MADISON, Wis. – The 11th-ranked Fighting Irish couldn’t overcome a three-goal deficit despite outshooting the Badgers 41-15, falling to Wisconsin 5-3 on Saturday night at the Kohl Center (9,228).
Wisconsin goaltender Jared Moe made 38 saves to earn the win, including 18 saves in the first period when Notre Dame had a 19-5 advantage in shots on goal but trailed 3-1.
Ryder Rolston, Solag Bakich and Grant Silianoff scored for the Irish, with Bakich adding an assist for a two-point night. Chase Blackmun had a pair of assists for the Irish as well.
Bakich’s goal came with 2:30 left in the third to make it a 4-2 game and then Silianoff made it 4-3 with 1:02 remaining. But Wisconsin added an empty net tally to seal the win.
Notre Dame was 0-for-3 on the power play, but held the Badgers to an 0-for-2 mark with the man advantage.
Ryan Bischel (2) and Matthew Galajda combined for 10 saves on the night.
How It Happened
The Irish dominated the opening of the first period by controlling the play in the offensive zone for the game’s first seven minutes, but Moe made 10 saves in that time frame to keep it scoreless.
Mathieu De St. Phalle scored on Wisconsin’s first shot on goal at the 11:53 mark as his snapshot through a screen made it a 1-0 game.
With two minutes left in the first, Ryder Rolston slammed home his 10th goal of the year at the back post after Charlie Raith found him with a cross-ice pass, with Solag Bakich also earning an assist on the play – which kicked off an eventful stretch that included two Notre Dame breakaways and two Wisconsin goals.
Just after the Rolston goal, Max Ellis had a breakaway chance but he hit the crossbar. The play was later reviewed but the no goal call on the ice stood.
Then at the other end, Ryder Donovan found the back of the net, just 23 seconds after the Rolston goal.
Anthony Kehrer pushed it to a 3-1 Wisconsin lead at 19:18 with his first goal of the year.
Landon Slaggert created a turnover at the defensive blue line and saw his breakaway attempt turned aside by Moe, but he was hooked on the play as time expired.
Notre Dame opened the second on the power play but couldn’t cut into the lead.
Wisconsin’s first shot on goal of the second period came at the 10:58 mark, with Matthew Galajda there to make the save after starting the second in place of Bischel.
Ellis had another great chance at the 13:00 minute mark of the second but Moe continued his run. Then Josh Ess pushed the Badger lead to 4-1 just after that chance by Ellis.
The Irish killed off another Wisconsin power play near the end of the second and trailed 4-1 after 40 minutes of play.
Six minutes into the third, Trevor Janicke blasted a one-timer from a Graham Slaggert drop pass that beat Moe but rang off the post.
Midway through the third, Landon Slaggert, Spencer Stastney and Jesse Lansdell had looks on the power play but Moe made the stops.
With 2:30 left in the third, Solag Bakich went to the net and forced a rebound over the goal line to make it a 4-2 game.
Then Silianoff stepped into a one timer to cut the lead to 4-3, but Jack Gorniak added an empty netter at 19:34 to seal the win.
Notes
- With a goal and an assist, Solag Bakich posted his fourth multi-point game of the season and of his career.
- WIth a pair of assists, Chase Blackmun had his second two-assist game in an Irish uniform.
- Notre Dame is now 7-4-0 on the road this season.
- Boasting the NCAA’s top penalty kill, the Irish improved to 99-for-106 on the year (.934).
Next Up
- Notre Dame and Wisconsin close out their regular-season series at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday night at the Kohl Center (BTN Plus).
– ND –