Dec. 9, 2000

Box Score

Notre Dame, Ind. –

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are glad to see Miami University’s Jason Deskins leave town.

For the second night in a row, the RedHawks junior center personally guided his team to a victory over the Irish on the Joyce Center ice. On Saturday night, Deskins scored a goal and added a pair of assists as Miami downed Notre Dame, 4-1. On Friday, night, the Warren, Mich., native had two goals including the game winner in a 5-2 win.

The loss increased Notre Dame’s winless streak to eight games (0-6-2) as the Irish are now 3-11-3 on the year and 1-7-2 in CCHA play. Miami on the other hand has now won nine of its last 11 games to move to 10-6-2 overall. The win catapulted the RedHawks into a second place tie with Michigan in the league standings with a 7-4-1 mark, good for 15 points.

After a scoreless first period, Deskins started a three goals in 1:07 run that gave Miami a 2-1 lead when he took a feed from senior wing Pat Leahy and shot it past ND’s Jeremiah Kimento (Jr., Palos Hills, Ill.) for his 12th goal of the season. The power play goal came at 9:36.

Notre Dame wasted little time coming back as 10 seconds later, at 9:46, freshman center Aaron Gill (Rochester, Minn.) rapped home the rebound of a Dan Carlson (Sr., Edina, Minn.). Gill, who had a strong weekend for the Irish, started the play, winning the face off back to Carlson. His first shot was blocked, but he followed with a hard wrist shot, that Miami’s David Burleigh stopped but couldn’t control. Gill deposited the rebound behind him for his second goal of the weekend and fifth of the season.

The tie lasted less than a minute though as Bart Stevens sprung Evan Cheverie on a breakaway. The junior forward made a move on Kimento and slid the puck home for his fourth goal of the year at 10:43.

Miami wasn’t done in the second as Leahy, who had five points (1 g, 4a) on the weekend slid the rebound of a Deskins’ shot past Kimento at 14:43 for his fourth goal of the year and the Irish trailed, 3-1, after two periods.

Notre Dame had its chances in the third, but just couldn’t score. Burleigh made several big saves and the Irish missed on several chances in close. The Irish power play went 0-for-8 in the game and was 0-for-3 in the third period including a five-on-three for 29 seconds early in the stanza.

“Our power play has to execute in the third period. We have to score there. We had plenty of chances, especially on the five-on-three. Aaron Gill had a wide-open net and someone got their stick on it, but that’s the way its been going,” said Poulin following the game.

“They converted their power play chances and we didn’t. That was the difference in the game.”

Miami closed out the scoring with its second power play goal of the night with Deskins making a perfect cross rink pass to Mike Glumac at the far post. Glumac just tapped the pass past Kimento for his fourth goal of the year at 17:18

For the game, the two teams each had 25 shots on goal. Burleigh made 24 saves on the night while Kimento had 21 stops in the game.

The Irish now break for finals and will look to regroup for the second half of the season.

“I told them after the game, that we just have to work through this. When things aren’t going well, you have to work for everything that you get. The calls don’t go your way, you don’t get the breaks here and there,” said the Irish head coach.

“We are going to break for finals and come back strong. We have to become the kind of team that no one wants to play in the second half of the year.”

Notre Dame returns to action on December 19-20 when they travel to Omaha, Neb., to face the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in a pair of CCHA games. Face-off is sent for 8:00 p.m. EST.

SUMMARY:

Miami (10-6-2/7-4-1) 0 3 1 – 4

Notre Dame (3-11-3/1-7-2) 0 1 0 – 1

First Period: No Scoring.

Penalties: MU: 4 for 8 minutes, ND: 2 for 4 minutes.

Second Period: MU: Jason Deskins 12 (Pat Leahy, Derek Edwardson), PPG, 9:36, ND: Aaron Gill 5 (Dan Carlson), 9:46, MU: Evan Cheverie 8 (Bart Stevens, David Burleigh), 10:43, MU: Pat Leahy 4 (Deskins, Marsch), PPG, 14:43.

Penalties: MU: 2 for 4 minutes, ND: 4 for 8 minutes.

Third Period: MU: Glumac 4 (Deskins), PPG, 12:18.

Penalties: MU: 4 for 8 minutes, ND: 4 for 8 minutes.

Power Plays:

Miami: 2 for 8

Notre Dame: 0 for 8

Shots On Goal

Miami: 8 – 10 – 7 – 25 Notre Dame: 7 – 13- 5 – 25

Goaltender Saves:

Miami: David Burleigh (60:00) 7 – 12 – 5 – 24

Notre Dame: Jeremiah Kimento (60:00) 8 – 7 – 6 – 21

Attendance: 2,445