MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The #4/5 Irish opened Big Ten play by skating to a 2-2 overtime tie against Minnesota on Friday night at the 3M Arena at Mariucci (7,459). The Gophers scored in the three-on-three overtime to earn the extra point in the Big Ten standings.
Senior Mike O’Leary scored his fifth goal of the season for the Irish, while freshman Trevor Janicke scored for the second game in a row.
Cale Morris totaled 23 saves in the Notre Dame net, while the Irish forced Jared Moe into making 31 stops.
Notre Dame finished 0-for-2 on the power play, while the Gophers were 0-for-3.
How It Happened
The teams played a scoreless first period that included six saves by each goaltender and both teams going 0-for-1 on abbreviated power-play opportunities. Just under two minutes into the game, Nate Clurman appeared to give the Irish a 1-0 lead but after a lengthy review the call on the ice was overturned for goaltender interference.
The Irish then took a 1-0 lead at 2:58 of the second period when O’Leary forced a rebound past Moe for his fifth goal of the season. Matt Hellickson, who put a close range shot off of Moe’s pad, and Cal Burke assisted on the play.
Both goaltenders were busier in the second frame, including eight saves by Morris. Notre Dame forced Moe into making 14 saves in the period, including point blank stops on O’Leary and Janicke as well as a breakaway stop on Pierce Crawford.
The Gophers tied it on a Nathan Burke goal at 5:41 of the third period, but Janicke answered right back for the Irish by scoring his second of the season just 25 seconds later. Then it was the Gophers’ turn to answer as Scott Reedy scored 18 seconds after the Janicke goal to tie the game at 2-2. All told there were three goals in the 43-second span.
Morris made a big stop on Jaxson Nelson from the slot with 10 minutes left in the third and then he then made a glove stop on Joey Marooney with 3:37 left in the third for one of the best saves of the night, keeping the score tied at 2-2.
Both teams had a few chances in the five minute five-on-five overtime, but the game officially ended in a tie. Minnesota’s Sammy Walker scored at 1:37 of the second overtime (three-on-three) to secure the extra point.
Up Next
- The Irish and Gophers close out their weekend series at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday evening. The game will be televised by Fox Sports North and streamed via BTN+.
Notes
- With a goal, Mike O’Leary extended his point streak to five games to start the season (5-7-12).
- O’Leary now has 28 points (9-19-28) in his last 24 games played.
- With an assist, Cal Burke also extended his point streak to five games to start the season (4-8-12).
- Trevor Janicke scored for the second consecutive game.
- Cale Morris is now 5-3-1 in his career against Minnesota.
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