WHO: #16 Notre Dame (4-4-0, 3-3-0-0-0-0 B1G) vs. RV Michigan State (2-3-1, 1-3-0-1-0-0 B1G)
WHEN: Saturday, December 19 – 6:30 p.m. ET | Sunday, December 20 – 5 p.m. ET
WHERE: Compton Family Ice Arena
WATCH: Saturday – NBCSN & NBCSports.com | Sunday – NBC Sports Chicago/Philly & NBCSports.com
LISTEN: 94.3 FM | UND.com
GAME NOTES (PDF)
FOR STARTERS
- The Fighting Irish close out the first portion of their 2020-21 schedule with a home series against Michigan State (Dec. 19-20).
- The Irish enter the weekend having split a pair of contests with #14 Ohio State last weekend at home.
- The Spartans head to Notre Dame with a 2-3-1 mark and have dropped their last three contests, all to Big Ten opponents.
- Dylan St. Cyr earned the third shutout of his career with 20 saves in a 3-0 Irish win last Saturday before the Buckeyes earned a 3-2 win in game two.
- Nick Leivermann enters the weekend with a career-long four game point streak (1-4- 5).
- Alex Steeves has scored a goal in three straight games and four of his last five outings dating back to Nov. 28 at Michigan.
- Notre Dame is currently #16 in the USCHO Poll and is receiving votes in the USA Today/ USA Hockey Magazine Coaches Poll.
THE NOTRE DAME – MSU SERIES
- Former CCHA rivals, the Irish and Spartans have met 127 times dating back to their first meeting in 1926, which was played at the University Rink in East Lansing, Michigan (Notre Dame won the first game, 3-1).
- All-time, the Spartans lead the series 68-45-14 but at Notre Dame, the Irish lead 29-24-9.
- Since joining the Big Ten, Notre Dame is 8-3-3 against Michigan State • The first meetings as a Notre Dame varsity sport were in the 1970-71 season when the Spartans came to South Bend and split a weekend series: Michigan State took the first game 10-5, before the Irish bounced back for a 4-3 victory the second night.
- Since the turn of the century (2000-01 season), the Irish hold the narrow advantage as
- Notre Dame is 22-20-9 against Michigan State since 2000.
- Of those 51 games, 10 have gone to overtime and 16 have been decided by a single goal. • Irish head coach Jeff Jackson is 31-18-11 all-time against his alma mater Michigan State (including his time at Lake Superior State).
- Jackson graduated from Michigan State in 1978 with a degree in communications, followed by an education degree in 1979.
- Jackson coached current Michigan State head coach Danton Cole and current Spartan assistant Chris Luongo during their junior hockey days with the Detroit Falcons and then Jackson also coached Cole during the 1983-84 season with the Fraser Flags of the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League (GLJHL).
- The current Notre Dame roster features four Michigan natives: Dylan St. Cyr (Northville, Michigan), Max Ellis (Canton, Michigan), Ryder Rolston (Birmingham, Michigan) and Colin Theisen (Monroe, Michigan).
SLAGGERT HEADING TO WORLD JUNIORS
- Freshman forward Landon Slaggert has been named to the 2021 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the upcoming 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.
- Including Slaggert, 23 Notre Dame players have now taken part in the IIHF World Junior Championships.
- USA Hockey named the roster last Saturday (Dec. 12) after hosting a training camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, that began on Dec. 6.
- Team USA departed Plymouth on Dec. 13 and arrived in the Edmonton bubble that evening.
- The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship will take place from Dec. 25, 2020, through Jan. 5, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament will be played with all 10 teams in a competition bubble and no spectators allowed at Rogers Place. Team USA opens play on Dec. 25 versus Russia.
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