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#4 Irish Hit The Road To Take On RPI

Nov. 15, 2017 | Game Notes Get Acrobat Reader

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The fourth-ranked University of Notre Dame hockey team will hit the road for its final regular season non-conference series as the Irish head to Troy, New York, to face RPI for games on Friday and Saturday.

It will be the first meeting between the teams since facing off in the 2014 Ice Breaker Tournament at the Compton Family Ice Arena and for just the ninth and 10th times in series history.

The Irish are coming off Big Ten series sweeps against Ohio State (Nov. 3-4) and Penn State (Nov. 10-11). In starting the conference slate 4-0-0-0, Notre Dame is the first team in league history to open with four consecutive wins.

Games 13 & 14: #4/4 Notre Dame (8-3-1, 4-0-0-0 B1G) vs. RPI (2-5-3, 1-4-1 ECAC)
When: Friday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m. ET | Saturday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Troy, N.Y. | Houston Field House
Watch (Stream): RPITV
Listen: WZOC 94.3 FM & UND.com | Al Pscholka (PxP)
Series History:
Tied 4-4-0
Notes: Notre Dame
Social: @NDHockey

Notes To Know

  • Notre Dame is on a five-game winning streak, its first such streak since Dec. 3, 2016 -Jan. 6, 2017. The Irish also had a seven-game unbeaten streak last year from Feb. 3-24, 2017 (5-0-2). The Irish last won six games in a row down the stretch of the 2013-14 season, from Feb. 15 – March 14.
  • The current five-game winning streak is tied for the second-longest winning streak in the country and the fourth-longest unbeaten streak.
  • The Irish have also won six of their last seven games.
  • Notre Dame opened Big Ten play with a 4-0-0-0 record to become the first team in league history to win each of its first four games (in 2013-14, Minnesota started 3-0-1-0 en route to an 8-0-2-0 start in B1G play).
  • Cale Morris has started each game in the five-game winning streak and he has moved his save percentage to .935 for the season, which ranks sixth in the country.
  • The Irish rank tied for second in the nation with 42 goals, while their 3.50 goals-per game mark is tied for ninth.
  • Half of Notre Dame’s goals this season (21-of-42) have come in the second period, the most second-period goals of any team in the country.
  • Dennis Gilbert (0-2-2) and Mike O’Leary (0-2-2) are on two-game point streaks.

Morris Earns B1G First Star

  • Goaltender Cale Morris was named the Big Ten’s First Star of the Week the conference announced on Tuesday morning (Nov. 14). Morris led the Irish to a weekend home sweep of Penn State, starting both games and posting a 2-0-0 record to go along with a 1.50 goals-against average and an impressive .961 save percentage.
  • In game one of the series (Nov. 10), Morris totaled a career-high 40 saves. Then in Notre Dame’s 1-0 win in game two (Nov. 11), Morris turned aside all 33 shots he faced to post his first career shutout as he became the first goaltender to blank Penn State this season.
  • It marks the second consecutive weekly Big Ten award for Morris, who is now 7-1-0 on the year with a .935 save percentage and a 2.05 goals against average.

Among The NCAA Leaders

  • Jake Evans enters the weekend as the NCAA leader in points (19), assists (15) and faceoff wins (176), while his 1.58 points per game average ranks seventh. Evans also leads the country with 13 even-strength points and he has the most games with at least three points (4).
  • Jordan Gross (4-8-12) and Bobby Nardella (3-9-12) are tied for third in the country in scoring by defensemen.
  • Nardella’s seven power-play points (1-6-7) are tied for the lead among defensemen.
  • Gross’ 49 shots on goal lead all defensemen and rank tied for third overall, while his 4.08 shots on goal per game average ranks second among defensemen.
  • Cale Morris‘ .935 save percentage ranks sixth in the country (minimum 33 percent team minutes played), while his seven wins are tied for second.

Series Quick Hits

  • Notre Dame and Rensselaer will be meeting for the ninth and 10th times, with the series currently tied at 4-4-0 through eight games.
  • The teams most recently played on Oct. 10, 2014, in the opening game of the 2014 Ice Breaker Tournament at the Compton Family Ice Arena.
  • After Jordan Gross tied the game, 2-2, at 3:41 of the third period, RPI came away with a 3-2 win on Mark Miller’s game-winning goal at 4:32 of the third.
  • In addition to Gross, current seniors Dawson Cook, Jake Evans, Justin Wade, and Luke Ripley also played in the game.
  • The teams’ meeting on Oct. 21, 2011, marked the first ever game in the Compton Family Ice Arena and Notre Dame posted a 5-2 victory on that day.
  • In front of a capacity crowd (5,022), Anders Lee netted a hat trick, while Sean Lorenz and Riley Sheahan also added goals for the Irish.
  • Notre Dame is 1-2-0 all time at the Houston Field House.
  • The Irish defeated RPI 4-3 on Nov. 24, 2007 which marked their most recent trip to Troy, N.Y. The game was part of the Engineers’ Holiday Tournament, which the Irish won with victories over Alabama Huntsville and RPI.

–ND–