NIU men’s and women’s swim teams will have a tough meet against Notre Dame University at 6 p.m. Friday at Anderson Hall swimming pool.

The women’s team will have to overcome a 32-point deficit because it has to forfeit the diving events. “It’s going to take a total team effort to overcome a 32-point deficit,” said head women’s coach Mike Burt.

“I think (Notre Dame) has stronger swimmers in the butterfly, breast strokes, but we have stronger freestyle and back stroke swimmers. So we’re pretty much equal.”

If the 4-2 women’s team does overcome its 32-point deficit, “we’ll have passed our biggest test,” said Burt.

The undefeated (6-0) men’s team will have a challenge from the Fighting Irish, but head coach Dave Clark thinks the Irish will be put off by the lack of facility at Anderson pool.

“(Notre Dame) has a beutiful eight-lane 60-meter pool, and I think they’ll be a little put off by Anderson,” said Clark.

But by the time the meet starts, Clark thinks that advantage will disappear. “The competition is going to be so tough, I don’t think it’s really going to matter,” he said.

“(Notre Dame) has events we can’t touch them in and we have our events that they can’t touch us, so the close races will be for the second and third places. We have to give an extra effort to finish ahead.”