IRISH SKATERS RETURN AND PLAY NO. 7 BRONCOS HOME AND HOME
By John Fineran
WHO: Western Michigan Broncos (12-6-0 overall, 6-4-0 for fourth place in the NCHC) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-11-1 overall, 0-8-1 for seventh place in the Big Ten).
PREVIEW: A potentially shorthanded Notre Dame hockey team begins the second half of its 2025-26 season this weekend with a non-conference series against defending NCAA champion Western Michigan this Friday at 7 p.m. on the Lefty Smith Rink in the Compton Family Ice Arena at Notre Dame.
The teams enter the home-and-home series – they play again Saturday night at 6 in Lawson Arena at Kalamazoo – at opposite ends of the hockey spectrum.
Coach Pat Ferschweiler’s No. 7-ranked Broncos, members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference who won their first national title last spring in St. Louis with their 6-2 victory over Boston University, are riding a three-game winning streak. The Broncos beat No. 13 Boston College 5-3 Sunday and No. 2 Wisconsin 4-1 Monday to win the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off tournament at Milwaukee.
First-year Irish coach Brock Sheahan’s Fighting Irish, members of the Big Ten Conference, have lost three straight games – 5-3 at Boston College on Nov. 28 and the last two 7-4 and 9-2 at home against the Badgers Dec. 5-6 – since a 5-4 non-conference victory at Merrimack Nov. 26. Prior to that victory, Notre Dame had gone winless in six games, five of which were losses.
For the series, Notre Dame will be without sophomore goaltender Nicholas Kempf, who has started all 16 games but was relieved by backups Jack Williams and Luke Pearson in the Dec. 6 seven-goal loss to the Badgers. Kempf is playing for Team USA in the ongoing IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota. He relieved starting goaltender Brady Knowling at the start of the third period of Team USA’s 6-3 loss, allowing a goal while making 14 saves. Team USA is scheduled to play Finland Friday night in Saint Paul.
Junior center and co-captain Danny Nelson and junior right wing Cole Knuble have been playing for the U.S. Collegiate Selects team in the Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland. The U.S. team, coached by Penn State’s Guy Gadowsky, fell to host HC Davos 6-3 in Wednesday’s championship game, so Nelson and Knuble could be back in the USA in time for the series against the Broncos.
Two other players – left wings Brennan Ali and Cole Brown – will be sitting out games because of suspensions incurred during the Dec. 6 loss to Wisconsin. Ali’s five-minute major and game disqualification for hitting Wisconsin defenseman Zach Schulz from behind and into the boards was ruled egregious enough by the league to warrant a two-game suspension. Schulz later had surgery to repair his fractured fibula and ankle damage. Brown received a one-game suspension for Friday’s game after his game disqualification for fighting against Wisconsin.
WHEN/WHERE: Friday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. at Charles W. “Lefty” Smith Rink in the Compton Family Ice Arena (4,852) in South Bend and Saturday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. in Lawson Arena (3,667) at Kalamazoo, Mich.
TICKETS: Available. … Friday’s game is Chicago Blackhawks Night at the Compton with Hawks singer Jim Cornelison leading the National Anthem.
RANKINGS: Western Michigan is No. 7 in both the USCHO.com media and USA Hockey/The Rink Live coaches polls. … Notre Dame is not receiving votes in either poll.
RADIO: WZOC-FM (94.3) and UND.com (Tyler Reidy).
TV/STREAMING: Friday on Peacock, Saturday on NCHC.tv.
HOCKEY LINES: fightingirish.com/HKYLineCharts
BIG TEN STANDINGS AND SCHEDULE
(Numbers in parentheses are school’s rankings in this week’s USCHO.com media/USA Hockey-The Rink Live coaches polls):
Conference Overall
GP Pts W-L-T-SW-OW-OL GF-GA W-L-T GF-GA
(2/2) Wisconsin 10 22 8-2-0-0-2-0 49-31 13-3-2 75-46
(1/1) Michigan 10 20 7-3-0-0-1-0 41-25 16-4-0 96-41
(3/3) Michigan St. 8 15 5-3-0-0-1-1 22-14 14-4-0 63-31
(8/9) Penn State 8 13 4-4-0-0-0-1 17-25 11-5-0 51-46
(nr/nr) Minnesota 8 13 4-4-0-0-0-1 24-23 8-10-1 58-63
(nr/nr) Ohio State 8 6 2-6-0-0-1-1 27-38 6-10-0 50-55
(nr/nr) Notre Dame 8 1 0-8-0-0-0-1 13-37 4-11-1 45-65
THIS WEEK
Sunday, Dec. 28
Great Lakes Invitational/Grand Rapids, Mich. (Van Andel Arena)
Michigan State 5, Ferris State 2
Michigan Tech 5, Miami 2
Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off/Milwaukee, Wis. (Fiserv Forum)
Wisconsin 3, Lake Superior State 2
Western Michigan 5, Boston College 3
Monday, Dec. 29
Great Lakes Invitational/Grand Rapids, Mich. (Van Andel Arena)
Michigan State 4, Michigan Tech 1 (championship)
Miami 4, Ferris State 2 (consolation)
Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off/Milwaukee, Wis. (Fiserv Forum)
Western Michigan 4, Wisconsin 1 (championship)
Boston College 4, Lake Superior State 3 (consolation)
Friday, Jan. 2
Western Michigan at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Bowling Green at Ohio State, 6:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Bemidji State, 8:07 p.m. (exhibition)
Saturday, Jan. 3
Notre Dame at Western Michigan, 6 p.m.
Ohio State at Bowling Green, 6 p.m.
U.S. Under-18 Team at Michigan, 7 p.m. (exhibition)
Penn State at RIT, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 4
RIT at Penn State, 5 p.m.
U.S. Under-18 team at Michigan State, 4 p.m. (exhibition)
RECAPS: Notre Dame hasn’t played since Dec. 5-6 when it lost a pair of home Big Ten Conference games to No. 2 Wisconsin, 7-4 and 9-2. … No. 7 Western Michigan is coming off a 4-1 victory over host No. 2 Wisconsin Dec. 29 in the championship game of the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off at Milwaukee, Wis., following a 5-3 victory over No. 13 Boston College on Dec. 28 in the opening round.
RIVALRY: Western Michigan leads 44-39-12 in series which began with 9-5 Broncos victory at Notre Dame’s Athletic and Convocation Center on Jan. 18 of the 1977-78 season. … The teams last met in a home-and-home series during the 2022-23 season with Notre Dame winning 2-0 at the Compton Family Ice Arena on Oct. 21 and the Broncos winning 4-0 at the Lawson Arena on Oct. 22.
COACHES: Notre Dame, Brock Sheahan, 4-11-1 in first season at Notre Dame and overall. … Western Michigan, Pat Ferschweiler, 116-56-4 in fifth season at Western Michigan and overall.
SCOUTING FIGHTING IRISH: Grad-transfer center (from RPI) Sutter Muzzatti (7-8-15) and junior defenseman Paul Fischer (5-10-15) lead the Irish in scoring followed by junior right wing Evan Werner (7-7-14), junior right wing Cole Knuble (3-10-13), junior center and co-captain Danny Nelson (7-4-11), freshman left wing Cole Brown (3-7-10) and freshman center Pano Fimis (2-8-10). … Senior Jack Williams and grad-transfer (from Yale) Luke Pearson each saw their first action of the season in Notre Dame’s 9-2 loss to Wisconsin on Dec. 6. … Williams (6.76 average, .800 saves percentage) allowed five goals in 44:23 after replacing Kempf and made 20 saves before surrendering to Pearson, who played the final 4:04 and made three saves. … The Irish enter the series with the nation’s top power-play unit, converting at 32.6 percent (15 goals in 46 attempts). … Nelson leads the team with five power-play goals with Fischer scoring twice. … Fimis leads the team in faceoff percentage at 61.5 percent (120-75) ahead of Nelson’s 54.8 percent (165-136) and Muzzatti’s 53.0 percent (141-125). … Sophomore defenseman Jimmy Jurcev leads the team with 24 blocked shots with Fischer second with 17 and Henry Nelson and Jaedon Kerr tied for third with 15 each. … NCAA statistics (through Dec. 29): Scoring offense, 2.81 goals per game (37th); scoring defense, 4.06 goals per game (60th); scoring margin, -1.25 goals per game (51st); power-play percentage, 0.326 (15 of 46) (1st); penalty-kill percentage, 0.857 (48 of 56) (9th); faceoff win percentage, 0.547 (540-447) (6th); penalty minutes per game, 15.56 (5th); blocked shots, 175 (55th); shots per game, 30.88 (39th); opponent shots per game, 33.56 (24th).
SCOUTING BRONCOS: Junior center Grant Slukynsky (4-15-19) and junior right wing William Whitelaw (12-6-18) lead the Broncos in scoring followed by senior left wing Liam Valente (9-5-14), sophomore left wing Ty Henricks (7-7-14), senior defenseman Samuel Sjolund (3-10-13), junior right wing Zaccharya Wisdom (8-4-12) and sophomore right wing Zach Nehring (4-8-12). … Hampton Slukynsky, Grant’s sophomore brother, is Western’s No. 1 goaltender and has played in all 18 games, compiling a 2.73 average, a .890 saves percentage with one shutout. … Valente leads the team with five power-play goals, two more than Henricks. … Junior center Owen Michaels leads the Broncos in faceoff wins at 60.8 percent (216-139) followed by Grant Slukynsky at 54.8 percent (171-141). … Junior defenseman Cole Crusberg-Roseen leads the Broncos with 18 blocked shots, one more than sophomore defenseman Zack Sharp. … NCAA statistics (through Dec. 29): Scoring offense, 3.72 goals per game (9th); scoring defense, 2.83 goals per game (28th); scoring margin, 0.89 goals per game (13th); power-play percentage, 0.186 (13 of 70) (36th); penalty-kill percentage, 0.806 (50 of 62) (30th); faceoff win percentage, 0.551 (606-494) (4th); penalty minutes per game, 8.78 (42nd); blocked shots, 160 (59th); shots per game, 35.72 (6th); opponent shots per game, 24.88 (52nd).
NEXT UP: Notre Dame returns to Big Ten Conference action when it visits No. 1 Michigan Jan. 9 and 10.
SCHEDULES FOR THE USCHO.COM MEDIA POLL TOP 20 TEAMS AND OTHERS
1. Michigan (Big Ten) (16-4-0) vs. U.S. Under-18 Team (exhibition) Saturday. Next: Jan. 9 vs. Notre Dame; Jan. 10 vs. Notre Dame.
2. Wisconsin (Big Ten) (13-3-2) beat Lake Superior State Sunday, 3-2, in Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off at Milwaukee, Wis.; lost to No. 7 Western Michigan Monday, 4-1, in the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off championship. Next: Jan. 9 vs. Alaska-Anchorage; Jan. 10 vs. Alaska-Anchorage.
3. Michigan State (Big Ten) (14-4-0) beat Ferris State Sunday, 5-2, in Great Lakes Invitational at Grand Rapids, Mich.; beat Michigan Tech Monday, 4-1, in Great Lakes Invitational championship. Next: Jan. 4 vs. U.S. Under-18 Team (exhibition); Jan. 9 at Ohio State; Jan. 10 at Ohio State.
4. North Dakota (NCHC) (14-4-0) vs. Mercyhurst Friday. Next: Saturday vs. Mercyhurst; Jan. 9 at Colorado College; Jan. 10 at Colorado College.
5. Minnesota Duluth (NCHC) (14-6-0) is idle this week. Next: Jan. 9 vs. Lindenwood; Jan. 10 vs. Lindenwood.
6. Denver (NCHC) (12-6-1) vs. No. 15 Maine Friday. Next: Saturday vs. No. 15 Maine; Jan. 9 vs. No. 7 Western Michigan; Jan. 10 vs. No. 7 Western Michigan.
7. Western Michigan (NCHC) (12-6-0) beat No. 13 Boston College Sunday, 5-3, in Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off Tournament at Milwaukee, Wis.; beat No. 2 Wisconsin Monday, 4-1, in Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off Tournament championship. Next: Friday, Jan. 2 at Notre Dame; Saturday, Jan. 3 vs. Notre Dame; Jan. 9 at No. 6 Denver; Jan. 10 at No. 6 Denver.
8. Penn State (Big Ten) (11-5-0) at RIT Saturday. Next: Jan. 4 vs. RIT; Jan. 9 vs. Minnesota; Jan. 10 vs. Minnesota.
9. Dartmouth (ECAC) (12-2-0) lost to Arizona State 5-1 Saturday; beat Arizona State Sunday, 4-1. Next: Friday at Princeton; Saturday at No. 10 Quinnipiac; Jan. 9 vs. No. 18 Harvard.
10. Quinnipiac (ECAC) (12-4-2) vs. No. 18 Harvard Friday. Next: Saturday vs. No. 9 Dartmouth; Jan. 9 vs. No. 20 Union; Jan. 10 vs. RPI.
11. Connecticut (Hockey East) (10-5-3) beat Long Island Wednesday, 4-1. Next: Saturday at Long Island; Jan. 9 vs. UMass Lowell; Jan. 10 at UMass Lowell.
12. Northeastern (Hockey East) (10-6-0) at Army Friday. Next: Jan. 9 at Vermont; Jan. 10 at Vermont.
13. Boston College (Hockey East) (11-6-1) lost to No. 7 Western Michigan Sunday, 5-3, in Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off at Milwaukee, Wis.; beat Lake Superior State Monday, 4-3, in Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off consolation. Next: Jan. 9 vs. Stonehill (exhibition).
14. Minnesota State (CCHA) (11-4-5) vs. UMass Lowell Friday in Cactus Cup at Palm Springs, Calif. Next: Saturday vs. Yale or St. Cloud State in Cactus Cup consolation or championship; Jan. 10 vs. St. Thomas.
15. Maine (Hockey East) (11-7-1) at No. 6 Denver Friday. Next: Saturday at No. 6 Denver; Jan. 9 at No. 16 Providence; Jan. 10 at No. 16 Providence.
16. Providence (Hockey East) (8-6-2) vs. Alaska Fairbanks Friday. Next: Saturday vs. Alaska Fairbanks; Jan. 9 vs. No. 15 Maine; Jan. 10 vs. No. 15 Maine.
17. Cornell (ECAC) (7-4-0) vs. Omaha Friday. Next: Saturday vs. Omaha; Jan. 9 vs. Alaska Fairbanks; Jan. 10 vs. Alaska Fairbanks.
18. Harvard (ECAC) (7-3-1) at No. 10 Quinnipiac Friday. Next: Saturday at Princeton; Jan. 9 at No. 9 Dartmouth; Jan. 12 vs. No. 19 Boston University.
19. Boston University (Hockey East) (9-8-1) vs. Simon Fraser (exhibition) Saturday. Next: Jan. 9 at Massachusetts, Jan. 10 vs. Massachusetts.
20. Union (ECAC) (12-5-2) vs. Royal Military (exhibition) Saturday. Next: Jan. 9 at No. 10 Quinnipiac, Jan. 10 at Princeton.
Others
Augustana (CCHA) (10-6-3) vs. Colorado College Friday. Next: Saturday vs. Colorado College; Jan. 9 at Northern Michigan; Jan. 10 at Northern Michigan.
New Hampshire (Hockey East) (10-7-0) vs. Colgate Saturday. Next: Sunday vs. Colgate.
Colorado College (NCHC) (8-7-3) at Augustana Friday. Next: Saturday at Augustana; Jan. 9 vs. No. 4 North Dakota; Jan. 10 vs. No. 4 North Dakota.
Holy Cross (Atlantic Hockey) (10-6-1) at Bentley Friday. Next: Saturday vs. Bentley; Jan. 10 vs. Merrimack.
Arizona State (NCHC) (9-10-1) won at No. 9 Dartmouth Saturday, 5-1; lost at No. 9 Dartmouth Sunday, 4-1. Next: Friday vs. Alaska-Anchorage in Desert Hockey Classic at Tempe, Ariz.; Jan. 3 vs. Air Force or Michigan Tech in Desert Hockey Classic consolation or championship; Jan. 9 vs. Miami; Jan. 10 vs. Miami.
Michigan Tech (CCHA) (11-7-2) beat Miami Sunday, 5-2, in Great Lakes Invitational at Grand Rapids, Mich.; lost to No. 3 Michigan State Monday, 4-1, in Great Lakes Invitational championship. Next: Friday vs. Air Force in Desert Hockey Classic at Tempe, Ariz.; Saturday vs. Alaska-Anchorage or Arizona State in Desert Hockey Classic consolation or championship; Jan. 9 at Bemidji State; Jan. 10 at Bemidji State.
Massachusetts (Hockey East) (9-9-0) is idle this week. Next: Jan. 9 vs. No. 19 Boston University; Jan. 10 at No. 19 Boston University.
Bemidji State (CCHA) (9-8-3) vs. Minnesota Friday (exhibition). Next: Jan. 9 vs. Michigan Tech; Jan. 10 vs. Michigan Tech.
Princeton (ECAC) (8-4-0) beat Brown Sunday, 5-4 (OT). Next: Friday vs. No. 9 Dartmouth; Saturday vs. No. 18 Harvard; Jan. 9 vs. RPI; Jan. 10 vs. No. 20 Union.
St. Cloud State (NCHC) (8-10-0) vs. Yale Friday in Cactus Cup at Palm Springs, Calif. Next: Saturday vs. UMass Lowell or Minnesota State in Cactus Cup consolation or championship; Jan. 9 at Omaha; Jan. 10 at Omaha.
St. Thomas (CCHA) (9-7-3) vs. Ferris State Friday. Next: Saturday vs. Ferris State; Jan. 10 at No. 14 Minnesota State.
Miami (NCHC) (11-7-2) lost to Michigan Tech Sunday, 5-2, in Great Lakes Invitational at Grand Rapids, Mich.; beat Ferris State Monday, 4-2, in Great Lakes Invitational consolation. Next: Jan. 9 at Arizona State; Jan. 10 at Arizona State.
Minnesota (Big Ten) (8-10-1) at Bemidji State Friday (exhibition). Next: Jan. 9 at No. 8 Penn State, Jan. 10 at No. 8 Penn State.
Ohio State (Big Ten) (6-10-0) vs. Bowling Green Friday. Next: Saturday at Bowling Green, Jan. 9 vs. No. 3 Michigan State, Jan. 10 vs. No. 3 Michigan State.
Notre Dame (Big Ten) (4-11-1) vs. No. 7 Western Michigan Friday. Next: Saturday at No. 7 Western Michigan; Jan. 9 at No. 1 Michigan; Jan. 10 at No. 1 Michigan.
Bowling Green (CCHA) (8-5-3) beat U.S. Under-18 Team Monday, 6-1 (exhibition). Next: Friday at Ohio State; Saturday vs. Ohio State; Jan. 9 at Ferris State; Jan. 10 at Ferris State.
RIT (Atlantic Hockey) (10-8-0) lost at Clarkson Monday, 3-2. Next: Saturday vs. No. 8 Penn State; Jan. 4 at No. 8 Penn State; Jan. 9 vs. Robert Morris; Jan. 10 vs. Robert Morris.
Bentley (Atlantic Hockey) (9-6-1) tied UMass Lowell Sunday 4-4 OT (exhibition). Next: Friday vs. Holy Cross; Saturday at Holy Cross; Jan. 9 at Air Force; Jan. 10 at Air Force.
Lindenwood (Independent) (8-8-0) vs. Canisius Friday. Next: Saturday vs. Canisius; Jan. 9 at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth; Jan. 10 at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth.