BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — The fourth-ranked Notre Dame hockey team tied the game at 2-2 in the second period but 15th-ranked Bowling Green scored the game’s final three goals as the Falcons defeated the Irish 5-2 on Saturday night at the Slater Family Ice Arena.
Mike O’Leary and Trevor Janicke scored for Notre Dame (8-4-2), while Nick Leiveramann finished with a pair of assists.
In net, freshman Ryan Bischel made his fourth start of the season and totaled 30 saves, while Bowling Green’s Eric Dop made 25 saves.
Notre Dame finished 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Falcons (10-5-0) were 2-for-4.
How It Happened
Notre Dame struck first just 1:15 into the first when Mike O’Leary scored from down low on the power pay – his third power-play goal of the season. Nick Leivermann sent a point shot in that Cam Morrison tipped to earn the assists on the play.
Bowling Green answered with a power-play goal at 14:03 of the first when Freddy Letourneau took advantage of an awkward deflection down low and put a bouncing puck past Bischel on the short side.
The Falcons then took a 2-1 lead when Adam Pitters picked up an errant clear and scored his first career goal at 17:13.
With just over a minute left in the first, O’Leary setup Morrison in the slot but the senior’s wrist shot was fought off by Dop to keep it a 2-1 game after 20 minutes of play. There were four penalties called in the first, including three on the Falcons, and both Bowling Green goals were unassisted tallies.
In the second, Trevor Janicke beat Dop five-hole while skating in on a late developing 2-on-1 to tie things up, 2-2, at 7:16. Leivermann sprung the play with a cross-ice pass from his defensive blue line, while Tory Dello also assisted on Janicke’s sixth goal of the season.
Facing another Bowling Green power-play chance, Bischel made an impressive right pad save midway through the second. But later in the same power-play opportunity, Bowling Green retook the lead, 3-2, on a Cameron Wright goal from the slot at 11:09.
With five minutes left in the second Jake Pivonka pounced on a Bowling Green turnover but Dop made one of his best saves of the night, denying Pivonka on the doorstep.
Then at the other end, Sam Craggs gave Bowling Green a 4-2 lead when he scored on the rush with just under two minutes remaining in the second period.
With seven minutes left in the third, Nate Clurman, Max Ellis and Pierce Crawford forced Dop into a trio of saves as the Irish looked to pull closer.
Then at 16:13 the Falcons took advantage of a turnover and Connor Ford’s shot caromed around in front before Brandon Kruse knocked in the rebound for the 5-2 lead.
Up Next
- Notre Dame will play another non-conference home-and-home series next weekend against #12/14 Boston College.
- Game one will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 at Conte Forum (CBS All-Access) before the series shifts to Notre Dame for a 5 p.m. game on Sunday, Dec. 8 (NBC Sports Philadelphia+).
Notes
- With a goal, Mike O’Leary extended his point streak to four games (2-2-4).
- It marked O’Leary’s single-season high seventh goal of the year.
- With an assist, Cam Morrison extended his point streak to four games (1-3-4).
- With two assists, Nick Leivermann extended his point streak to three games (1-3-4).
- It marked Leivermann’s second multi-point game the season/his career.
- Freshman forward Max Ellis made his Notre Dame debut.
- Freshman goaltender Ryan Bischel made his fourth career start.
- Early in the second period there was a lengthy delay but due to technical difficulties the play in question was not reviewed.
- There was a second delay with 5:31 left in the third period after a linesman was struck with a puck and the game finished with three officials.
- Notre Dame is now 60-40-8 in the all-time series against Bowling Green.
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