NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 18th-ranked University of Notre Dame fell to No. 3 University of Michigan, 5-1, Friday night in their first home loss of the season.
The Irish found themselves down early as a cross checking penalty went against the home team and its penalty kill unit went to work. Less than a minute later a Wolverine shot got a piece of pipe before being redirected back into the net for the 1-0 score.
Nick Leivermann found the equalizer at 13:06 of the opening period for his fourth of the season. After his first shot trickled just wide of the net, an outstretched Chayse Primeau wrapped the puck around the back of the net and onto the stick of Leivermann.
With an Irish skater looking on from the box, a pair of off-setting majors were called on each side and the two teams skated to the end of the first tied at 1-1.
Michigan scored another quick tally to open the second and the Irish found themselves trailing 2-1 just 55 seconds into period two.
A pair of Wolverine goals 21 seconds apart made it a 4-1 game halfway through the second period.
A powerplay tally at 18:01 of the second made it 5-1 in favor of the visitors, a score that would stand through the final horn.
The third period was riddled with penalties as the two teams combined for 13 penalties in the final period of regulation. Despite multiple powerplay opportunities for each side in the last 20 minutes, the scoreboard stayed the same as the Irish dropped the 5-1 final.
GOALS
- A netfront scramble in the waning seconds of an Irish powerplay resulted in an Irish goal when Nick Leivermann buried his shot from the top of the circle. After his first shot bounced wide, Chayse Primeau dove for the loose puck, tucking it back around the net and to Leivermann for the wide open shot. Trevor Janicke also tallied an assist on the play.
KEY STATS
- The Irish blocked 19 shots in the contest, led by Nick Leivermann with six pucks blocked in the game. Fellow defensemen Ryan Helliwell and Ben Brinkman also blocked multiple shots, jumping in front of four and three, respectively.
- Ryder Rolston and Leivermann each fired four shots on net, a team-best. Together, the Irish posted 24 shots on goal in the contest.
- Ryan Bischel made 39 saves between the pipes Friday night.
UP NEXT
The two teams return to the ice Saturday night for the series finale inside Compton Family Ice Arena. Puck drop is set for 6:05 p.m. with a t-shirt giveaway for the first 300 students.