Idyllic conditions enveloped Alumni Stadium for Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference lacrosse matchup between No. 2 Boston College and No. 8 Notre Dame. The mid-March day felt almost like springtime with bright sunshine splashing the aluminum bleachers with reasonable temperatures, and fans clad in sweatshirts, hats and sunglasses all treated themselves to one of college sports' most intense rivalries as St. Patrick's Day loomed on the horizon.
Nearly everyone wore green in anticipation of the Sunday holiday, but the rivalry game built around the purity of two of Division I's Catholic institutions was painted in a mre-recognizable red-and-white motif adorning the Boston College uniforms.