Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Blue Team Takes 4-3 Win In Hockey's Annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage

Sept. 28, 2003

Notre Dame, Ind. – Sophomore goaltender Rory Walsh (Milton, Mass.) made 26 saves, including three on penalty shots and the Blue team got goals from Matt Amado (So., Surrey, B.C.), Mike Walsh (So., Northville, Mich.), Matt Williams-Kovacs (Fr., Calgary, Alb.) and Rob Globke (Sr., West Bloomfield, Mich.) in their 4-3 win over the Gold squad in Notre Dame’s annual Blue-Gold Intrasquad Scrimmage. Coach Dave Poulin awarded the victorious Blue team the Edward Slaggert Memorial Trophy as winners of the Blue-Gold game.

The game, played to benefit the Hockey Coaches’ Foundation for cancer research, drew over 1,000 fans to the Joyce Center. Each Notre Dame player played the game in honor of a family member or friend stricken with cancer.

Senior team captain Aaron Gill (Rochester, Minn.) picked up three assists for the Blue in the victory.

Amado got the scoring started at 8:53 of the first half (the game featured two 20-minute halves) when he scored off a Gill set up in front. The Blue lead would go to 2-0 just 32 seconds later when Walsh whipped a shot from the slot past Gold goaltender David Brown (Fr., Stoney Creek, Ont.).

A pair of freshmen got the Gold on the scoreboard at 9:35 as Jason Paige (Saginaw, Mich.) one-timed a shot from the slot past Rory Walsh. T.J. Jindra (Fr., Faribault, Minn.) set up the play with a feed from behind the Blue Gold as the first half ended with the score 2-1 in favor of the Blue.

In the second half, the Blue extended its lead to 3-1 as Williams-Kovacs teamed with Josh Sciba (Fr., Westland, Mich.) on a slick passing play to the left of Brown. Williams-Kovacs tucked the rebound of Sciba’s shot under the fallen goaltender just 30 seconds into the half.

Strong forechecking by Brad Wanchulak (Jr., Edson, Alb.) cut the Blue lead to 3-2 at 1:09 as the junior left wing intercepted a pass inside the left wing circle and fired one over Walsh to make it a one-goal game.

The Blue would get the eventual game-winning goal at 8:29 of the half when Globke took a centering pass from Gill between the circles and fired the puck over Brown’s glove to make it 4-2.

Defenseman Brett Lebda (Sr., Buffalo Grove, Ill.) made it 4-3 at 13:50 when his blue line blast from the center point beat Walsh low to his stick side for the game’s final goal.

Walsh finished the night with 26 saves and received the George Komadoski Most Valuable Player Trophy. Brown stopped 15 shots for the Gold team.

The Irish return to action on Friday, Oct. 3 when they play host to Western Ontario in a 7:35 p.m. preseason game at the Joyce Center. Notre Dame opens the regular season on the road when the Irish travel to Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 10-11 to face the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Blue-Gold Summary:

1 2 F

Blue 2 2 4

Gold 1 2 3

First Period: B- Matt Amado (Tom Galvin, Aaron Gill), 8:53; B – Mike Walsh (A. Gill, Amado), 9:25; G – Jason Paige (T.J. Jindra), 9:35. Penalties: B – Joe Zurenko (crosscheck), 10:19.

Second Period: B – Matt Williams-Kovacs (Josh Sciba), :30; G – Brad Wanchulak (unassisted), 1:09; B – Rob Globke (A. Gill), 8:29; G – Brett Lebda (Neil Komadoski), 13:50. Penalties: G – Neil Komadoski (crosscheck), 3:07; B – Matt Williams-Kovacs (holding), 3:07; B – Zurenko (roughing), 4:33.

Shots on Goal:

Blue: 11-9-20

Gold: 15-14-29

Saves:

B – Rory Walsh (26 saves)

G – David Brown (16 saves)