WHO: #18 Notre Dame (10-9-3, 5-5-2-1 B1G) at #9 Ohio State (14-6-2, 7-4-1-0 B1G)
WHEN: Friday, January 17 – 6 p.m. ET | Saturday, January 18 – 5 p.m. ET
WHERE: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
WATCH: Friday – BTN & Saturday – BTN+ ($)
LISTEN: 94.3 FM | UND.com
GAME NOTES (PDF)
FOR STARTERS
- Notre Dame heads out on the road to continue Big Ten play at ninth-ranked Ohio State this weekend, with Friday’s game (Jan. 17) slated for a 6 p.m. ET start on the Big Ten Network.
- The Buckeyes are coming off a split at Wisconsin and are 14-6-2 overall (7-4-1-0 B1G), while Notre Dame (10-9-3, 5-5-2-1 B1G) was swept at home by Michigan last weekend.
- With 22 points, Ohio State is tied for second in the Big Ten, while the Irish (18 points) are in fourth.
- Dating back to Notre Dame’s 3-0 shutout of Penn State on December 14, Cale Morris has stopped 166 of his last 172 shots against for a .965 save percentage over the five game stretch.
- In 11 career starts against Ohio State, Morris is 7-4-0 with a 1.83 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage.
- Senior forward Cam Morrison has four goals and three assists for seven points in 11 career games against the Buckeyes.
- 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).
BURKE A HOCKEY HUMANITARIAN NOMINEE
- For the second consecutive season, Cal Burke has been named a nominee for the Hockey Humanitarian Award, which was announced by The Hockey Humanitarian Foundation (Jan. 13).
- The award is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
- Burke, a senior captain, is one of 13 nominees across all of college hockey (men’s and women’s).
- One of the leaders in regards to the team’s involvement with the Fighting Irish Fight for Life program, Burke is also a member of Notre Dame’s Student Athlete Advisory Council.
- The Boxborough, Massachusetts, native also serves on a mental health sub-group within the SAAC, working to reduce the stigma around mental health and help seeking and he helped develop and launch the Irish Strong Initiative.
- A season ago, Burke earned the Compton Family Leadership in Service Award and was Notre Dame’s 2019 Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree.
- Finalists for the 2020 Hockey Humanitarian Award will be announced in February.
- The 2020 recipient will be honored in a ceremony on Friday, April 10th as part of the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four weekend in Detroit, Michigan.
- The group of nominees includes nine seniors, three juniors and one sophomore, along with nine male (4 Div. I) and four female (1 Div. I) candidates.
THE NOTRE DAME – OHIO STATE SERIES
- The all-time series between Ohio State and Notre Dame is tied 37-37-10, but in games played at Notre Dame the Fighting Irish lead the series 19-16-4.
- At Ohio State, the Buckeyes lead the series 19-16-6.
- Earlier this season, Notre Dame swept a home series versus the Buckeyes on Nov. 8-9, with the Irish taking game one 3-2 in overtime and winning game two 2-1.
- Pierce Crawford provided the OT game winner in game one, while freshmen Solag Bakich (first career goal) and Trevor Janicke also scored.
- In game two, sophomores Jake Pivonka and Cam Burke provided the goals. • Cale Morris earned both victories, stopping 25 shots in game one and making 24 saves in game two.
- Last season (2018-19), Ohio State won the season series with a 3-1-0 mark.
- In their inaugural season in the Big Ten (2017-18), the Irish and Buckeyes met five times, with Notre Dame skating away with a 4-1-0 record including a 3-2 overtime victory in the 2018 Big Ten Championship game courtesy of a Cam Morrison game winner.
- Notre Dame’s first Big Ten conference games included a weekend sweep of the Buckeyes in Columbus by scores of 4-1 and 3-2 on Nov. 3-4.
- Since joining the Big Ten, Notre Dame leads the series with the Buckeyes 8-4-0.
- In 11 career starts against Ohio State, Morris is 7-4-0 with a 1.83 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage.
- Notre Dame’s active career leaders against the Buckeyes include Cam Morrison (11 GP; 4-3-7), Cal Burke (11 GP; 2-3-5), Colin Theisen (11 GP; 2-1-3) and Jake Pivonka (6 GP, 1-2-3).
- Notre Dame Associate Head Coach Paul Pooley is a 1984 graduate of Ohio State where he earned All-American honors and graduated as the program’s all-time leader in goals (114), assists (156) and points (270).
- Pooley, who wore No. 22, became the first Ohio State hockey player to have his number retired on November 4, 2006 during a game between Notre Dame and Ohio State
- Pooley’s nephew, Austin Pooley, is a junior forward with the Buckeyes.
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