Nathan Borega Class: Senior Hometown: Wasilla, Alaska High School: Colony Height / Weight: 6-2 / 225 Position: Defenseman Birthdate: 03/03/1975 Experience: 3 Previous Team: Vernon Vipers (Canada junior-A)

• Alternate Captain

Hard-hitting leader of the Notre Dame defense who was named alternate captain for 1999-2000 season, along with fellow senior defenseman Tyson Fraser (senior center Ben Simon will serve as the team captain) ... he and Fraser are the first pair of Notre Dame defensemen to serve as captains or alternate captains in 25 years–since Paul Clarke and Les Larson in 1974-75 ... Dean Daigler and Jim Blainey (1968-69) are the only other pair of defensemen to captain Irish hockey during the program’s 32-year modern era ... classic stay-at-home defenseman who will help anchor a veteran Notre Dame defensive unit that includes five seniors (who have logged a combined 401 career games), one junior, one sophomore and two freshmen ... will be counted on for leadership on the defensive side of the ice, as the Irish break in an unproven but talented trio of goaltenders who have just 148 combined minutes of experience at the Division I level ... combines his 6-2, 225-pound frame with 6-4, 230-pound junior Ryan Clark to form one of the most imposing pairs of defensemen in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association ... he and Clark skated together during several games late in the 1997-98 season, after Fraser–Borega’s usual linemate for his first two seasons–was lost for the final 12 games due to injury ... combines with Fraser as former British Columbia area all-stars who are major ingredients in Notre Dame's highly-touted senior class, which also includes two members of the 1997-98 United States junior national team: Simon and right wing Joe Dusbabek ... formed a solid and complementary defensive duo with Fraser as freshmen in 1996-97, with each earning honorable mention all-CCHA rookie team honors ... he and Fraser skated together in 66 games during the past three seasons (28 as freshmen, 14 as sophomores and 24 as juniors) ... has played a major role in the following defensive strides for the Irish over the past three seasons: 3.6 fewer opponent shots per game (31.2 in 1995-96, down to 26.2 in ’98-’99); an improved shot margin of 8.4 (from -3.9/gm to +4.5); a six percent jump in penalty-killing efficiency (.773 to .832); and a drop in team goals-against average of more than 1.7 goals per game (4.36 to 2.60) ... a multi-sport prep athlete who has been a team leader at every level ... a very physical player who made his presence felt in the first day of practice at Notre Dame ... can be relied on for setting the tone for the Irish defense and clearing the front of the Notre Dame net ... became first Alaska native to letter with the Notre Dame hockey program ... could face eight of his former Vernon Vipers teammates this season, including six CCHA players: Lake Superior defenseman Blain MacAuley and right wing Jeff Cheeseman, Alaska Fairbanks right wing Sjon Wynia, Michigan State left wing Sean Patchel, Miami center Dustin Whitecotton and Western Michigan right wing Caley Jones ... also played with two Providence players–right wing Doug Sheppard and defenseman Josh MacNiven–while with the Vipers ... he and Alaska Fairbanks right wing Scott McIlroy were teammates on the Anchorage Northstars ... played on the Colony High School hockey team with current UAF players Jake Flora and Dirk Menard.

CAREER NOTES: Has appeared in 99 career games, with three goals, nine assists and 78 shots ... despite his physical presence, he has been whistled for just 60 penalties (120 minutes), averaging just 1.21 penalty minutes per career game ... his 12 career points have come versus six different CCHA teams (none versus Miami, Michigan State, Northern Michigan or Ohio State) ... looking to record his first multi-point game with the Irish ... launched a career-best three shots on goal at Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 10, 1998.

AS A JUNIOR: Missed first eight games of the season due to injury before appearing in final 30 games of the season ... returned to action at Northeastern, helping Irish post 4-3 victory (he missed the exciting 5-5 tie at top-ranked Boston College one night earlier) ... helped Irish post the program’s best team goals-against average for second consecutive season (2.60 in ’98-’99, 2.74 in ’97-’98) ... totaled just 13 penalties (26 minutes), for an average of 2.3 games per penalty ... notched his first point of the season in 9-5 win over Western Michigan, assisting on Chad Chipchase’s goal midway through the second period ... assisted on Aniket Dhadphale’s goal midway through the third period, as the Irish took a 3-1 lead over Bowling Green in eventual 4-1 win ... finished with a -1 overall plus-minus ratio, but held a +7 ratio in his 24 regular-season CCHA games ... helped hold Michigan scoreless on eight power-play chances in crucial midseason win (3-2) ... helped stop seven Miami power plays, as Notre Dame locked up home ice for the CCHA playoffs on final day of the regular season (4-2).

AS A SOPHOMORE: Appeared in the first 31 games of the season before an arm injury sidelined him for seven games ... totaled two goals, two assists and 29 shots on goal ... averaged better than two games per penalty, totaling 16 infractions for 32 minutes over his 34 games ... had 21 games without a penalty and 10 with one ... had streaks of six and five games without a penalty during the ’98-’99 campaign ... played a major role in the lowest goals-against-average in Notre Dame hockey history (2.73), which also ranked fourth in the CCHA and eighth in the nation ... also helped the Irish post the program’s lowest penalty-killing percentage since 1970 (.845, fourth-best in the CCHA) ... played big part in helping Notre Dame easily repeat as the CCHA’s least-penalized team (6.37/gm) ... helped hold Michigan State to one goal and an 0-for-7 night on the power play in stunning 6-1 win ... his first goal gave the Irish a 2-0 lead in eventual 3-3 tie with Lake Superior ... scored on a wrist shot from the top of the left circle, via passes from Matt Van Arkel and Fraser ... helped secure series-clinching win at Alaska Fairbanks (5-1) by assisting on Dhadphale’s goal just 1:04 in to the game ... also had a memorable assist in next game, when he picked off an outlet attempt and quickly worked the puck to Brian Urick, who banged home a shot from the right circle for a 5-4 overtime win at Bowling Green ... gave the Irish a 4-0 lead in the playoff series opener at Michigan, sending a power-play shot from the right circle that tucked inside the left post with 1:13 left in the second period (the Irish held on for a 4-2 win) ... took pass from Lyle Andrusiak and calmly avoided a sliding Michigan player before drilling his first goal in 15 weeks (26 games) ... also helped stop all four Michigan power-play chances in that playoff victory.

AS A FRESHMAN: One of four Irish players to appear in all 35 games ... joined linemate Fraser as an honorable mention CCHA all-rookie team selection ... totaled one goal and five assists ... despite his physical style, was whistled for just 31 penalties ... had no penalties or one penalty in 27 games, including each of the final nine ... served as a major part of an Irish penalty-killing unit that ranked fourth in the CCHA for conference penalty-killing (.805) and overall penalty killing (.813) ... skated primarily alongside classmate Fraser ... assisted on a Urick goal in early 3-3 tie with Western Michigan ... helped set up goal by Terry Lorenz to force overtime with Mankato State (the Mavericks won, 4-3) ... scored lone goal of season in third period to put Irish ahead of his home state team Alaska Fairbanks, 4-3 (the Nanooks came back to win, 5-4).

PREP & PERSONAL: A talented four-sport athlete and seven-time captain at Colony High School ... played junior A hockey after graduating from Colony, as a key member of the 1995-96 Vernon (B.C.) Vipers team that won the Canadian national title ... had six goals and 20 assists in 55 games with the Vipers ... named all-state a combined five times in hockey, baseball and football ... twice all-conference and all-state while leading the Colony hockey team to three conference titles and two regional championships (as a sophomore and senior) ... three-year hockey team captain ... also a four-year catcher on the Colony baseball team, batting .350 with 50 RBI and three home runs as a senior ... three-year baseball team captain while twice earning all-conference and all-state honors in baseball ... captained Colony football team his senior year, serving as a defensive lineman and tight end ... set team records for most tackles in a game and longest touchdown reception ... all-conference and all-state in football ... also participated in the shot put as a senior, setting school record with a throw of 52 feet, 11.25 inches ... played on team that took third place at U.S. National Midget Hockey Tournament ... born March 3, 1977, in Casper, Wyoming ... son of Don and Jeanne Borega ... full name is Nathan Alexander Borega ... a finance major in the College of Business Administration.

BOREGA's Career Statistics

Career vs. CCHA

1998-99 vs. CCHA

Making Strides
The Notre Dame defense has helped the Irish make significant improvement during the past three seasons, in the following areas (improvements refer to three-year difference):