No.20 IRISH DIG THEMSELVES EARLY HOLE WHICH THEY CAN’T ESCAPE IN 4-2 LOSS AT NO. 7 MICHIGAN

by | Nov 10, 2024 | Headlines, Hockey | 0 comments

  1. 20 IRISH DIG THEMSELVES EARLY HOLE WHICH THEY CAN’T ESCAPE IN 4-2 LOSS AT NO. 7 MICHIGAN

 

By JOHN FINERAN

 

If No. 20 Notre Dame hopes to be competitive in the Big Ten hockey race this season, coach Jeff Jackson’s team can ill afford to give its opposition a head start as it did Saturday night at No. 7 Michigan.

 

The talent-rich Wolverines scored on their first two shots at Notre Dame junior goaltender Owen Say in the first 2:08 of the game and the Irish found themselves chasing all night in a 4-2 loss before 5,800 fans watching at the Red Berenson Rink in the Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor.

 

The setback was the third straight for Notre Dame, now 5-5-0 overall and 1-3-0 in the Big Ten for 3 points and heading next weekend to No. 4 Michigan State. Coach Brandon Naurato’s Wolverines improved to 7-2-1 overall (2-0-0 Big Ten for 5 points) with their fourth straight victory.

 

Michael Hage scored 41 seconds into the game and then Evan Werner, whose overtime goal Friday was the difference in Michigan’s 2-1 victory, made it 2-0 at 2:08.

 

The Irish, who were outshot badly 47-19 in Friday’s loss but only 34-29 Saturday night, managed to get within a goal at the end of the first period when sophomore left wing Brennan Ali scored his second goal of the weekend at 16:44 to make it 2-1.

 

Then after Thomas Daskas beat Say at 6:00 of the second period for a 3-1 Michigan lead, Irish graduate right wing Blake Biondi responded with a goal 44 seconds before the second-period intermission to make it 3-2. But the Irish, who outshot the Wolverines 22-18 over the final 40 minutes, could not get the equalizer against Michigan freshman goaltender Cameron Korpi, who finished with 27 saves, three fewer than Say, who had 45 in Friday’s loss.

 

Jackson, who shuffled his lines coming into the series, made only a slight change to the Notre Dame lineup when sophomore defenseman Henry Nelson was unable to play because an upper-body injury suffered in the Friday loss. Jaedon Kerr, a 6-foot-4 freshman, took his place on the ice with junior defenseman Michael Mastrodomenico.

 

Trailing 2-0 and outshot 15-5 in the first 14:35 of the game, the Irish eventually silenced the Michigan partisans when leading scorer Cole Knuble outfought a Michigan defender for the puck in the offensive zone and fed the puck back to Ali, whose quick shot beat Korpi at 16:44. Kerr also received an assist on the goal.

 

In the second period, Say was partially screened when Daskas beat the Irish goalie over his glove at 6:00 from the slot with assists from Jacob Truscott and Mark Estapa for the eventual game-winning goal.

 

At that point, the Wolverines had a 20-9 edge in shots. But Notre Dame outshot Michigan 11-3 the rest of the way and again pulled within a goal at 19:16 when Justin Janicke dropped the puck to Hunter Strand, who found Biondi to Korpi’s right.

 

Biondi, whose only previous goal this season came in Notre Dame’s 4-1 season-opening victory at St. Lawrence Oct. 11, quickly shot it past the Michigan goaltender, and as he waited to celebrate with Janicke and Strand, he raised his arms behind his back as if he was lifting a heavy weight off his shoulders.

 

But Biondi’s Irish teammates, who outshot the Wolverines 7-1 to start the third period, couldn’t rid themselves of their collective weight in the third period. Jackson pulled Say at 18:04 for a sixth attacker, but Jackson Hallum gave Michigan an insurance goal at 19:40 to close out the scoring.

 

And things won’t get any easier next weekend in East Lansing when the Irish confront a Michigan State team which has won five straight games. The Spartans completed a two-game home sweep of Big Ten rival Ohio State with a 4-1 victory Saturday.

 

MICHIGAN 4, NOTRE DAME 2

At Red Berenson Rink/Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor

 

Notre Dame              1          1          0—2

Michigan                    2          1          1—4

 

First Period—Scoring: 1. Michigan, Michael Hage 5 (Nick Moldenhauer, Jacob Truscott) EV 0:41; 2. Michigan, Evan Werner 5 (Ethan Edwards, Will Felicio) EV 2:08; 3. Notre Dame, Brennan Ali 3 (Cole Knuble, Jaedon Kerr) EV 16:44. Penalties: Notre Dame 3-6, Michigan 1-2.

Second Period—Scoring Michigan, Thomas Daskas 1 (Jacob Truscott, Mark Estapa) EV 6:00; 5. Notre Dame, Blake Biondi 2 (Justin Janicke, Hunter Strand) EV 19:16. Penalties: Notre Dame 1-2 (4-8), Michigan 1-2 (2-4).

Third Period—Scoring: 6. Michigan, Jackson Hallum (Philippe Lapointe) EN 19:40. Penalties: Notre Dame 1-2 (5-10), Michigan 1-2 (3-6).

Shots on goal: Notre Dame 29 (7-13-9), Michigan 34 (16-8-10).

Goalie saves: Notre Dame, Owen Say 30 (14-7-9); Michigan, Cameron Korpi 27 (6-12-9).

Power-play opportunities: Notre Dame 0 of 2, Michigan 0 of 4.

Faceoffs won: Notre Dame 37 (15-9-13), Michigan 42 (13-11-18).

Blocked shots: Notre Dame 19 (4-7-8), Michigan 8 (2-2-4).

Referees: Sean Fernandez and Colin Kronforst. Linesmen: Justin Cornell and Jake Davis. Attendance: 5,800 (5,800).

Records: Notre Dame 5-5-0 overall, 1-3-0 Big Ten for 3 points; Michigan 7-2-1 overall, 2-0-0 Big Ten for 5 points.

 

BIG TEN STANDINGS: (Numbers in parenthesis before school are its rankings in this week’s media and coaches polls): 1. (3/T3) MINNESOTA 4-0-0, 11 points (9-1-0 overall); T2. (4/T3) MICHIGAN STATE 2-0-0, 6 points (7-1-0 overall); T2. (rv/rv) WISCONSIN 1-5-0, 6 points (2-8-0 overall); T4. (7/7) MICHIGAN 2-0-0, 5 points (7-2-1 overall); T4. (13/12) OHIO STATE 2-2-0, 5 points (7-2-1 overall); 6. (20/rv) NOTRE DAME 1-3-0, 3 points (5-5-0 overall); 7. (19/19) PENN STATE 0-2-0, 0 points (4-3-0 overall).

 

Saturday’s results: Michigan 4, Notre Dame 2; Minnesota 3, Wisconsin 2 (OT); Michigan State 4, Ohio State 1. (Penn State is idle).

 

Friday’s results: Michigan 2, Notre Dame 1 (OT); Michigan State 4, Ohio State 2; Minnesota 3, Wisconsin 2. (Penn State is idle).

 

UPCOMING GAMES: Thursday, Nov. 14: Bemidji State at Minnesota; Friday, Nov. 15-Saturday, Nov. 16: Notre Dame at Michigan State; Wisconsin at Penn State; Ohio State at Lindenwood; Saturday, Nov. 16: Minnesota at Bemidji State. (Michigan is idle).

 

HOW TEAMS IN USCHO.com MEDIA POLL FARED SATURDAY

 

  1. Denver(NCHC) (10-0-0) beat Lindenwood, 4-1. Next: Nov. 15-16 at North Dakota.

 

  1. Boston College(Hockey East) (6-1-0) did not play Next: Sunday vs. No. 5 Maine, Nov. 15 at Connecticut.

 

  1. Minnesota(Big Ten) (9-1-0) beat Wisconsin, 3-2 (OT). Next: Nov. 14 vs. Bemidji State, Nov. 16 at Bemidji State.

 

  1. Michigan State(Big Ten) (7-1-0) beat No. 13 Ohio State, 4-1. Next: Nov. 15-16 vs. Notre Dame.

 

  1. Maine(Hockey East) (6-1-1) did not play. Next: Sunday at No. 2 Boston College, Nov. 15-16 vs. Boston University.

 

  1. Cornell(ECAC) (3-0-1) beat Brown, 3-1. Next: Nov. 15 at Dartmouth, Nov. 16 at Harvard.

 

  1. Michigan(Big Ten) (7-2-1) beat No. 20 Notre Dame, 4-2. Next: Nov. 22-23 at Penn State.

 

  1. Colorado College(NCHC) (8-0-0) beat Arizona State, 3-1. Next: Nov. 15-16 at Western Michigan.

 

  1. Boston University(Hockey East) (5-4-0) beat No. 17 UMass Lowell, 5-2. Next: Nov. 15-16 at Maine.

 

  1. North Dakota(NCHC) (5-4-0) beat Minnesota Duluth, 4-1. Next: Nov. 15-16 vs. Denver.

 

  1. Providence(Hockey East) (6-1-2) beat Northeastern, 6-5 (OT). Next: Nov. 14 at Massachusetts, Nov. 16 vs. Massachusetts.

 

  1. St. Cloud State(NCHC) (8-3-0) beat Miami, 3-1. Next: Nov. 22-23 at Colorado College.

 

  1. Ohio State(Big Ten) (7-2-1) lost at No. 4 Michigan State, 4-1. Next: Nov. 15-16 at Lindenwood.

 

  1. Western Michigan(NCHC) (5-1-0) beat Omaha, 4-2. Next: Nov. 15-16 vs. Colorado College.

 

  1. Quinnipiac(ECAC) (3-5-0) lost to Harvard, 3-0. Next: Nov. 15 at Brown, Nov. 16 at Yale.

 

  1. Minnesota State(CCHA) (7-4-1) tied St. Thomas, 1-1 (Minnesota State won shootout, 3-2). Next: Nov. 15-16 vs. Northern Michigan.

 

  1. UMass Lowell(Hockey East) (6-2-0) lost to No. 9 Boston University, 5-2. Next: Nov. 15-16 at Vermont.

 

  1. Massachusetts(Hockey East) (4-4-2) lost at Vermont, 4-0. Next: Nov. 14 vs. Providence, Nov. 16 at Providence.

 

  1. Penn State (Big Ten) (4-3-0) did not play. Next: Nov. 15-16 vs. Wisconsin.

 

  1. Notre Dame(Big Ten) (5-5-0) lost at No. 7 Michigan, 4-2. Next:  Nov. 15-16 at Michigan State.

 

Others receiving votes

 

Union (ECAC) (6-2-1) lost to Alaska Fairbanks, 6-4. Next: Nov. 15 vs. St. Lawrence, Nov. 16 vs. Clarkson.

 

Dartmouth (ECAC) (4-0-0) beat Princeton, 5-1. Next: Nov. 15 vs. Cornell, Nov. 16 vs. Colgate.

 

Niagara (Atlantic Hockey) (5-4-2) beat Army, 2-0. Next: Nov. 15-16 vs. Holy Cross.

 

Harvard (ECAC) (2-1-0) beat No. 15 Quinnipiac, 3-0. Next: Nov. 15 vs. Colgate, Nov. 16 vs. Cornell.

 

Omaha (NCHC) (2-6-0) lost to No. 14 Western Michigan, 4-2. Next: Nov. 15-16 at Arizona State.

 

Arizona State (NCHC) (3-6-1) lost at No. 8 Colorado College, 3-1. Next: Nov. 15-16 vs. Omaha.

 

Clarkson (ECAC) (6-3-1) beat Stonehill, 6-3. Next: Nov. 15 at Rensselaer, Nov. 16 at Union.

 

Augustana (CCHA) (5-5-0) beat Bemidji State, 5-1. Next: Nov. 15-16 at US-Under 18 Team (exhibitions)

 

Connecticut (HEA) (5-5-1) lost to Merrimack, 5-2. Next: Nov. 15 vs. Boston College.

 

Bemidji State (CCHA) (4-5-0) lost at Augustana, 5-1. Next: Nov. 14 at Minnesota, Nov. 16 vs. Minnesota.

 

Wisconsin (B10) (2-8-0) lost to No. 3 Minnesota, 3-2 (OT). Next: Nov. 15-16 at Penn State.

 

Michigan Tech (CCHA) (6-2-0) beat Ferris State, 3-1. Next: Nov. 22-23 vs. Minnesota State.

 

New Hampshire (HEA) (3-3-1) beat Long Island, 6-1. Next: Nov. 15 vs. Northeastern, Nov. 16 at Northeastern.

 

Northeastern (HEA) (1-4-2) lost to No. 11 Providence, 6-5 (OT). Next: Nov. 15 at New Hampshire, Nov. 16 vs. New Hampshire.

 

Bowling Green (CCHA) (5-3-0) did not play. Next: Nov. 15-16 at St. Thomas.

 

Brown (ECAC) (0-2-0) lost at No. 6 Cornell, 3-1. Next: Nov. 15 vs. Quinnipiac, Nov. 16 vs. Princeton.

 

OTHER GAMES 

 

Saturday, Nov. 9

 

RIT 6, Bentley 2 (Atlantic Hockey)

 

Lake Superior State 5, Northern Michigan 1 (CCHA)

 

Sacred Heart 4, Mercyhurst 1 (Atlantic Hockey)

 

Yale 4, Colgate 3 (ECAC)

 

Sunday, Nov. 10

 

Canisius at Air Force, 3:05 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)

 

Tuesday, Nov. 12

 

Merrimack at Stonehill, 7 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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