Dec. 19, 2000
Omaha, Neb. – It was a great college hockey game. It’s ashame that someone had to lose, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish dropped their fifth consecutive game, this time to the Nebraska-Omaha Maverick’s, 1-0, in CCHA action Tuesday night at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Dan Ellis kicked out 23 Notre Dame shots and James Chalmers scored the games only goal, but the story of the night was the play of Notre Dame goaltender Jeremiah Kimento (Jr., Palos Hills, Ill.).
The 5-11, 190-pound puckstopper made a career high 35 saves, including several during two, third-period Nebraska-Omaha flurries, without having his goaltenders’ stick. Kimento’s previous career high in the save department came one year ago, December 19, 1999 when he stopped 32 Princeton Tiger shots in a 4-3 loss at the Joyce Center.
The loss extended Notre Dame’s winless streak to nine (0-7-2) and dropped the Irish to 3-12-3 overall and 1-8-2 in the CCHA. Nebraska-Omaha, 7-1-1 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium this season, improved to 9-9-1 on the season and 6-6-1 in league play.
It took more than 30 minutes before either team could light the lamp as the lone goal of the game came at the 10:10 mark of the second period.
Strong forechecking in the Notre Dame zone caused the Irish to lost the puck in the right wing corner. UNO’s Shane Turner found defenseman Greg Zanon at the point. The sophomore blueliner fired a low, hard shot at the Irish goal where Chalmers was set in front. The center iceman got his stick on the shot and the puck deflected over Kimento’s left shoulder for the deciding goal. For Chalmers, it was his fifth goal of the season.
Notre Dame had its chances getting three power play chances in each of the first two periods with the best chance coming with under eight minutes left in the second period when freshman Brett Lebda’s (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) shot rang off the post to the left of Ellis. On the night, Notre Dame was 0-for-6 on the power play while Nebraska-Omaha was 0-for-4. The Irish were outshot 36-23 in the game.
The Irish played without two of their top scorers as center Connor Dunlop and right wing Rob Globke are with the U.S. Junior National Team as they prepare for the World Junior Championships in Moscow, Dec. 25 to Jan. 6.
The game was played in front of 8,314 fans, the 72nd consecutive sellout at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in the brief four-year history of the Mavericks’ Division I program. The two teams will meet in the second game of the series on Wednesday night before breaking for the Christmas holidays.
Game Summary: 1 2 3 F
Notre Dame (3-12-3/1-8-2) 0 0 0 0
Nebraska-Omaha (9-9-1/6-6-1) 0 1 0 1
Scoring
First Period: No Scoring
Penalties: ND: 2 for 4 minutes, UNO: 3 for 6 minutes.
Second Period: UNO: James Chalmers – 5 (Greg Zanon, Scott Turner) 10:10.
Penalties: ND: 2 for 4 minutes, UNO: 3 for 6 minutes.
Third Period: No Scoring.
Penalties: ND: 0 for 0 minutes, UNO: 0 for 0 minutes.
Shots On Goal:
Notre Dame: 8 – 9 – 6 – 23
Nebraska-Omaha 6 – 14 – 16 – 36
Goaltender Saves:
Notre Dame – Jeremiah Kimento (59:14) 6 – 13 – 16 – 35
Nebraska-Omaha – Dan Ellis (60:00) 8 – 9 – 6 – 23
Power Plays:
Notre Dame: 0 for 6
Nebraska-Omaha: 0 for 4
Attendance: 8,314