IRISH EXPLODE IN FINAL TWO PERIODS FOR 8-2 VICTORY OVER VISITING ST. LAWRENCE
Werner, Knuble, Kumlin and Danny Nelson showcase offense as Sheahan earns first win
By John Fineran
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – For the third straight game opening Brock Sheahan’s coaching tenure at Notre Dame, his Fighting Irish found themselves in a 2-0 hole.
But unlike last weekend at the Ice Breaker Tournament when they lost to host Arizona State and Quinnipiac, the Irish found their composure and then exploded for seven goals over the final two periods for an 8-2 non-conference triumph Thursday night over St. Lawrence.
“When I talk to our guys, it’s always about our process,” said Sheahan, a 2008 graduate who played for Jeff Jackson, the man he replaced after last season and suffered two losses – 5-3 to the Sun Devils and 7-2 to the Bobcats – last weekend in Arizona.
But this time, after giving up a pair of breakaway goals by the Saints’ Filip Juricek and Sam LeDrew in the first 3:25 of the game, the Irish responded with eight unanswered goals beginning with the first of junior right wing Cole Knuble’s initial two goals of the season at 15:19 of the first period.
The Irish then stunned Saints goaltender Mason Kucenski with four goals in a span of 4:25 late in the second period to take a 5-2 lead to the locker room after two periods. Notre Dame, now 1-2, added three goals in the third period as it outshot coach Brent Brekke’s 1-4 Saints by a 20-4 margin in the third period, 34-10 in the final two periods and 47-21 for the game.
“We responded very well and had a ton of chances,” Sheahan continued. “They stuck with it (a free-wheeling, aggressive style of play). It was nice to see.”
Especially with 12 players scoring points, led by junior right wing Evan Werner, a transfer from Michigan who scored his first goal of the season and added three assists to lead the Irish offensive attack.
“That’s why he’s here,” Sheahan said of Werner, who scored 11 goals and 11 assists in 33 games with Michigan last season after scoring six goals with 13 assists for Colorado College as a freshman. “He can skate. He fits our style of play.”
Junior right wing Cole Knuble, last year’s leading scorer, scored two goals and added an assist, while senior defenseman Axel Kumlin and junior center Danny Nelson each had a goal and two assists.
“Obviously, it was not a good start,” Knuble said. “We talked about it during the week – sticking to our game. We were able to find it and we kept to it, even when we went up by a few. We live by the sword, die by the sword. Everybody’s got to be doing their job. And when we’re going, we’re going. But we’re aggressive … it’s really fun hockey. When we’re playing right, we’re hard to stop.”
The pro-Irish crowd of 4,366 who watched the game unfold on the Lefty Smith Rink ice in the Compton Family Ice Arena certainly would agree. The last time the Irish won at home 8-2 was on Jan. 19, 2022 when Boston College visited during the season that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We just felt if we stuck to our process and our plan, we knew we’d be the better team at the end of the day,” added Kumlin, who was impressed by Werner’s play. “He’s one of the most skilled guys in the nation when it comes to the one-timer. He’s so much of an offensive threat like Cole, Danny and Pano (Fimis). He has a rip of a wrist shot – he’s always a threat out there.”
Sophomore goaltender Nicholas Kempf, who wasn’t at fault when the Saints scored on their first two shots, settled in and made 19 saves as he lowered his goals-against average from 6.05 to 4.69 and his saves percentage improved from .842 to .856.
“You just can’t fault the kid (Kempf) on their first two goals,” Sheahan said. “After that I think he showed why he is the elite goalie we think he is. I liked the way he battled and controlled pucks, and our guys finally started to play in front of him for the first time this year.”
“When Nick is playing with confidence, I think he’s one of the best goaltenders in the country,” added Kumlin, who finished the night with a +4 rating as did defensive partner Henry Nelson, one less than Henry’s brother Danny.
Trailing 2-0, Knuble started the comeback when he rocketed home a shot from the slot after feeds from linemates left wing Brennan Ali and center Pano Fimis at 15:19.
The Irish came out flying in the second period but did not score. Fimis hit the post at 1:34. Then it appeared that Knuble had tied it at 2:19 but it was waved off. Play continued for almost another minute before a stoppage for the review and the no-goal call was upheld.
During an Irish penalty kill, Danny Nelson and Carter Slaggert broke in on Kucenski who held his ground at 11:18.
The Irish finally tied it at 2-2 when the Saints’ Luke Santilli cross-checked Danny Nelson who got the puck to Kumlin as he went down. Kumlin quickly found Werner free in the opposite faceoff circle for a one-timer that beat Kucenski at 14:50.
That goal opened the floodgates. Freshman defender Caeden Carlisle came out of the penalty box and skated in with the puck on a 2-on-1 break with Danny Nelson. When Kucenski came out to defend Carlisle, he slid the puck over to Nelson, who buried the puck in the net at 17:22 to give the Irish a 3-2 lead.
Then with the teams skating four-aside, Kumlin scored off assists from Henry Nelson and Werner at 18:28 for a 4-2 lead. Sutter Muzzatti, the 6-foot-6 grad center who transferred in from RPI, scored his third of the season unassisted at 19:15 – Notre Dame’s fourth and last goal in the 4:25 span – to send the Irish to the locker room up 5-2.
Werner and defenseman Paul Fischer assisted on Knuble’s second goal, a power-play tally at 3:46 of the third period, and then Werner and Kumlin set up freshman left wing Cole Brown’s first goal at 11:55 that made it 7-2. Henry Nelson, with brother Danny and Knuble assisted, slapped home his second goal of the season at 17:19 to close out the scoring.
The Irish and Saints conclude their two-game series Friday.
NOTRE DAME 8, ST. LAWRENCE 2
At Lefty Smith Rink in Compton Family Ice Arena, South Bend, Ind.
St. Lawrence 2 0 0—2
Notre Dame 1 4 3—8
First Period—Scoring: 1. St. Lawrence, Filip Juricek 1 (Sam Frandina, Cayden Casey) EV 1:56; 2. St. Lawrence, Sam LeDrew 2 (Jan Olenginski, Mason Kucenski) EV 3:25; 3. Notre Dame, Cole Knuble 1 (Brennan Ali, Pano Fimis) EV 15:19. Penalties: St. Lawrence 0-0, Notre Dame 1-2.
Second Period—Scoring: 4. Notre Dame, Evan Werner 1 (Axel Kumlin, Danny Nelson) EV 14:50; 5. Notre Dame, Danny Nelson 1 (Caeden Carlisle, Jaedon Kerr) EV 17:22; 6. Notre Dame, Axel Kumlin 1 (Henry Nelson, Evan Werner) EV 18:28; 7. Notre Dame, Sutter Muzzatti 3 (unassisted) EV 19:15. Penalties: St. Lawrence 1-2 (1-2), Notre Dame 3-6 (4-8).
Third Period—Scoring: 8. Notre Dame, Cole Knuble 2 (Paul Fischer, Evan Werner) PP 3:46; 9. Notre Dame, Cole Brown 1 (Evan Werner, Axel Kumlin) EV 11:55; 10. Notre Dame, Henry Nelson 2 (Cole Knuble, Danny Nelson) PP 17:19. Penalties: St. Lawrence 3-6 (4-8), Notre Dame 1-2 (5-10).
Shots on goal: St. Lawrence 21 (11-6-4), Notre Dame 47 (13-14-20).
Goalie saves: St. Lawrence, Mason Kucenski 39 (12-10-17); Notre Dame, Nicholas Kempf 19 (9-6-4).
Power-play opportunities: St. Lawrence 0 of 4. Notre Dame 2 of 3.
Faceoffs won: St. Lawrence 20 (3-8-9), Notre Dame 35 (9-14-12).
Blocked shots: St. Lawrence 18 (5-6-7), Notre Dame 8 (1-5-2).
Referees: Brian Hankes and Anthony Vikhter. Linesmen: Pat Richardson and Matthew Heinen. Attendance: 4,366 (4,852). Records: St. Lawrence 1-4, Notre Dame 1-2.
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 GF-GA W-L-T GF-GA
(4/3) Michigan 0 0 0-0-0 0-0 5-0-0 30-5
(16/15) Ohio State 0 0 0-0-0 0-0 2-0-0 8-3
(17/17) Wisconsin 0 0 0-0-0 0-0 2-0-1 11-3
(6/6) Penn State 0 0 0-0-0 0-0 3-1-0 19-13
(3/4) Michigan State 0 0 0-0-0 0-0 1-1-0 5-4
(13/14) Minnesota 0 0 0-0-0 0-0 1-2-1 12-13
(nr/nr) Notre Dame 0 0 0-0-0 0-0 1-2-0 13-14
Thursday, Oct. 16 games
Notre Dame 8, St. Lawrence 2
Michigan 4, Robert Morris 2
Wisconsin 1, Minnesota State 1 (OT) (Wisconsin wins shootout, 1-0)
Friday, Oct. 17 games
St. Lawrence at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Robert Morris at Michigan, 7 p.m.
Michigan State at Boston University, 7 p.m.
Ohio State at Connecticut, 7 p.m.
Long Island at Penn State, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at North Dakota, 8 p.m.
Minnesota State at Wisconsin, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18 games
Ohio State at Connecticut, 4 p.m.
Long Island at Penn State, 6 p.m.
Minnesota at North Dakota, 7 p.m.
Michigan State at Boston University, 7 p.m.
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE FOR TOP 20 TEAMS IN USCHO.com MEDIA POLL
- Boston University(Hockey East) (2-0-1) vs. No. 3 Michigan State Friday and Saturday.
- Western Michigan(NCHC) (1-1-0) at UMass Lowell Friday and Saturday.
- Michigan State(Big Ten) (1-1-0) at No. 1 Boston University Friday and Saturday.
- Michigan (Big Ten) (5-0-0) beat Robert Morris Thursday, 4-2. Next: Friday vs. Robert Morris.
- Denver(NCHC) (1-0-1) at Lindenwood Friday and Saturday.
- Penn State(Big Ten) (3-1-0) vs. Long Island Friday and Saturday.
- Maine(Hockey East) (2-0-0) at No. 10 Quinnipiac Friday and Saturday.
- North Dakota(NCHC) (2-0-0) vs. No. 13 Minnesota Friday and Saturday.
- Boston College(Hockey East) (1-1-1) at RPI Friday.
- Quinnipiac(ECAC) (2-1-0) vs. No. 7 Maine Friday and Saturday.
- Massachusetts(Hockey East) (3-0-0) vs. Northeastern Friday; vs. Bentley Saturday.
- Connecticut(Hockey East) (1-1-0) vs. No. 16 Ohio State Friday and Saturday.
- Minnesota(Big Ten) (1-2-1) at No. 8 North Dakota Friday and Saturday.
- Providence(Hockey East) (0-1-0) at RPI Saturday.
- Arizona State(NCHC) (2-2-0) at Augustana Friday and Saturday.
- Ohio State(Big Ten) (2-0-0) at No. 12 Connecticut Friday and Saturday.
- Wisconsin (Big Ten) (2-0-1) tied No. 20 Minnesota State Thursday, 1-1 (OT) (Wisconsin won shootout, 1-0). Next: Friday vs. No. 20 Minnesota State.
- Cornell(ECAC) (0-0-0) vs. Czech University Selects Friday (exhibition).
- Colorado College(NCHC) (3-1-0) at Northern Michigan Friday and Saturday.
- Minnesota State(CCHA) (1-1-1) tied No. 17 Wisconsin Thursday, 1-1 (OT) (Wisconsin won shootout 1-0). Next: Friday at No. 17 Wisconsin.
OTHER GAMES THIS WEEK
Tuesday, Oct. 14
Canisius 3, Army 1
Brown 2, Czech University Selects 0 (exhibition)
Wednesday, Oct. 15
Yale 6, Czech University Selects 0 (exhibition)
Friday, Oct. 17
Canisius at Colgate, 7 p.m.
Lake Superior State at U.S. Under-18 Team, 7 p.m. (exhibition)
Canada Under-18 Team at Ferris State, 7 p.m. (exhibition)
Windsor at Bowling Green, 7 p.m. (exhibition)
Niagara at Union, 8 p.m.
Vermont at St. Cloud State, 8 p.m.
Minnesota Duluth at Bemidji State, 8 p.m.
St. Thomas at Air Force, 9 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Alaska Fairbanks, 11 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18
Simon Fraser at Lake Superior State, 3:30 p.m. (exhibition)
Stonehill at Sacred Heart, 5 p.m.
Holy Cross at Mercyhurst, 5 p.m.
New Hampshire at Merrimack, 6 p.m.
Ferris State at U.S. Under-18 Team, 6 p.m. (exhibition)
Harvard at Northeastern, 7 p.m.
Canisius at Colgate, 7 p.m.
Vermont at St. Cloud State, 7 p.m.
Clarkson at RIT, 7 p.m.
Bemidji State at Minnesota Duluth, 7 p.m.
Niagara at Union, 8 p.m.
St. Thomas at Air Force, 10 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Alaska Fairbanks, 11 p.m.