Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

#8 Irish Return To Host #18 Ohio State

WHO: #8/8 Notre Dame (10-3-0, 4-2-0-2-0-0 B1G) vs. #19 Ohio State (8-4-0, 4-2-0-0-0-0 B1G)
WHEN: Friday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET // Saturday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. ET
WHERE: Compton Family Ice Arena (tickets)
WATCH: NBCSN and the NBC App (Friday) // NBCSports Philadelphia+ and the NBC App (Saturday)
LISTEN: 94.3 FM | UND.com
NOTES (PDF)

SETTING THE STAGE

  • After a weekend off, Notre Dame returns to play host to Ohio State in a two-game Big Ten series at the Compton Family Ice Arena (Dec. 3-4).
  • The Irish enter the weekend with a six-game winning streak that included a weekend sweep of then top-ranked Michigan in their last series (Nov. 19-20). 
  • Notre Dame’s weekend sweep of the Wolverines included a 3-2 overtime win in game one and a 5-4 game two overtime win.
  • Junior forward Max Ellis helped lead the Irish to that sweep as he assisted Ryder Rolston’s overtime winner in game one and then on Saturday night, Ellis posted the first hat trick of his career, capped by scoring the overtime game-winning goal. 
  • Ellis became the first visiting player to record a hat trick at Yost Ice Arena in 15 years (2006).
  •  Ohio State split its last two series at Minnesota (Nov. 12-13) and versus Mercyhurst (Nov. 26-27).
  • Notre Dame is fourth in the Big Ten standings (6 GP, 10 points: 4-2-0-2-0-0), while Ohio State is third (6 GP, 12 points: 4-2-0-0-0-0).
  • Ellis has an active career-long, seven-game point streak (7-4-11).
  • In addition, Ryder Rolston has a five-game point streak (3-4-7), Nick Leivermann has a four-game point streak (1-5-6) and Cam Burke has a two-game point streak (0-2-2). 
  • In 13 games, Ellis leads the team with 10 goals and 18 points and is tied for the team lead with eight assists. 
  • Ellis’ 10 goals rank eighth in the NCAA, while his 18 points rank 21st (14th in points per game at 1.385).
  • Trevor Janicke and Graham Slaggert rank second on the team with five goals each, while Ryder Rolston, Adam Karashik and Solag Bakich are tied with Ellis with eight assists each.
  • All told, 13 Notre Dame players have scored so far this season, while 18 have at least one point.
  • The Irish are 7-0-0 when scoring first this season.
  • Notre Dame’s penalty kill is 46-for-49 on the season (.938), which ranks first in the NCAA.
  • The Irish are averaging 3.63 goals per game, which ranks ninth in the NCAA (second in the Big Ten) and are also holding opponents to 1.89 goals-against per game, which ranks sixth nationally (first in the Big Ten).
  • Notre Dame has made each of the last five NCAA Tournaments, the longest streak in program history, and eight of the last 11 NCAA Tournaments overall.

THE BIG TEN STANDINGS

  • This season, teams are awarded three points in the conference standings for a win in regulation. 
  • If the game is tied following regulation, both teams will receive one point, with a second point being awarded to the team that wins in either the 3-on-3 overtime period or the shootout.
  • The conference standings now match a national standard: W-L-T-OTW-OTL-SOW.

SLAGGERT ON USA’S PRELIM ROSTER 

  • Sophomore forward Landon Slaggert has been named to the 2022 U.S. National Junior Team Preliminary Roster (Team USA’s training camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan will start on December 12). 
  • The 2022 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship will take place in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta from Dec. 26, 2021- January 5, 2022.
  • Slaggert will be looking to make Team USA for the second consecutive season as he was part of last season’s gold medal winning Team USA.
  • At last season’s World Junior Tournament, Slaggert skated in all seven games for Team USA and became the first Fighting Irish player to medal at the event since 2018 – when current Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Andrew Peeke helped the U.S. secure the bronze in Buffalo. 
  • Slaggert’s gold marked the eighth medal by a Notre Dame player at the event as he also joined Anders Bjork (bronze in 2016), Mario Lucia (gold in 2013), Kyle Palmieri (gold in 2010 and bronze in 2011), Kyle Lawson (bronze in 2007) and Ben Simon (silver in 1997). 
  • Slaggert was the 23rd Notre Dame player to take part in the World Junior Championship and the South Bend, Indiana native will look to join Palmieri (2010/11), Ian Cole (2008/09), Rob Globke (2001/02), Connor Dunlop (2000/01), Simon (1997/98) and Jack Brownschidle (1977/79) as two-time Irish participants. 

THE NOTRE DAME – OHIO STATE SERIES

  • Notre Dame owns a 40-39-11 edge in the all-time series after sweeping a road series last year in the teams’ most recent meetings (Feb. 5-6, 2021).
  • Since joining the Big Ten, Notre Dame leads the series with the Buckeyes 9-5-1. 
  • The Irish posted wins of 6-1 and 8-1 to sweep that road series against Ohio State last season, led by Alex Steeves who had a goal and three assists in game one and added three more assists in game two for a seven point weekend and Big Ten Second Star of the Week honors.
  • Nick Leivermann had three goals and an assist in that series, while Cam Burke posted a career-best three points on a goal and two assists in the game two victory and Spencer Stastney had a goal in each game.
  • Earlier in the 2020-21 season, the teams split a series at the Compton Family Ice Arena (Dec. 12-13). 
  • The Fighting Irish took game one of that series 3-0 behind goals from Graham Slaggert, Michael Graham and Alex Steeves.
  • Ohio State rallied to post a 3-2 game two victory, despite Irish goals from Nate Clurman and Steeves.
  • Notre Dame went 2-1-1 against the Buckeyes during the 2019-20 season, including a home sweep of Ohio State on Nov. 8-9, 2019 inside Compton Family Ice Arena. 
  • In that home sweep over then #8 Ohio State, the Irish took game one in overtime, 3-2, before earning a 2-1 victory in game two. 
  • Pierce Crawford provided the OT game winner in game one while then-freshman Solag Bakich scored his first career goal in that contest. 
  • 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.
  • 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, played for the Buckeyes from 2017-21.
  • Current Ohio State graduate student/forward Eric Cooley is the nephew of former Notre Dame forward Tom Mooney (1984-88).
  • Notre Dame’s career offensive leaders against Ohio State include Graham Slaggert (12 GP; 3-7-10), Jesse Lansdell (8 GP; 1-5-6), Nick Leivermann (7 GP; 3-3-6), Spencer Stastney (12 GP; 2-4-6), Cam Burke (11 GP; 2-2-4), Trevor Janicke (8 GP; 1-3-4) and Landon Slaggert (2 GP; 1-3-4). 

GALAJDA SHUTOUT RANKS

  • Graduate student Matthew Galajda made 22 saves to help lead the Irish to a 3-0 win over Wisconsin on Oct. 13, marking his second shutout for Notre Dame and the 21st of his career.
  •  A 2018 First Team All-American, his 21 career shutouts rank tied for third in NCAA Men’s Division I history:
  • Rank Name (Years) GP Shutouts
  • 1. Dryden McKay (2018‑pres.) 112 30
  • 2. Ryan Miller (1999‑2002) 106 26
  • 3. Michael Bitzer (2014‑2018) 138 21
  • Matthew Galajda (2017‑pres.) 94 21
  • 5. Joe Fallon (2004‑2008) 132 20
  • 6. Ben Scriven (2006‑2010) 117 19
  • Michael Garteig (2012‑2016) 124 19

 

— ND —