NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team returns home for the postseason, having clinched the final home ice spot with their 2-1 overtime victory at Michigan last weekend.
The fourth-seeded Irish closed out their regular season Big Ten schedule with 35 points in order to host the first round of playoffs. The best-of-three series against the Michigan State Spartans gets underway Friday, March 3 at 7 p.m.
The puck will drop on Saturday’s tilt at 4:30 p.m. before a 6 p.m. start the following night (if necessary). All games are set to air on FS2.
The Irish, at 15-14-5, look to seal their NCAA Tournament fate this weekend as they currently sit at No. 14 in the latest PairWise rankings.
QUICK HITS
- The Irish clinched home ice in the first round of the conference tournament following a pair of wins in extra time at No. 4/4 Michigan last weekend. After forcing overtime in game one against the Wolverines at Yost Ice Arena, Ryan Bischel turned aside all four shots faced in the overtime period to send the contest to a shootout. In a three-round shootout, Nick Leivermann scored first for the Irish while Bischel stopped all three Michigan shooters to secure the extra conference point.
- On Saturday, the Irish and Wolverines were locked in a 0-0 tie until partway through the third period when Drew Bavaro scored the opening goal, on the powerplay, 3:35 into the final period of regulation. Michigan would answer six minutes later as the Irish faced their third-consecutive overtime game.
- Bavaro registered all three shots on goal in the overtime session, picking up two of his own rebounds before burying the puck just 90 seconds into the period to secure the fourth seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
- Prior to their bye week, the Irish closed out their regular season home schedule with five of six league points against Ohio State. Behind two goals from Landon Slaggert Friday night, the Irish defeated the Buckeyes 2-1 to open up the weekend series.
- The Irish faced a 2-0 deficit halfway through Saturday night’s contest against OSU but a pair of seniors lit the lamp to knot things up and force overtime. Jack Adams and Nick Leivermann scored for the Irish in regulation while senior netminder Ryan Bischel made 45 saves in regulation to send the contest to an overtime frame. Bischel made five additional saves in overtime to finish the night with 50 official saves, his second 50+ save performance of the season and his career, before securing the extra conference point in a nine-round shootout.
- Leivermann opened the shootout with a goal before Hunter Strand gave the Irish the advantage in round four. The Buckeyes evened it out in the fourth round to force additional shots. On senior night, Chase Blackmun found the go-ahead tally in the ninth round to give the Irish a 3-2 shootout lead. Bischel made the final save on the ensuing Buckeye attempt to get the extra point on his senior night. In net, Bischel made seven saves in the shootout to finish the night with an unofficial count of 57 saves.
- Bischel was named Big Ten Second Star of the Week on Feb. 14 after officially stopping 87 of 90 shots faced in the two games played.
- With 1,095 total saves this season, Bischel currently ranks first nationally in the category while his .932 save percentage is second in the nation.
NOTRE DAME vs. MICHIGAN STATE
- In four meetings with the Spartans in 2022-23, the Irish posted a 1-2-1 record with their foe.
- In their most recent series, the Spartans had the upperhand, stealing both games from the Irish in East Lansing.
- The two teams previously met inside Compton Family Ice Arena to open conference play at the end of October, with the Irish clinching four of a possible six league points at home.
- ND opened up with a 5-0 victory over the Spartans in game one of the series, before skating to a 1-1 tie with MSU the following night.
- Three Irish skaters set career high point nights in the Friday night shutout of the Spartans as Chayse Primeau (1-2-3) and Ryder Rolston (1-2-3) each tallied three points for a team-best. Hunter Strand also tied his career-best two-point night with a goal and an assist in the 5-0 win over the Spartans to open league play in 2022-23.
- Ten individuals highlighted the box score at home against the Spartans earlier this season, including Strand and Chase Blackmun picking up their first points of the season in the weekend series.
- The Irish and Spartans have met 139 times in program history with MSU leading the all-time series, 72-52-15. At home however, the Irish hold the series edge, 32-26-10.