DETAILS — GAME 18
Match-up: Notre Dame at Denver
Date: Friday, Jan. 1, 2016
Time: 9:36 p.m. (ET) // 7:36 p.m. (MT)
Site: Denver, Colo.
Arena: Magness Arena (6,026)
Television: CBS Sports Network [CBSSN]
Play-by-Play: Ben Holden
Analyst: Fred Pletsch
Rink-side: Shireen Saski
Live Streaming: None
Live Radio: New Country 99.9 FM
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Audio: WatchND App (www.watchND.tv)
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Stats: hockeyeastonline.com
Live Updates: @NDHockey
All-Time Series: DU leads 35-10-3 (48 games)
DETAILS — GAME 19
Match-up: Notre Dame at Denver
Date: Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016
Time: 9:06 p.m. (ET) // 7:06 p.m. (MT)
Site: Denver, Colo.
Arena: Magness Arena (6,026)
Television: ROOT Sports
Play-by-Play: Mike Evans
Analyst: Charlie Host
Live Streaming: None
Live Radio: New Country 99.9 FM
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Audio: WatchND App (www.watchND.tv)
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Stats: hockeyeastonline.com
Live Updates: @NDHockey
OVERVIEW
— The Irish and Pioneers will meet for the 49th and 50th times in series history this weekend, and for the first time since a 5-2 Denver win on Oct. 11, 2008 in the Hall of Fame Game (Denver, Colo.).
— Both teams will be playing their first games of the second half of the season, with Notre Dame carrying a four-game winning streak into the contest, while Denver lost it’s previous four games before the break.
— Though the Irish have played 14 times on Jan. 2 (6-7-1), Notre Dame has only played three times on Jan. 1 (0-3-0), with the first of those three games coming against Colorado College in Denver, Colo., as part of the Norwest Cup (5-2 loss on Jan. 1, 2000).
— The Irish are 3-2-1 on the road this season, 3-3-2 in non-conference play (1-1-0 in non-conference road games) and 1-0-2 against the NCHC.
FOUR IN A ROW
— Notre Dame is on a four-game winning streak for the first time since winning five in a row near the beginning of last season (Oct. 17 – Oct. 31).
— During Notre Dame’s current four-game winning streak, goaltender Cal Petersen has posted a 1.50 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage.
— Over the four-game winning streak, the Irish penalty kill has gone 12-for-13 and killed off the last eight opponent power-play chances it has faced dating back to the second period of Notre Dame’s 3-1 win over Western Michigan (Nov. 28).
NOTRE DAME VERSUS DENVER
— Denver and Notre Dame are set to meet for the first time since opening the 2008-09 season in the Hall of Fame Game at Magness Arena (Oct. 11).
— That Hall of Fame Game was tied 1-1 after two periods of play, but a four-goal third period led Denver to the win.
— Justin White scored Notre Dame’s second goal at 19:07 of the third making him the most recent Notre Dame player to notch a goal against the Pioneers.
— Current Toronto Maple Leaf forward Tyler Bozak had a pair of assists in that Denver victory, while Marc Cheverie made 23 saves to earn the win.
— The majority of the teams’ 48 previous meetings came when both Notre Dame and Denver played in the WCHA (38 meetings between 1971-81).
— The Irish are 1-3-0 versus Denver under Head Coach Jeff Jackson.
— It has been a high-scoring series as the lowest combined goal total in the previous 48 meetings is four (three times: 1972-73, 1974-75 and 2007-08).
— There has only been one shutout in the series, a 4-0 Notre Dame win during the 1974-75 season.
LAST TIME OUT: DRAMATIC WIN AT BC
— Trailing 3-1 at 7:05 of the third period, Notre Dame scored three straight goals to post a 4-3, come-from-behind win at third-ranked Boston College on Dec. 10 at Conte Forum (4,863).
— Jordan Gross started the comeback, scoring his sixth goal of the season on a wrist shot from the point at 8:33 of the third, cutting Boston College’s lead to 3-2.
— After Jake Evans won an offensive zone face-off, Andrew Oglevie wired a wrist shot to the top corner past Thatcher Demko’s glove at 15:26 to tie it at 3-3.
— With 22 seconds left in the third and overtime looming, Dennis Gilbert sent a slap shot through traffic to hand the Irish the 4-3 win, snapping Boston College’s 13-game unbeaten streak.
— It was Gilbert’s first career game winner.
— The teams were knotted at 1-1 after the first period of play, including Jack Jenkins’ first career goal for the Irish.
— Early in the second period, Petersen kept it a 1-1 game when he saved Colin White’s penalty shot with his left pad (first penalty shot Petersen has faced in his Notre Dame career).
BJORK & SUPPORT STAFF WITH TEAM USA
— Sophomore forward Anders Bjork was named to the 2016 U.S. National Junior Team Roster for the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship (announced by USA Hockey on Dec. 23).
— The 2016 World junior Championships are taking place in Helsinki, Finland (Dec. 26 – Jan. 5).
— Bjork is tied for the Notre Dame team lead with 16 points (5-11-16) on the season.
— Bjork has played right wing on Team USA’s checking/energy line in the first two games of the tournament, including a 4-2 win over Canada (Dec. 26) and a 1-0 loss to Sweden (Dec. 28).
— Notre Dame coordinator of hockey operations Nick Siergiej is serving as Team USA’s video coordinator for the Championship.
— Additionally, Notre Dame equipment specialist Dave Gilbert is currently serving in that same role for Team USA.
— Dating back to 1997, Bjork is the 19th Notre Dame player to take part in the IIHF World Junior Championships.
— Most recently, Thomas DiPauli and Vince Hinostroza were members of the 2014 U.S. Junior National Team that finished fifth in Malmo, Sweden.
GILBERT NAMED HEA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
— After scoring the game-winning goal with 22 seconds left in the third period in Notre Dame’s 4-3 victory at No. 3 Boston College (Dec. 10), freshman defenseman Dennis Gilbert was named the Warrior Player of the Week by the Hockey East Association (Dec. 14).
— Gilbert also notched the primary assist on Jordan Gross’ third period goal that started the Notre Dame comeback.
— Gilbert’s goal was his first career game-winning goal and he recorded his second multi-point game in an Irish uniform.
— On the season, Gilbert has played in all 17 games for the Irish while totaling eight points on two goals and six assists.
— Gilbert is the first Notre Dame player to earn Hockey East Warrior Player of the Week honors since Cal Petersen did so on Feb. 23, 2015.
PETERSEN PICKING IT UP
— Sophomore goaltender Cal Petersen, who has started each of Notre Dame’s first 17 games of the season, is 4-0-0 over the last four games with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage.
— Petersen has stopped 109 of the 115 shots he faced in wins over Western Michigan (3-1), UMass (3-1 and 5-1) and Boston College (4-3).
— In Hockey East play this season, Petersen is 6-1-2 with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.
— Petersen, who has now started 30 straight games for the Irish dating back to last season, is one of three goaltenders in Hockey East to have played at least 95 percent of a team’s minutes in net (as of Dec. 28):
Thatcher Demko, BC — 99.7%
Kevin Boyle, UML — 99.2%
Cal Petersen, ND — 98.8%
Nick Ellis, PC — 93.2%
Rob Nichols, UConn — 91.9%
Collin Delia, MC — 91.2%
ACTIVE NOTRE DAME POINT STREAKS
— Anders Bjork (2-3-5) headed to the World Junior Championship on a four-game point streak.
— Jordan Gross (1-4-5) has a three-game point streak, while Jake Evans (0-2-2) has a two-game point streak.
BALANCED ATTACK
— The balanced Irish attack features six players with at least 11 points on the season, while 19 players have scored at least one goal this season. Ã… Notre Dame’s 19 goal scorers are the most in Hockey East, followed by Merrimack (18), Boston College (17), Boston University (17), UMass Lowell (17) and Providence (17).
— Thomas DiPauli (7-9-16) and Anders Bjork (5-11-16) are tied for the team lead with 16 points, while DiPauli’s seven goals also lead the team.
— Steven Fogarty, Dylan Malmquist and Jordan Gross are tied for second on the team with six goals apiece.
— Jake Evans leads the team with 13 assists, while his 15 points (2-13-15) rank third.
GROSS OFFENSE
— Sophomore defenseman Jordan Gross is providing an offensive spark to the Irish lineup as he is tied for second on the team with six goals and also has eight assists for 14 points.
— The six goals are one off his freshman season pace (42 GP, 7-21-28).
— Gross’ six goals also rank tied for second in the country for goals by a defenseman, trailing Jake Walman of Providence (11) and tied with Teddy Doherty (who has also played as a forward this season) of Boston College (6), Gavin Bayreuther of St. Lawrence (6) and Graeme McCormack of Bemidji State (6).
— Gross’ 14 points rank tied for fifth in the country among defensemen.
IN THE POLLS
— In the rankings for a seventh consecutive week, the Irish moved from No. 18 to No. 16 in the USCHO.com poll after defeating Boston College 4-3 on Dec. 10.
APPROACHING 100
— Senior forward Mario Lucia (52-45-97) is approaching the 100-career points milestone.
— He would become the 49th Notre Dame player to reach 100 career points and the first since the 2012-13 season when both Anders Lee (61-55-116) and T.J. Tynan (54-107-161) reached 100 points.
UP NEXT: END OF NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
— After playing the Pioneers, Notre Dame will close out the non-conference portion of its 2015-16 schedule with a home-and-home series versus Western Michigan (Jan. 8-9).
— The Irish and Broncos already met this season in the consolation game of the 2015 Shillelagh Tournament, with Notre Dame earning a 3-1 win (Nov. 28).
TOP MARKS IN THE COUNTRY
— Released on Nov. 4, the Notre Dame is first in NCAA Div. I hockey in the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) rankings with a perfect 100 score (tied with Bowling Green).
— The Irish also rank first in NCAA Div. I hockey in the Federal Rate (measured by the federal government in its Department of Education report) with a score of 94.
— Miami finished second in the Federal Rate with a score of 73.
— University wide, Notre Dame claimed a share of the 2015 national championship for graduating student-athletes in all sports – in the process posting the top NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figure (98) for its student-athletes for the ninth straight year.
HERR COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH
— Sam Herr became the first Notre Dame player to score two game-winning goals this season when he netted the game winner against Western Michigan (Nov. 28) with just under five minutes to play in the third period in Notre Dame’s 3-1 victory (he remains the only Irish player with two game winners).
— Herr’s other game winner this season came at 12:36 of the third period in Notre Dame’s 2-1 win at UConn (Oct. 31).
— Herr’s other goal this season also came in the third period when he tied the game 3-3 in an eventual 3-3 tie with Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 23).
— The Irish are 4-0-1 this season when Herr registers at least one point.
— Herr has seven game winners in his career (29 career goals, 24% game winners).
IN OVERTIME
— The Irish are 0-0-4 in overtime this season, including a pair of 3-3 ties against then fifth-ranked Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 23-24), a 2-2 tie versus Northeastern on Nov. 13 and a 2-2 tie at No. 5 UMass Lowell (Nov. 20).
— Two players on the current roster have overtime, game-winning goals:
— Jake Evans in a 3-2 win vs. Miami on Dec. 28, 2014 in the Florida College Hockey Classic.
— Connor Hurley in a 3-2 win at Merrimack on Nov. 14, 2014.
YOUNG GUNS
— According to research conducted by College Hockey Inc. (@Collegehockey), entering the 2015-16 season, the Notre Dame roster is the fifth-youngest in the country (as of Oct. 1, 2015).
— The top-five youngest teams entering the season include Boston College (20 years, 169 days), Boston University (20 years, 179 days), Michigan (20 years, 235 days), Wisconsin (20 years, 320 days) and Notre Dame (20 years, 333 days).
— Notre Dame’s roster includes 15 underclassmen (nine sophomores and six freshmen).