten, it’s Penn State and everyone else, but that race for second-best is always a good one. Indiana has been the traditional runner-up, but after a couple big losses during the friendly season, the competition for #2 might be closer than years previous.

That said, the Redstorm beat Michigan State 77-12, so clearly the team can score tries. Michigan is 2-0, having defeated MSU by a similar margin and Ohio State 55-7. The pair will duke it out this weekend and lend some perspective to the relative strength of the field. And then there’s Notre Dame, which has replaced the Buckeyes as a contender. The Irish beat Purdue 43-12 and OSU 40-10 thus far.

The Notre Dame program formed six years ago and won the DII national championship in its first year. Then the Irish moved up to DI and has been trying to re-establish itself ever since. Last year, the first group of four-year players graduated, and the team is finally getting some consistent experience on the pitch. Captained by three of four seniors Katie Loughran, Olga Niyibizi, and Alexandra Buccilli, this fall marked the first time that Notre Dame has fielded a squad where all of the starters have previous experience.

“Having the starting group with experience has made the difference,” Notre Dame coach Ricardo Ramirez reported. “I was able to implement a new attacking shape from the first day, and we’ve been able to move forward as we brought the new players up to speed. We have always had pockets of talented players throughout the program’s history, but this year is shaping up to be something new. The team is really building on the legacy left by their predecessors, not just maintaining it.”

Some of that potential was realized against Ohio State. The Irish led 15-10 into the break, and then adapted to play in the second half to pull away.

“The players stuck to the attacking shape, but did a better job of reading the defensive cues and manufacturing space,” Ramirez explained. “The integrity of our shape was solid throughout the second half because forwards ran as backs, and backs ran as forwards. It really allowed everyone the opportunity to be a playmaker. This team has a lot of trust and faith in one another, and it has worked hard to play as equals.”

Ramirez pointed to Loughran and Niyibizi for setting the tone on the field, and filling the roles of scoring threat and set-up woman. Junior prop Fiona Rutagengwa and sophomore Grace McGurn have come through in the set pieces and exhibit great work rate in open play. The backs are led by sophomore flyhalf Rachael Shey, who is only the third standoff the program has ever seen. Sophomore Sophie Asah has returned from injury and with junior Rosie Odhiambo, the duo provide strong legs to the back line. Keep an eye on newcomers sophomore Lillian Cronin, freshman Yasmin Lord, and freshman Scout Muzikowski, who scored three tries against OSU.

There is a lot of promise in this Notre Dame squad, but they’ll go up against it on Saturday when it plays against Penn State. It’s the opening league match for the Nittany Lions, which have already contested some exciting games against varsity teams (read more). Stay tuned.