WHO: #14 Notre Dame (10-7-3, 5-3-2-1 B1G) vs. Michigan (7-11-2, 2-7-1-0 B1G)
WHEN: Friday, January 10 – 7 p.m. ET | Saturday, January 11 – 6 p.m. ET
WHERE: Compton Family Ice Arena
WATCH: Friday – NBCSN | Saturday – NBC Sports Streaming
LISTEN: 94.3 FM | UND.com
TICKETS: Click here
GAME NOTES (PDF)
FOR STARTERS
- The Fighting Irish return to Big Ten play this weekend with a two-game home series against Michigan (Jan. 10-11) as the teams meet on Friday night for the first of four game this season.
- Notre Dame opened the second half of the 2019-20 season by going 1-0-1 against Western Michigan last weekend (Jan. 3 & 5) in a home-and-home series, including a 4-1 win on Sunday night that featured a pair of goals (and an assist) by Alex Steeves as well as a three assist game by Michael Graham and a goal and two assists from Cam Morrison.
- Steeves (4-3-7) and Graham (0-7-7) carry five-game point streaks into the weekend series versus the Wolverines.
- In that series versus the Broncos, Cale Morris stopped 82 of the 84 shots he faced to earn Big Ten and NCAA First Star of the Week honors.
- Over Notre Dame’s last three games dating back to the 3-0 win over Penn State on Dec. 14, Morris has stopped 119 of the last 121 shots he has faced (.983).
- Sophomore forward Jake Pivonka and sophomore defenseman Spencer Stastney skated with Team USA at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic and returned to the U.S. on Friday, Jan. 3 and then played in Sunday’s win at Western Michigan.
- Notre Dame just finished a stretch of eight consecutive games against a ranked opponent (and 12 of 14) against a ranked opponent).
- Freshman forward Max Ellis was the most recent Fighting Irish player to score a goal this season when he netted the game winner in Notre Dame’s 3-0 victory over Penn State (Dec. 14), becoming Notre Dame’s 17th goal scorer this season.
- The Fighting Irish have posted six comeback wins this season, including three third period comebacks (both wins over Ohio State and the overtime victory at Wisconsin) and added a third period comeback tie (and shootout win) at Michigan State on Nov. 22.
- The Irish are 2-0-3 in overtime this season, with game-winning goals from Pierce Crawford (vs. Ohio State on Nov. 8) and Alex Steeves (at Wisconsin on Nov. 16). • Notre Dame is once again one of the nation’s least penalized teams, with its 7.5 PIM/game ranking second-lowest in the country (Harvard is first at 7.1).
THE SERIES: NOTRE DAME VS. MICHIGAN
- All-time, Michigan leads the series 78-61-5, however, since their final season in the CCHA (2012-13), the Irish hold the edge with a 10-5-0 record.
- Three of those five losses were by a single goal, including an overtime loss at the U.S. Bank Arena in the NCAA Regionals (UM 3-2; March 25, 2016).
- Prior to that 2016 NCAA meeting, the teams’ last meetings came during the 2012-13 season when Notre Dame went 5-0-0 against the Wolverines, including a 3-1 victory in the championship game of the final CCHA tournament.
- Last season the teams split the season series, going 2-2-0 against each other (with each team earning a home and road win).
- The 2018-19 series included the January 5, 2019 outdoor game at Notre Dame Stadium, as the two teams utilized the same ice as the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins of the NHL for the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
- The Let’s Take This Outside game featured the largest crowd to attend a home hockey game for the Irish (23,422) but Michigan claimed the 4-2 win over the Irish.
- In Notre Dame’s inaugural season in the Big Ten (2017-18), the Irish and Wolverines met five times, with the Irish claiming three victories, including a last second win at the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four.
- As time ran down in the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four semifinal (April 5), Cam Morrison slid the puck back to Jake Evans in the slot, who shot it five-hole for the game-winner with five seconds remaining – sending Notre Dame to the national championship.
- Notre Dame and Michigan’s other meeting in the NCAA Tournament came at the 2008 Frozen Four (Denver, Colorado) when the Irish posted a 5-4 overtime win to advance to the NCAA championship game for the first time in program history.
- Calle Ridderwall scored the game-winning goal in that contest at the 5:44 mark of overtime.
- The Irish and Wolverines met each season from 1991-92 to 2012-13.
- Notre Dame recognizes the first official meeting as a 3-2 overtime win by the Fighting Irish on Jan. 17, 1922 at the Weinberg Coliseum in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Head Coach Jeff Jackson is 31-29-8 all-time against Michigan (including his time at Lake Superior State), while he is 12-6-0 all-time against the Wolverines in the playoffs.
- Jackson named current Michigan head coach Mel Pearson as one of his Team USA assistant coaches for the 1997 IIHF World Junior Championship.
- Jackson and Pearson helped lead USA to the silver medal in that tournament in Switzerland.
- The current Notre Dame roster features two Michigan natives: Dylan St. Cyr (Northville, Michigan) and Colin Theisen (Monroe, Michigan).
- Irish career offensive leaders against the Wolverines include Matt Hellickson (9 GP, 3-5-8), Cal Burke (9 GP, 2-3-5), Cam Morrison (8 GP, 1-3-4), Jake Pivonka (4 GP, 1-3-4) and Alex Steeves (4 GP, 3-1-4).
MORRIS NAMED NCAA & B1G FIRST STAR
- A pair of back-to-back 40+ save performances has earned Notre Dame Cale Morris both Big Ten and NCAA First Star of the Week honors (Jan. 7).
- Morris led the Irish to a 1-0-1 record last weekend in a home-and-home series versus No. 19 Western Michigan.
- In game one’s 1-1 overtime tie at Compton Family Ice Arena (Jan. 3), he made a season-high 42 saves.
- Then in Sunday’s game two (Jan. 5), Morris made 40 stops as Notre Dame posted a 4-1 road win.
- Morris had the added distinction of stopping a first period penalty shot in both contests while the games were tied at 0-0.
- For the weekend, the senior alternate captain posted a 2.40 goals against average and an impressive .976 save percentage.
- An All-American and Mike Richter Award Winner as the NCAA’s top goaltender (2018), Morris has now racked up 14 weekly Big Ten honors: First Star (8), Second Star (3), Third Star (3).
THREE GOALS THE KEY
- Over the past two seasons, the Irish are 26-0-1 when scoring at least three goals.
- In 2019-20, the Irish are 9-0-0 when scoring at least three times.
- In 2018-19, Notre Dame went 17-0-1 when scoring three or more goals.
- The lone tie in 2018-19 came when Notre Dame opened the season on Oct. 12 against Mercyhurst in the Ice Breaker – a game that ended knotted at 6-6 before Notre Dame won the shootout to advance to the championship game.
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