Press Conferences: Coach Jackson | Andrew Peeke | Joe Wegwerth & Cale Morris
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The No. 2/3 Fighting Irish play a two-game series at Omaha this weekend (Oct. 19-20) in what will be the team’s first appearance at the Baxter Arena.
Coming off last weekend’s 2018 Ice Breaker championship in Erie, Pennsylvania, which included a 6-6 tie versus Mercyhurst and a 3-0 win over Providence, Notre Dame will play a pair of true road games at Omaha before opening the home portion of its schedule next weekend against Minnesota Duluth.
WHAT: Notre Dame at Omaha
WHEN: Oct. 19 (7:38 p.m. ET/6:38 CT) & 20 (8:07 ET/7:07 CT)
WHERE: Baxter Arena (Omaha, Nebraska)
BROADCASTS: CBS Sports Network (Friday), NCHC.tv (Saturday)
FOR STARTERS
- The Irish opened their season by posting a 1-0-1 record at the 2018 Ice Breaker Tournament in which they tied Mercyhurst and then defeated Providence for the championship.
- Joe Wegwerth led the way with a goal and two assists in game one and the game-winning goal and an assist in game two en route to being named the NCAA and Big Ten’s First Star of the Week (Oct. 16).
- The Irish were 11-2-1 on the road last season, including going undefeated on the road during the first half of the season.
- On the road in 2017-18, the Irish outscored their opponents 39-18 and posted two shutouts.
- The Irish hosted National Collegiate Hockey Conference members Omaha and Denver in 2017-18, resulting in a 1-2-1 record, including a win over Omaha in late October.
- The win was a 5-4 victory over Omaha that kick started Notre Dame’s program record 16-game winning streak.
- NCHC member institution, Minnesota-Duluth, and Notre Dame met in the 2018 Frozen Four Championship game as well.
- All-time, head coach Jeff Jackson is 70-50-19 against teams currently in the NCHC, including a 12-3-2 record against the UNO Mavericks.
SERIES HISTORY Vs. OMAHA
- The Irish and Mavericks have met 33 times since the 1999-00 season and Notre Dame leads the series 19-11-4.
- The Irish last traveled to Nebraska in February of 2009 for a weekend sweep of the Mavericks, posting 4-3 and 1-0 victories at UNO’s old home, the Qwest Center.
- All told, at Omaha the Irish have skated away with eight victories and two ties in 15 all-time meetings.
- The Fighting Irish will be making their first appearance at the Baxter Arena, which opened in 2015.
- Through 33 games played, the Irish have outscored the Mavericks 105-85, averaging 3.18 goals per game.
- Last season, Notre Dame hosted UNO for a weekend series in Compton Family Ice Arena. The Mavericks took the first game, 6-4, before the Irish came back to split the weekend with a 5-4 victory that Friday.
- That win kick started Notre Dame’s program record 16-game winning streak.
- Trailing 2-1 through the first 20 minutes of play in their last meeting, the Irish put together a four-goal second period to defeat UNO 5-4.
- Three current members of the team posted at least one goal in that contest: Colin Theisen had two goals in the victory, while Jack Jenkins and Cam Morrison also added a goal apiece.
2018 ICE BREAKER RECAP
- The Irish opened their season by posting a 1-0-1 record at the 2018 Ice Breaker Tournament in which they tied Mercyhurst 6-6 before winning the shootout to advance to the championship game.
- The Irish then blanked Providence, 3-0.
- In what has developed into a rivalry stemming from Hockey East play, the Irish improved to 5-0-1 against the Friars over the last three seasons, including a playoff series sweep and a win in the 2018 NCAA East Regional final.
- Against the Lakers, Cal Burke had a third period hat trick and added an assist, while Dylan Malmquist (a goal and three assists), Joe Wegwerth (a goal and two assists), Bobby Nardella (three assists) and Andrew Peeke (two assists) also had multi-point nights.
- Wegwerth (a goal and assist) and Peeke (two assists) posted multi-point nights in two consecutive games, with Wegwerth recording five points (2-3-5) and Peeke with four (0-4-4) at the Ice Breaker Tournament.
- In the game one shootout to determine an advancing team, Nardella netted the lone goal and Cale Morris made two saves to send Notre Dame to Saturday night’s Ice Breaker championship game against Providence.
- Notre Dame has now made five appearances in the Ice Breaker and claimed the title in 2012 (when they defeated Maine 1-0 and Omaha 3-2) and 2018.
CAREER NIGHTS
- Joe Wegwerth’s three points (1-2-3) against Mercyhurst marked a career high and it was his fourth career multi-point game.
- Andrew Peeke tied his career high with two points on two assists (sixth career multi-point game) in both games of the 2018 Ice Breaker.
- Dylan Malmquist finished with a career-best four points on a goal and three assists against Mercyhurst.
- Cal Burke also had a career-high four points versus the Lakers on three goals and an assist. It marked his second career hat trick as he became the first Irish player with multiple hat tricks since Anders Lee had two (Oct. 8, 2010 and Oct. 1, 2011).