Oct. 19, 2016
By Dan Colleran
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The No. 3/4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey team will play host to Penn State this weekend for a two-game series at the Compton Family Ice Arena.
The Irish and Nittany Lions will be meeting for the second consecutive season, having split a two-game set early last season in University Park, Pennsylvania. With the Irish set to join the Big Ten for the 2017-18 season, this weekend will also mark the final regular-season meetings between the two teams as non-conference foes.
GAMES 5 & 6
Matchup: Penn State at Notre Dame
Date: Friday Oct. 21 | Saturday, Oct. 15
Time: 7:35 p.m. (ET) | 7:10 p.m. (ET)
Site: Notre Dame, Ind.
Arena: Compton Family Ice Arena (5,022)
Television (Friday): CSN Chicago+
Play-by-Play: Mike Monaco
Analyst: Conor Clingen
Television (Saturday): NBC Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Steve Schlanger
Analyst: Anson Carter
Live Streaming: NBC Sports App (both nights)
Live Radio: WZOC 94.3 FM
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Audio: WatchND App
Live Stats: UND.com
Live Updates: @NDHockey
Series History: Tied, 1-1-0
OFFENSE ON DISPLAY
— Though early in the 2016-17 season, Notre Dame (4.75 goals per game/fourth) and Penn State (4.67 goals per game/fifth) feature two of the top-five ranked offenses in the country.
LEADING THE NATION
— Anders Bjork has 10 points this season on five goals and five assists. His 10 points lead the country, while his five goals are tied for second.
PENN STATE AT A GLANCE
— The Nittany Lions enter this weekend with a 2-1-0 record, having split a season-opening series at home versus St. Lawrence (Oct. 6-7) and then beating Mercyhurst last weekend, 7-0 (Oct. 14).
— In last weekend’s win over the Lakers, freshman Peyton Jones made 20 saves to earn the shutout.
— Jones, who spent last season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, has started all three games for the Nittany Lions.
— Sophomore Chase Berger leads the team with five points on a goal and four assists. — Sophomore Andrew Sturtz and freshman Nate Sucese are tied for the team lead with three goals each.
— On special teams, Penn State has killed off all 15 opponent power plays it has faced so far this season and the Nittany Lions are 5-for-24 on the power play as well.
NOTRE DAME VERSUS PENN STATE
— This weekend’s series will mark the second time Notre Dame and Penn State are meeting since Penn State became a NCAA Div. I program (2012-13).
— Last season, the Fighting Irish opened the season with a weekend split at Penn State (Oct. 16-17, 2015), winning game one 7-4 before dropping game two 5-3
— In the game one win, then senior captain Steven Fogarty notched his first career hat trick. — The Irish also played the Nittany Lions four times between the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons, with the Irish posting a 3-0-1 record in those four games.
NEXT UP
Notre Dame remains home at the Compton Family Ice Arena to open Hockey East play against Connecticut in a two-game series that will take place on Thursday, Oct. 27 and Friday, Oct. 28. To purchase tickets visit UND.com/BuyTickets.
— ND —
Dan Colleran, associate athletics communications director at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and golf programs. A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Colleran also spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League and is a graduate of Providence College (’06 & ’08G).