Oct. 9, 2015
Photo Gallery | Box Score vs. Guelph 
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame hockey team opened its 2015-16 season with a 7-5 victory over the University of Guelph on Friday night at the Compton Family Ice Arena (4,165).
In a game that featured over 40 penalty minutes, six players scored for the Irish, led by freshman defenseman Dennis Gilbert’s two goals and two assists.
Notre Dame started fast as Luke Ripley scored just 1:10 into the game and Anders Bjork put the Irish up 2-0 just 34 seconds later. A battle of special teams then ensued as the teams combined for seven power-play goals over the final 55 minutes of the contest.
Though Guelph fought back to tie the game at 2-2 and then 3-3, the Irish built a 5-3 win at the end of the second period and went on to win 7-5.
“That’s what you expect in the first game, some good things for sure and then some other things that showed up,” Notre Dame Head Coach Jeff Jackson said. “You have to play and make some mistakes to start making progress, I think these two [season-opening exhibition] games will end up being really good for us to build on.”
In the Irish net, Chad Katunar (six saves) and Cal Petersen (nine saves) each played half of the game.
The Gryphons’ Andrew D’Agostini and Scott Stajcer also split time, with D’Agostini making 17 saves in the first period and a half and Stajcer making 12 to stops in relief.
Notre Dame finished 3-for-7 on the power play, while Guelph was 4-for-8 with the man advantage.
Next up, the Irish travel to play the USNTDP U-18 team at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11 at the newly named U.S. Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.
Goals
Ripley beat D’Agostini after taking a cross-zone pass from Thomas DiPauli in the high slot to make it 1-0 at 1:10 of the first period, with Connor Hurley also assisting on the play.
Thirty-four seconds later, Anders Bjork made it 2-0 when he finished off a Hurley pass at the far post from the bottom of the near circle. Tony Bretzman earned the second assist by getting the puck to Hurley along the far boards before Hurley and Bjork broke in on the Guelph net.
The Gryphons answered with back-to-back power-play goals. Tryg Strand put Guelph on the board when he converted from just outside Katunar’s goal crease at 04:43. Then Lenny Fabbri took a feed from Seth Swenson and tied the game, 2-2, at 8:51 of the first.
Notre Dame struck next with a power-play goal from senior captain Steven Fogarty, who finished off a cross-crease pass from Sam Herr into an open Guelph net. Herr was able to pick up the puck and make the quick pass after a Jordan Gross shot.
While on the power play, the Gryphons tied it at 3-3 just 32 seconds into the second period when Mac Nichol scored on a rebound in front.
Notre Dame took back the lead at 14:47 of the second on a Dennis Gilbert blast from the point while the Irish were on the power play. Jake Evans and Dylan Malmquist assisted on the play, which made it 4-3.
The Irish extended the lead to 5-3 at 19:11 of the second on a highlight reel power-play goal. Gilbert pushed the puck behind the Notre Dame net to DiPauli, who went end-to-end before dishing off a backhanded pass to Evans, who made one fake and lifted his wrist shot high past Stajcer.
The Irish picked up where they left off in the second period to start the third. Gilbert took a Bjork pass and rang a shot off the post and in for his second tally of the evening. Malmquist also earned an assist on the play, which was the games first even strength goal since the first two minutes of the opening period.
Andrew Oglevie got in on the act, tipping home a Gilbert shot from the point at 7:47 to make it 7-3 in favor of the Irish. Gross notched his second assist of the night on the play.
Lenn Fabbri and Seth Swenson scored in the later stages of the third period for Guelph to push the final score line to 7-5.
Notes
— Freshmen Joe Wegwerth, Andrew Oglevie (1-0-1), Dylan Malmquist (0-2-2), Jack Jenkins and Dennis Gilbert (2-2-4) made their first career appearances in an Irish uniform and accounted for three goals and four assists.
— Notre Dame’s first and second goals were scored just 34 seconds apart.
— Seven Irish skaters finished with multiple points on the night, including Dennis Gilbert (2-2-4), Thomas DiPauli (0-2-2), Connor Hurley (0-2-2), Anders Bjork (1-1-2), Dylan Malmquist (0-2-2), Jake Evans (1-1-2) and Jordan Gross (0-2-2).
— by Dan Colleran, Athletics Communications Associate Director