COLLEGE HOCKEY: NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH AT MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
By JOHN FINERAN
WHEN/WHERE: Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. at Red Berenson Rink in Yost Ice Arena (5,800), Ann Arbor, Mich.
RADIO: WZOC-FM (94.3) and UND.com (Tyler Reidy).
TV/STREAMING: Big Ten+
RECORDS: Notre Dame 5-3-0 overall, 1-1-0 Big Ten for 2 points; Michigan 5-2-1 overall, 0-0-0 Big Ten for 0 points.
RANKINGS: Notre Dame is No. 20 in the USCHO.com media poll and receiving votes in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live coaches poll. … Michigan is No. 7 in both polls. … In the Pairwise Comparison Ratings to predict the 16-team field for the NCAA tournament, Michigan is No. 12 and Notre Dame No. 23.
RECAPS: Notre Dame earned two points last Friday with a 3-2 overtime victory at home against Wisconsin last Friday on Cole Knuble’s game-winner and 42 saves by junior goaltender Owen Say, but the Badgers scored 2-1 victory Saturday despite 33-save performance by Say. … Visiting Michigan, ranked No. 11, stunned No. 5 Boston University twice last weekend at Agganis Arena in Boston, scoring five unanswered third-period goals in a 5-1 victory Friday and then overcoming a 3-2 second-period deficit when junior forward Jackson Hellum completed his first career hat trick in overtime for a 5-4 victory.
RIVALRY: The teams have met 167 times with Michigan holding an 89-72-6 edge in the series which began Jan. 17, 1922 at Weinberg Coliseum in Ann Arbor with 3-2 overtime victory by Irish. … Michigan has won five straight in the series since its 6-1 loss at Notre Dame on Dec. 1, 2023. … The Wolverines are 47-33-4 in games played in Ann Arbor, including four victories last season: 4-0 and 2-1 Feb. 23 and 24, 2024 in the regular season and 5-4 and 4-3 triumphs March 8 and 9, 2024 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal series. … But even with those setbacks, Notre Dame is 8-6-1 in its last 15 games at Yost since the start of 2018-19 season, including seven in a row.
COACHES: Notre Dame, Jeff Jackson (412-269-73 in 20th season with NCAA Frozen Four appearances in 2008, 2011, 2017 and 2018; 182-52-25 record in six seasons at Lake Superior State where his teams won national championships in 1992 and 1994 and were runner-up in 1993). … Michigan, Brandon Naurato (54-29-7 in third season with NCAA Frozen Four appearances in 2023 and 2024).
SCOUTING FIGHTING IRISH: Knuble’s game-winning goal Friday night was his third this season for the Irish and has him tied for the national lead with Michigan’s Daniel Russell and Minnesota State’s Rhett Pitlick. … Knuble, a sophomore center, continues to lead Irish in scoring with six goals and six assists for 12 points in eight games. … Linemate Justin Janicke, a senior left wing, follows in scoring (3-6-9) ahead of junior defensemen Axel Kumlin (1-5-6) and Michael Mastrodomenico (1-4-5). … Five players have four points each: sophomore center Danny Nelson (3-1-4), senior center Hunter Strand (2-2-4), grad right wing Ian Murphy (1-3-4), senior defenseman Ryan Helliwell (1-3-4) and sophomore defenseman Paul Fischer (0-4-4). … Danny Nelson has 104 faceoff wins (sixth nationally for a .612 percentage) and Strand has 66 wins (.600). … Graduate defenseman Zach Plucinski leads team with 19 blocked shots. … Junior goaltender Owen Say, who suffered his first setback Saturday, is 4-1-0 in five games with a 1.40 goals-against average (ninth nationally) and .960 saves percentage (fourth). … Freshman netminder Nicholas Kempf is 1-2-0 in three games with a 2.39 average and .927 saves percentage. … NCAA statistics (as of Nov. 4): Scoring offense, 2.88 goals per game (29th); scoring defense, 1.88 goals per game (14th); scoring margin, 1.00 goals per game (16th); power-play percentage, 0.280 (7 of 25) (9th); penalty-kill percentage, 0.792 (19 of 24) (41st); faceoff win percentage, 0.573 (271-202) (2nd); penalty minutes per game, 12.50 (9th).
SCOUTING WOLVERINES: Sophomore right wing Evan Werner, a transfer from Colorado College, had three goals, including Friday’s game-winner, and one assist to take Big Ten First Star of the Week ahead of teammate, junior left wing Jackson Hallum, who had a hat trick, including game-tying and game-winning overtime goals Saturday. … Sophomore center Garrett Schifsky (5-3-8) and freshman center Michael Hage (4-4-8) lead Michigan in scoring but Hage sat out Saturday’s game with an injury. … Schifsky has three shorthanded goals to lead the nation. … Junior center TJ Hughes is next in scoring (0-6-6) followed by Hallum (4-1-5), Werner (3-2-5) and sophomore left wing Nick Moldenhauer (1-3-4). … Hughes leads team with 79 faceoff wins (.612 percentage). … Freshman defenseman Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen (0-2-2) leads team with 14 blocked shots. … Senior Ethan Edwards (1-2-3) and graduate Jacob Truscott (1-0-1) anchor the blueline corps in front of two goaltenders – grad-transfer (from Ferris State) Logan Stein (3-0-1 record, 1.75 goals-against average, .932 saves percentage) and freshman Cameron Korpi (2-1-1, 2.67 average, .900 percentage). … NCAA statistics (as of Nov. 4): Scoring offense, 3.25 goals per game (20th); scoring defense, 2.38 goals per game (24th); scoring margin, 0.88 goals by game (19th); power-play percentage, 0.192 (5 of 26) (28th); penalty-kill percentage, 0.833 (25 of 30) (30th); faceoff win percentage, 0.512 (237-226) (30th); penalty minutes per game, 10.38 (23rd).
BIG TEN STANDINGS: (Numbers in parenthesis before school are its rankings in this week’s media and coaches polls): 1. (3/T3) MINNESOTA 2-0-0, 6 points (7-1-0 overall); T2. (13/12) OHIO STATE 2-0-0, 5 points (7-0-1 overall); T2. (rv/rv) WISCONSIN 1-3-0, 5 points (2-6-0 overall); 4. (20/rv) NOTRE DAME 1-1-0, 2 points (5-3-0 overall); T5. (19/19) PENN STATE 0-2-0, 0 points (4-3-0 overall); T5. (7/7) MICHIGAN 0-0-0, 0 points (5-2-1 overall); T5. (4/T3) MICHIGAN STATE 0-0-0, 0 points (5-1-0 overall).
Friday’s schedule: Notre Dame at Michigan, 6 p.m.; Ohio State at Michigan State, 7 p.m.; Minnesota at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. (Penn State is idle).
Saturday’s schedule: Notre Dame at Michigan, 7 p.m.; Ohio State at Michigan State, 6 p.m.; Minnesota at Wisconsin, 7 p.m. (Penn State is idle).
JEFF JACKSON ON … (Puck possession) “We have to find a way to pick up our intensity level in certain aspects of our game. … For me, right now, the most important thing is making good plays coming out of our zone. If we are going to be a puck possession team, we have to get out of our own end. We’re making mistakes and turning the puck over in our own zone, and that’s not a good remedy for winning hockey games. We have to clean that part up.
(Playing with more grit in offensive zone) “When we get into the O-zone, we’re not getting enough interior chances that we need to. We’re playing a little too much on the perimeter. We need more guys to get into that dirty area of the ice. That’s certainly part of it. But we also can’t be one-trick ponies – we can’t get one chance and then start chasing again. We have to do a better job of getting puck recoveries after the initial shot and win those races to the puck to sustain some offensive-zone time. That’s what Wisconsin did to us.”
(Growth from returning players) “I think, for the most part, our sophomore class has taken a step. There’s been a little inconsistency but they’ve taken a step, guys like Brennan Ali, Maddox Fleming, Danny Nelson, Paul Fischer and Henry Nelson. And I think (senior) Hunter Strand has played pretty well for us. He’s been pretty consistent in his game. For us to be a better team, we’re going to need more contributions from our older guys.”
(Playing Michigan and playing at Yost) “(Last two seasons) they showed me something I had not seen from a Michigan team in years – they played with more grit. They certainly have some offensively skilled guys, but they’ve added that element of physical intensity which has made them a much better team. … Yost is an old barn but a historic place, too. It has that ambience to it – always good crowds, always an exciting environment. I think our guys like playing there.”
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE FOR TEAMS IN USCHO.com MEDIA POLL
- Denver(NCHC) (8-0-0) vs. Lindenwood Friday and Saturday.
- Boston College(Hockey East) (5-1-0) vs. No. 5 Maine Friday and Sunday.
- Minnesota(Big Ten) (7-1-0) at Wisconsin Friday and Saturday.
- Michigan State(Big Ten) (5-1-0) vs. No. 13 Ohio State Friday and Saturday.
- Maine(Hockey East) (6-0-1) at No. 2 Boston College Friday and Sunday.
- Cornell(ECAC) (2-0-0) vs. Yale Friday, vs. Brown Saturday.
- Michigan(Big Ten) (5-2-1) vs. No. 20 Notre Dame Friday and Saturday.
- Colorado College(NCHC) (6-0-0) vs. Arizona State Friday and Saturday.
- Boston University(Hockey East) (4-3-0) vs. No. 17 UMass Lowell Friday, at No. 17 UMass Lowell Saturday.
- North Dakota(NCHC) (3-4-0) at Minnesota Duluth Friday and Saturday.
- Providence(Hockey East) (5-1-1) vs. Northeastern Friday, at Northeastern Saturday.
- St. Cloud State(NCHC) (6-3-0) vs. Miami Friday and Saturday.
- Ohio State(Big Ten) (7-0-1) at No. 4 Michigan State Friday and Saturday.
- Western Michigan(NCHC) (3-1-0) at Omaha Friday and Saturday.
- Quinnipiac(ECAC) (3-3-0) vs. Dartmouth Friday, vs. Harvard Saturday.
- Minnesota State(CCHA) (6-4-0) at St. Thomas Friday, vs. St. Thomas Saturday.
- UMass Lowell(Hockey East) (5-1-0) at No. 9 Boston University Friday, vs. No. 9 Boston University Saturday.
- Massachusetts(Hockey East) (4-3-1) at Vermont Friday and Saturday.
- Penn State (Big Ten) (4-3-0) is idle this week.
- Notre Dame(Big Ten) (5-3-0) at No. 7 Michigan Friday and Saturday.
Others receiving votes
Union (ECAC) (6-1-0) vs. Alaska Fairbanks Friday and Saturday.
Dartmouth (ECAC) (2-0-0) at No. 15 Quinnipiac Friday, at Princeton Saturday.
Niagara (Atlantic Hockey) (4-3-2) at Army West Point Friday and Saturday.
Harvard (ECAC) (0-1-0) at Princeton Friday, at No. 15 Quinnipiac Saturday.
Omaha (NCHC) (2-4-0) vs. No. 14 Western Michigan Friday and Saturday.
Arizona State (NCHC) (3-4-1) at No. 8 Colorado College Friday and Saturday.
Clarkson (ECAC) (5-3-1) is idle Friday, Saturday vs. Stonehill.
Augustana (CCHA) (4-4-0) vs. Bemidji State Friday and Saturday.
Connecticut (HEA) (5-3-1) at Merrimack Friday, vs. Merrimack Saturday.
Bemidji State (CCHA) (3-4-0) at Augustana Friday and Saturday.
Wisconsin (B10) (2-6-0) vs. No. 3 Minnesota Friday and Saturday.
Michigan Tech (CCHA) (4-2-0) at Ferris State Friday and Saturday.
New Hampshire (HEA) (2-3-1) is idle Friday, vs. Long Island Saturday.
Northeastern (HEA) (1-3-1) at No. 11 Providence Friday, vs. No. 11 Providence Saturday.
Bowling Green (CCHA) (5-3-0) is idle.
Brown (ECAC) (0-0-0) at Colgate Friday, at No. 6 Cornell Saturday.
OTHER GAMES THIS WEEK
Monday, Nov. 4
Robert Morris 5, Mercyhurst 2 (Atlantic Hockey)
Friday, Nov. 8
Simon Fraser at St. Lawrence, 7 p.m. (exhibition)
RIT at Bentley, 7 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
Sacred Heart at Mercyhurst, 7 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
American International at Holy Cross, 7 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
Lake Superior State at Northern Michigan, 7:07 p.m. (CCHA)
Canisius at Air Force, 9 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
Saturday, Nov. 9
Canisius at Air Force, 3:05 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
RIT at Bentley, 4 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
Lake Superior State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m. (CCHA)
Sacred Heart at Mercyhurst, 7 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
American International at Holy Cross, 7 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
Yale at Colgate, 7 p.m. (ECAC)