Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Dhadphale, Carlson Help Push Hockey Squad Past Alaska Fairbanks

January 15, 1999

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Senior left wing Aniket Dhadphale and sophomore left wing Dan Carlson both scored twice as the No. 8-ranked Notre Dame hockey team overcame the absence of several regulars to remain unbeaten at home, following a 6-2 victory over visiting Alaska Fairbanks in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action Friday at the Joyce Center Fieldhouse.

Notre Dame (13-6-2, 10-5-1 CCHA) pushed its winning streak to four games and moved within a point out of third place in the CCHA standings, after Ferris State (10-5-2) posted a 4-0 home win over second-place Michigan (12-3-1). That win moved FSU into a tie for third with Ohio State (10-6-2), which was playing a non-conference game at Cornell.

The Irish played without three regulars-junior center Ben Simon (the CCHA’s second-leading scorer), junior defenseman Tyson Fraser and sophomore defenseman Ryan Clark. Simon was serving a one-game suspension handed down by the CCHA, for a stick incident earlier in the season, while Fraser missed his second game of the season due to injury. Clark missed his fifth straight game while recovering from Dec. 23 shoulder surgery.

Alaska Fairbanks (6-15-0, 5-14-0 CCHA)-which scored in the first two minutes of the game before falling behind 5-1-dropped into a tie for ninth place in the CCHA standings, thanks to a 5-1 home win by Miami (4-12-3) over last-place Lake Superior (3-10-2).

Ten Notre Dame players recorded points in Friday’s win while the Irish improved to 7-0-1 at home this season, with a 39-14 scoring edge. Notre Dame outshot the visitors 43-22, giving the Irish a 163-84 shot advantage during the last four games of the series. The renewed Notre Dame power play converted on 3-of-7 man-up chances, giving the Irish five power-play scores in their last 13 opportunities (after an 0-for-17 slide).

Irish freshman Brett Henning, the usual third-line center, did a solid job filling in for Simon on both the first forward line and first power-play unit. Henning led the charge and recorded an assist on a second-period goal by Carlson before notching his third goal of the season early in the final period for a 6-1 Irish lead._

In other CCHA action Friday, first-place Michigan State (12-2-3) skated to a 2-2 tie at seventh-place Bowling Green (6-8-2) while sixth-place Northern Michigan (9-8-0) stayed three points behind the Irish with a 6-2 win at ninth-place Western Michigan (2-10-6). The night’s results left Notre Dame four points behind Michigan and six behind MSU (the Irish and Spartans still have their full three-game series left to play).

The Irish surged to a 4-1 lead with two goals late in the second period, the first coming just moments after a potential game-tying score by UAF sophomore right wing Jim Lawrence clanged off the right post. Henning led the charge and dropped a pass to senior right wing Brian Urick, who slanted in and ducked around the net before dropping the puck into the slot. Carlson was filling the middle and beat UAF senior Chris Marvel for his fifth goal of the season and the eventual game-winner (16:23).

In the final minute of the period, Dhadphale received the puck near mid-ice after passes in the Irish zone from junior right wing Joe Dusbabek and junior defenseman Sean Molina. Dhadphale angled towards the top of the faceoff circles and surprised Marvel with a low shot that tucked inside the right post, with Dhadphale tumbling to the ice as the long shot skipped into the net for his 12th goal of the season (19:07).

UAF had claimed an early lead when sophomore left wing Pat Hallett appeared to nudge the puck off his skate and into the net. Junior defenseman Dwayne Zinger set the play in motion with a pass from the right corner for Lawrence, who sent a shot on net from the top of the right faceoff circle. Hallett was filling the slot and appeared to redirect the puck off his skate and past senior goaltender Forrest Karr (1:34).

The Irish tied the game midway through the period, on Dhadphale’s fifth power-play goal of the season. Dhadphale got things going when he won the puck at the left corner and fired a pass to the left point. Freshman center David Inman then placed a shot on net and Marvel batted the puck to his left. But Carlson nudged the puck to the top of the crease and Dhadphale swiped a shot into the net (11:14).

Two minutes later, senior center Craig Hagkull brought the puck all the way from the Irish zone and recovered his own deflected pass before firing a pass into the slot from the right boards. Sophomore left wing Chad Chipchase was angling toward the net from the far side and one-timed the puck past Marvel for his seventh goal of the season (13:34).

The final period featured the third power-play goal of the season for Carlson, who tipped in a shot by Urick just 37 seconds into the action. Senior defenseman Benoit Cotnoir worked the puck to Urick, who fired from near the center of the blueline.

UAF added a goal at the 3:40 mark, when senior right wing Jamie Coady took a pass from freshman defenseman Aaron Grosul and fired a shot from between the circles past Karr’s left skate. Henning capped the scoring less than a minute later, tipping in a power-play shot from outside by Cotnoir (4:31).

NOTES: Notre Dame’s top four defensemen-Clark (7), Fraser (2), Cotnoir (2) and junior Nathan Borega (8)-have combined to miss 19 games this season … Dhadphale notched his second multiple-goal game of the season and the 10th of his career (he had a hat trick vs. Bowling Green on Nov. 13) … he is three points shy of 100 for his career (55G-42A) … Urick’s pair of assists move him into a tie with Simon for the team scoring lead (29 points, 12G-17A) and give him 114 career points in 132 games (53G-61A) … the Irish are 10-2-1 in their last 13 home games, with a commanding 58-24 scoring edge … since returning to CCHA, Notre Dame has outshot the opposition 112-71 during the last three games … the surging Irish penalty-killing unit has stopped 14 of 15 opponent power plays during the last three games.

   ALASKA FAIRBANKS (6-15-0, 5-14-0 CCHA)   1   0   1   -   2#8 NOTRE DAME    (13-6-2, 10-5-1 CCHA)   2   2   2   -   6

1st: ND 1. Hallett 6 (Lawrence, Zinger) 1:34; ND 1. Dhadphale 11 (Carlson, Inman), PP, 11:14; ND 2. Chipchase 7 (Hagkull) 13:34.

2nd: ND 3. Carlson 5 (Urick, Henning) 16:23; ND 4. Dhadphale 12 (Molina, Dusbabek), 4-4, 19:07.

3rd: ND 5. Carlson 6 (Urick, Carlson), 4-4, 0:37; UAF 2. Coady 5 (Grosul) 3:40; ND 6. Henning 3 (Cotnoir), PP, 4:31.

SHOTS: UAF 7-6-9/22; ND 13-17-13/43.
SAVES: UAF (Marvel) 11-15-11/37, ND (Karr) 6-6-8/20.
POWER PLAY: UAF 0-for-5, ND 3-for-7.
PENALTIES: UAF 9 for 18:00, ND 7 for 14:00.