Jan. 12, 2005
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* The Series: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-11-5/3-9-4) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (13-6-3/10-3-1)
* Date/Site/Times: Fri.-Sat., Jan. 14-15, 2005 – 7:35 p.m./7:05 p.m. – Joyce Center (2,713)
* Broadcast Information: Radio: Notre Dame hockey can be heard live on ESPN Radio 1580, South Bend’s SportsCenter. Mike Lockert, “the voice of Irish hockey” and Tom Nevala will bring you all the action both nights. Irish hockey can also be heard live via the internet at www.und.com.
BUCKEYES INVADE THE JOYCE CENTER:
Notre Dame returns home to the Joyce Center this weekend to play host to a pair of games versus #12/#12 Ohio State on Jan. 14-15. The January 14 contest will start at 7:35 p.m. with the Jan. 15 game set to face off at 7:05 p.m. The Irish will look to get back on the winning track after a 1-1 tie and a heart-breaking 2-1 overtime loss at Lake Superior State last weekend. The Irish start the week with a 5-11-5 overall record and are tied for ninth in the CCHA with Ferris State and Miami as all three teams have 10 points in league play. Notre Dame owns a 3-9-4 record in CCHA action. Ohio State comes into the weekend series with a 13-6-3 overall record and is ranked 12th in the nation. The Buckeyes are in second in the conference with a 10-3-1 record. Last weekend, Ohio State split a weekend series with Ferris State in Columbus, Ohio, winning the series opener with a 3-1 win before dropping a 3-2 overtime decision on Saturday night. The weekend series is the start of a stretch that will see the Irish play five games over the next nine days as they travel to Green Bay, Wisc., on Jan. 18 to play Michigan Tech before facing Wisconsin on Jan. 21-22.
THE SERIES:
Notre Dame and Ohio State have met 47 times in the all-time series with the Irish holding a 21-20-6 record. The Buckeyes have had Notre Dame’s number over the last 12 games of the series, winning eight, losing once and tying the Irish three times since the 2000-01 season. Last season, the two teams met three times with Ohio State taking two wins to one for the Irish. In the season-opening CCHA series for both teams on Oct. 10-11, 2003, Notre Dame won the first game by a 5-2 margin while Ohio State won the second game, 3-1. The two teams then met in the first game of the CCHA Super Six with Ohio State coming from behind for a 6-5 overtime win at Joe Louis Arena. At the Joyce Center, Notre Dame has an 11-7-2 versus Ohio State. The Buckeyes have played just four games in South Bend since the last Irish home win (Oct. 23, 1998). The Irish are 0-2-2 versus Ohio State in those four games.
BUSY MONTH:
January is the busiest month of the season for Notre Dame as the Irish will play 11 times during the month, including five games in nine days (Jan. 14-22). The Irish are 1-2-1 in the first four games of the month. They split with R.P.I. on Jan. 1-2 before tying Lake Superior (1-1) and losing in overtime (2-1) on Jan. 7-8. The remainder of the January schedule looks like this: home with Ohio State (Jan. 14 and 15), vs. Michigan Tech (at Green Bay, Wis., Jan. 18), home with Wisconsin (Jan. 21 and at Chicago on Jan. 22), at Bowling Green (Jan. 28) and home with the Falcons (Jan. 29). The Irish have only played 11 games in a month once in the program’s history – January of 1976. Notre Dame was 5-5-1 in those 11 games.
IRISH SCORING WOES:
The Irish have been held to one goal or less in 11 of their first 21 games during the 2004-05 season. On the year, Notre Dame has scored just 35 goals in the first 21 games (1.67 per game). The Irish have had their problems in the third period as they have been out scored in the final period this season by a 27-9 margin. Overall, Notre Dame has been outscored 65-35 for the year. On the year, the Irish have scored three goals in a game three times (they won all three) and four goals just once (a 4-4 tie.) On the bright side, the Irish have proven to be strong in the close games as they are 5-2 in one-goal contests on the year.
VERSUS RANKED TEAMS:
Through the first 21 games of the 2004-05 season, Notre Dame has played nine contests versus teams ranked teams. In those nine games, the Irish are 1-6-2. The lone win came against Boston College (Oct. 22) when the Eagles were ranked first in the nation. The ties have come versus Minnesota-Duluth and Northern Michigan.
LAKE SUPERIOR RECAPS:
Saturday, Jan. 8 – The Lake Superior State Lakers scored twice in a span of 1:24 to wipe out a 1-0 Notre Dame lead to down the Irish 2-1 in overtime. Matt Restoule’s deflection goal at 19:32 of the third period with the goaltender pulled tied the game at 1-1. Jeff Rainville then scored in front just 56 seconds into overtime for the 2-1 Lakers’ win. Defenseman Chris Trick (Jr., Troy, Mich.) gave Notre Dame a 1-0 lead at 16:55 of the second period set up by the hustle of Cory McLean (Sr., Fargo, N.D.). McLean’s shot from the left wing circle was blocked and went to the right wing corner. He beat the Lakers defense to the puck and fed it to Trick at the right wing circle. Trick’s shot beat goaltender Jeff Jakaitis to the far post for his first goal of the season. On the night, the Irish out shot Lake Superior, 42-31. Morgan Cey (Sr.,Wilkie, Sask.) had 29 saves while Jakaitis finished with 41.
Friday, January, 7 – The Irish and Lakers battled to a 1-1 tie in the opening game of the series at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Defenseman Noah Babin (So., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) scored the lone Irish goal of the night at 5:23 of the third period to tie the game at 1-1. The goal was the third of the season for Babin. Bo Cheesman had staked Lake Superior to a 1-0 lead at 7:24 of the first period as he converted a two-on-one off a Notre Dame turnover for his third goal of the season. The Irish out shot the Lakers, 33-26 in the game. Morgan Cey made 25 saves on the night, including three big saves in overtime to preserve the 1-1 tie. Jeff Jakaitis made 32 saves for the Lakers.
OUT OF ACTION:
The 2004-05 season is one that sophomore right wing Matt Williams-Kovacs (Calgary, Alb.) will like to forget. He suffered a broken right ankle on Oct. 16 at Miami and missed the next 14 games for the Irish. He returned to the Notre Dame lineup on Jan. 2 versus R.P.I. and played in that game and the first period of the Jan. 7 game at Lake Superior when he suffered a broken right wrist and will be lost to the team for the remainder of the season. He played in six games on the year and had no points.
IRON MAN:
Junior right wing Tim Wallace (Anchorage, Alaska) has now played in all 100 games of his Notre Dame career. The Irish record for consecutive games played belongs to former defenseman Evan Nielsen (’03) who played in 114 consecutive games between his sophomore and senior seasons. Nielsen missed just two games in his career, playing in 156 of 158 games. Wallace played in all 40 games as a freshman and all 39 Irish games in 2003-04. The center has a three goals and six assists for nine points in the first 21 games of 2004-05.
STINGY IN JANUARY:
Notre Dame goaltender Morgan Cey has played in all four games in January for the Irish, surrendering just six goals in those four games. During the month, he is 1-2-1 with a 1.47 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage (103 saves on 109 shots). In those four games, the Irish have scored five goals.
CEY VERSUS THE LAKERS:
Morgan Cey’s 2-1 overtime loss to Lake Superior was the first for him in nine appearances versus the Lakers. For his career, Cey is 6-1-1 versus Lake Superior with a 1.17 goals-against average.
NOAH KNOWS:
Defenseman Noah Babin comes into the Ohio State weekend with a two-game point-scoring streak as he picked up a point in each of the Lake Superior games. On the year, Babin is second among Notre Dame defensemen in scoring with career highs in goals (3), assists (3) and points (6). As a freshman last year, Babin had one assist in 31 games.
CENTURY MARK:
Notre Dame head coach Dave Poulin needs one more win in CCHA play to reach the 100-win mark in league play. Now in his 10th season, Poulin is 99-133-39 in CCHA play. In all games, the Irish head coach is 138-179-48. His 139 career wins rank second on the all-time list at Notre Dame behind “Lefty” Smith who has 307 wins behind the Irish bench.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME:
The Irish play their first of two home games away from the Joyce Center during the month of January. The Irish will play at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on Saturday, Jan. 22 versus Wisconsin. Face off is set for 7:05 p.m. (CST). Tickets are available at the Allstate Arena Box Office and Ticketmaster Outlets. The Irish will also play a home game in February versus Michigan (Feb. 18) at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind.
WES FOR THE DEFENSE:
Sophomore defenseman Wes O’Neill (Essex, Ont.) has become Notre Dame’s offensive and defensive leader this season. Through 19 games, O’Neill is tied for the team lead in goals (5) and assists (8), while leading the Irish in power-play goals (4) and points (13). He is also second in shots on goal this season (48). O’Neill has career highs in goals (5) and points (13) this season.
FIT TO BE TIED:
Notre Dame’s overtime loss on Jan. 8 to Lake Superior State was their first loss in the extra stanza since dropping a 6-5 overtime decision to Ohio State on March 18, 2004. On Dec. 10, the Irish defeated Michigan State, 3-2 in overtime, for their first regular-season overtime wins since Jan. 25, 2002, a span of 16 overtime games (0-2-14). Since the 1999-2000 season, Notre Dame has been involved in 48 overtime games. In those games, the Irish are 7-6-35. This season, the Irish are 1-1-5 in overtime. During the 2003-04 season, Notre Dame had a total of eight overtime contests, going 1-3-4 in those games. The lone overtime win came in game three of the first round of the CCHA playoffs versus Western Michigan.
THE PUCK STOPS HERE:
Goaltender Morgan Cey continues to make his mark in the Notre Dame record books (see table to right). On the season, the senior goaltender is 3-6-4 with a career-best 2.37 goals-against average and a career-best .928 save percentage. In his 13 decisions this year, the Irish have scored 23 goals. Earlier this season, Cey was named the CCHA’s goaltender and USCHO.com’s defensive player of the week for the week ending Oct. 24th. Cey recorded a career-high 50 saves in downing the top-ranked Boston College Eagles, 3-2, at the Joyce Center on Oct. 22. Twenty-eight of his saves came on 11 BC power-play chances. Of the 31 goals he’s given up this year, 14 have been on the power play.
SEN-CEY-TIONAL:
Morgan Cey’s 50-save performance versus Boston College was the first 50-save game for a Notre Dame goaltender since Lance Madson (’86-’90) turned in 57 saves in a 6-3 loss to Air Force on Nov. 12, 1988. Cey, now has 38 wins in his career to rank sixth on Notre Dame’s all-time wins list.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?:
Notre Dame goaltender David Brown (So., Stoney Creek, Ont.) started each of the games in the Michigan State series (Dec. 10-11), surrendering five goals while making 61 saves in 120:32 of action for a 2.49 goals-against average versus the Spartans and a .924 save percentage. On the season, Brown is 2-5-1 with a 3.74 goals against and a .888 save percentage.
BLUE-LINE SCORING:
Sophomore defenseman Wes O’Neill leads the Irish in scoring after 21 games with five goals and eight assists. He is followed on the blue line by sophomore Noah Babin who has a three goals and three assists for six points. Junior Chris Trick is third with a goal and three assists for four points. Freshman Brock Sheahan (Lethbridge, Alb.) checks in with three assists on the year while Dan VeNard (Fr., Vernon Hills, Ill.) has one assist. Through 21 games, the Irish defense has accounted for nine of Notre Dame’s 35 goals (25.7%) and 27 of Notre Dame’s 97 points (27.8%).
ALL TIED UP:
The most ties the Irish have ever had in a season is eight and that came during the 1999-2000 campaign. The most overtime games the Irish have participated in is 11 and that came during the 1993-94 season. Notre Dame was 2-4-5 in those games.
SHOT MARGINS:
The Irish have out shot teams just seven times in their first 21 games this season. Last weekend at Lake Superior, the Irish out shot the Lakers in both games of the series, the first time that’s happened this season. The Irish are 2-1-4 when they out shoot an opponent and 3-10-1 when an opponent has more shots in a game.
AMADO TIME:
Matt Amado’s (Jr., Surrey, B.C.) game-winning goal on Dec. 10 versus Michigan State snapped a 13-game goal-scoring drought for the junior center. He currently has a two-game scoring streak with assists in each of the last two games he’s played. Amado sat out the Jan. 8 game at Lake Superior due to a concussion he received in the Jan. 7 game. For the year, Amado has two goals and four assists for six points.
PLAYING SHORT-HANDED:
Since giving up five power-play goals to Michigan on Dec. 4, Notre Dame’s penalty killing unit has killed 30 of 32 opponent chances for a 93.8% success rate. That includes going 10-for-10 in the series at Lake Superior last weekend. On the year, the Irish have given up 25 power-play goals in 145 chances for an 82.8% succes rate. Last season, Notre Dame’s penalty-killing unit was tops in the CCHA and was fourth in the nation in 2003-04, killing penalties at an 87.4% success rate.
POWER-PLAY STRUGGLES:
Notre Dame’s power-play was gone scoreless in each of the last four games (0-for-21), including 0-for-8 versus Lake Superior State. The Irish are just 2-for-30 (6.7%) with the man advantage over the last six games dating back to Dec. 10. On the year, the Irish have scored 14 power-play goasl in 140 chances (10.0%).
THE LAST TIME:
In the Dec. 4 game with Michigan, Notre Dame surrendered five power-play goals in nine chances to the Wolverines. The last time that the Irish gave up five power-play tallies in a game came on Jan. 11, 1994 in a 10-6 loss to Ferris State (5-for-8). The last time the Irish gave up 14 or more goals in a weekend series came on Dec. 5-6, 2003 when they gave up 14 goals in 8-6 and 6-4 losses at Western Michigan.
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN:
The last time the Irish gave up five power-play goals came in a game versus Ferris State in January of 1994. One of the players to score a power-play goal for the Bulldogs that night was Keith Sergott. When Michigan turned the trick on Dec. 4, Sergott was on the ice at the Joyce Center, wearing stripes as he served as an assistant referee for the game.
TOUGH BARNS:
Since returning to the CCHA in 1992-93, Michigan’s Yost Arena and Michigan State’s Munn Arena have been regular “Houses of Horror” for the Irish. At Yost Arena, the Irish are 1-15-1 in the last 17 regular-season meetings and 2-19-1 overall. At Munn Arena, Notre Dame is 2-16-1 on the home ice of the Spartans.
THIRD PERIOD BREAKDOWNS:
Through the first 21 games of the season, Notre Dame has been out scored by a 65-35 margin. Much of the disparity has come in the third period when the Irish have been out scored 27-9 (-18).
RANK-IN-FILE:
Freshman right wing Evan Rankin (Portage, Mich.) continues to show a nose for the net in his rookie season. The Portage, Mich., native returned to the lineup after missing two games (U.S. Under-18 Team and UAF) with a hip injury to score his fourth goal of the season (first on the power play) in the 3-2 loss to the Nanooks on Nov. 27. He set up Matt Amado’s game winner versus Michigan State and led the team with six shots on goal in the game. He leads Irish freshmen in scoring with four goals and three assists for seven points in 19 games this season.
THREE-GOAL LEADS:
Notre Dame led Bowling Green by a 3-0 score before giving up four goals to trail, 4-3, before Wes O’Neill’s heroics with three seconds left. The last time the Irish surrendered a three-goal lead was on Nov. 6, 1998. The Irish led Boston College, 5-2 after two periods before settling for a 5-5 tie.
CAREER BESTS:
Junior left wing Mike Walsh (Northville, Mich.) had the first three-point game and the first three-assist game of his career in the 4-4 tie with Bowling Green. Defenseman Wes O’Neill recorded the first two-goal game of his career versus the Falcons. Freshman right wing Evan Rankin recorded the first multiple-point game of his career as he scored a goal and added an assist versus Bowling Green. Cory McLean equalled his career-high with three points versus the Falcons as he scored once and added two assists in the contest.
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES:
The Irish experienced their own version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles on their journey to Fairbanks, Alaska. The Irish hockey team left the Notre Dame campus at 1:30 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Nov. 24 and took five hours for the 112-mile trip to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (due to holiday traffic and weather). From there, the 7:20 p.m. (CST) flight to Anchorage, Alaska didn’t leave Chicago until midnight. The six-hour-and-thirty minute flight arrived at 3:30 a.m. (Alaska Standard Time – 7:30 a.m. EST). The Irish flight to Fairbanks left at 1:00 a.m. (AST), so the team had to stay in an Anchorage hotel for five hours before leaving for the airport at 9:45 a.m. (1:45 p.m. EST). The team arrived in Fairbanks at 12:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. EST) making the normal 16-hour trip a 27-hour ordeal. The Irish went right from the airport to the Carlson Center to practice for an hour-and-a-half before enjoying Thanksgiving dinner at 3:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. EST).
CAPTAINS:
Senior Cory McLean (Fargo, N.D.) will serve as Notre Dame’s team captain this season. The team’s two alternate captains will be junior Mike Walsh (Northville, Mich.) and sophomore Jason Paige (Saginaw, Mich.). Paige is just the second sophomore in Dave Poulin’s 10 seasons at Notre Dame to be selected as an alternate captain. The first was Steve Noble (’98) who was selected an alternate for the 1995-96 season. He went on to serve as captain in 1996-97 and 1997-98.
BEATING THE BEST:
For the second year in a row, Notre Dame faced the Boston College Eagles when the Eagles were the top-ranked team in the nation. For the second year in a row, the Irish sent the Eagles home with a loss as they prevailed on Oct. 22 by a 3-2 score. The last time the Irish had defeated a top-ranked team at the Joyce Center was Jan. 13, 1978 when they upset Denver, 5-3. A year ago, in Boston, the Irish downed the top-ranked Eagles, 1-0. In the 37-year history of the program, Notre Dame owns eight wins over top-ranked teams. The list:
10/22/04 – vs. Boston College, 3-2
10/23/03 – at Boston College, 1-0
1/3/99 – at North Dakota, 4-3
11/20/78 – at Minnesota, 3-2
1/13/78 – vs. Denver, 5-3
1/18/74 – vs. Michigan Tech, 7-1
2/24/73 – vs. Wisconsin, 4-3
2/23/73 – vs. Wisconsin, 8-5
GILL THE THRILL:
Junior center Tony Gill (Rochester, Minn.) scored the first goal of his Notre Dame career in the 3-2 win over Alaska Fairbanks. The brother of former Irish captain, Aaron Gill, Tony played in 33 career games before getting his first goal.
TOPS IN DIRECTORS CUP STANDINGS:
Notre Dame stands first in the third set of fall sports standings released in the 2004-05 United States Sports Academy Division I Directors’ Cup all-sports competition sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (formerly known as Sears Directors’ Cup). This marks the first time in the 12-year history of the all-sports program that Notre Dame has ranked number one. The previous highest ranking for the Irish was second in the 2004-05 second set of fall standings. Fall NCAA competition earned the Irish 337 points based on their NCAA title in women’s soccer (100 points), their fourth-place finish in women’s cross country (80), 11th-place finish in men’s cross country (57) and second-round NCAA appearances in men’s soccer and volleyball (50 each). The current school rankings.
1. Notre Dame, 337
2. Michigan, 333
3. Stanford 332
4. Duke 327
5. UCLA 297
6. Maryland 280
7. Ohio State, 276
8. Colorado 275
9. Texas, 262
10.Wisconsin 251
In previous years, Notre Dame has finished 11th in ’93-’94, 30th in ’94-’95, 11th in ’95-’96, 14th in ’96-’97, 31st in ’97-’98, 25th in ’98-99, 21st in ’99-’00, 11th in ’00-’01, 13th in ’01-02 and ’02-’03 and 19th in ’03-’04.
TOUGH PLACE TO WIN:
Notre Dame’s win at Western Michigan on Nov. 13th was just the fourth for the Irish at Lawson Arena since returning to the CCHA in 1992-93. Notre Dame is now 4-16-3 at Lawson since that season. Overall, the Irish are 7-19-4 in the all-time series versus the Broncos in Kalamazoo, Mich.
INCOMING IRISH:
Notre Dame head coach Dave Poulin has announced the signing of seven players to national letters-of-intent. Four of the seven signees – Eric Condra, Christian Hanson, Jordan Pearce and Jamie Silverson – will join Notre Dame in the fall of 2005 while the other three- Kevin Deeth, Kyle Lawson and Ryan Thang – will defer their signing to 2006. Joining the Irish are:
CENTRAL SCOUTING RANKINGS:
The National Hockey League’s Central Scouting has announced its preliminary rankings for the June, 2005 Entry Draft. Irish freshman right wing Evan Rankin was one of 10 CCHA players ranked and one of 35 collegiate players recognized. He was ranked 13th overall. Three incoming players were also ranked. Christian Hanson received an A-rating (possible 1st through 4th round draft choice) while goaltender Jordan Pearce was the only USHL goaltender to receive an A-rating. Defenseman Kyle Lawson of the U.S. Under-18 Team was given a B-rating (late round draft choice).
BLASTING THE BISCUIT:
The Irish fired 54 shots at Bowling Green goaltender Jordan Sigalet on Nov. 5, including 29 in the second period. The last time the Irish had more than 54 shots on goal came on Oct. 17, 2003 when they fired 59 at – you guessed it – Jordan Sigalet of Bowling Green. He made 56 saves that night in a 5-3 Falcon win.
BISCUIT BARRAGE:
The 52 shots that Boston College fired at Morgan Cey on Oct. 22 was the most shots on goal the Irish have faced since Jan. 23, 2001 when Michigan fired 51 on the Notre Dame goal in a 9-0 Wolverine win.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME:
Notre Dame’s loss to Minnesota-Duluth on Oct. 8 snapped a 15-game (12-0-3) regular-season home unbeaten at the Joyce Center. The last time the Irish had lost a regular-season home game at the Joyce Center was on Oct. 17, 2003 versus Bowling Green. Notre Dame was 14-2-2 (.833) at the Joyce Center last season. This year, the Irish are 3-4-3 at home and 17-6-5 (.714) in their last 28 home games. The 2003-04 home record of 14-2-2 was the best for the Irish since 1987-88 when that year’s Irish squad was 18-2-0 on home ice.
GOLD-MEDAL IRISH:
Two former Notre Dame hockey players helped the United States win the gold medal in the recent Deutschland Cup tournament held in Hannover, Germany. Forward Yan Stastny, currently playing for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers in Germany, collected a goal and an assist in the four games. Defenseman Mark Eaton, currently a member of the Nashville Predators, scored a power-play goal in the gold medal game vrsus Slovakia. The U.S. defeated Germany, 5-1, lost to Canada, 5-3, defeated Switzerland, 4-2 and then shutout Slovakia, 4-0, to finish 3-1 in the tournament. The U.S. ended tied with Canada with 3-1 records, but received the gold medal due to greater goal differential over the four games.
FRESHMAN FIRSTS:
Freshman left wing Mark Van Guilder (Roseville, Minn.) collected his first collegiate goal on Nov. 4 at Bowling Green. He became the second Irish freshman to get his first goal, following Evan Rankin who scored the first goal of his Notre Dame career with a second-period goal versus Boston College (Oct.22). Defenseman Brock Sheahan collected his first career point in Notre Dame’s season opener versus Minnesota-Duluth and fellow defenseman Dan VeNard got his first career point on Nov. 12 at Western Michigan.
FIRST TIMER:
Noah Babin scored his first career goal for the Irish in the 1-1 tie with Northern Michigan. The sophomore defenseman has played in 41 career games for Notre Dame. He got his second career goal in the 2-2 with Western Michigan on Nov. 12. He is the first Notre Dame hockey player from the state of Florida.
FAMILY MATTERS:
Two Irish junior hockey players – Rory Walsh and Mike Walsh – have fathers who played sports at Notre Dame while attending the University during the 1970’s. Rory Walsh’s father, Brian (’77), was an all-American hockey player for the Irish. A center iceman, the elder Walsh is Notre Dame’s all-time leading scorer after recording 234 career points on 89 goals and 145 assists. Mike Walsh’s father, Max (’74), was an offensive lineman on the Notre Dame football team and a member of the 1973 national championship team. Rory Walsh is one of Notre Dame’s goaltenders and Walsh plays left wing for the Irish.
NHL DRAFTEES:
In June of 2004, the Irish had three players selected in the NHL Entry Draft. Freshman right wing Victor Oreskovich (Oakville, Ont.) was a second-round selection, 55th overall by the Colorado Avalanche. Sophomore defenseman Wes O’Neill was chosen in the fourth round, 115th overall by the New York Islanders. Sophomore goaltender David Brown was selected in the eighth round, 228th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Those three join junior Mike Walsh as Notre Dame players selected by in the draft. Walsh was picked in the fifth round of the 2002 draft by the New York Rangers.
FOUR OF FIVE:
Notre Dame has advanced to Joe Louis Arena and the CCHA finals in four of the last five seasons (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004). Only two other CCHA teams – Michigan and Michigan State – have been there all four years since the 1999-2000 campaign. The Irish also are one of five teams, joining Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Northern Michigan, to make it to the CCHA Super Six in each of the last three seasons.
STORM WARNINGS:
Three members of the Notre Dame freshman class saw action with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm during the ’03-’04 season. Defensemen Brian D’Arcy (Western Springs, Ill.) and Luke Lucyk (Fox Point, Wis.) were members of the Storm’s highly ranked defense. Forward Mark Van Guilder (Roseville, Minn.) was a key contributor to the USHL’s regular-season champions. Van Guilder was fifth on the team in scoring with 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points in 60 games. In 11 playoff games, Van Guilder added three goals and two assists for five points. D’Arcy saw his season cut short due to injuries, playing in 32 games with no goals and two assists to go with 36 penalty minutes. Lucyk was a regular on the defense with a goal and nine assists for 10 points in 60 games.
FROZEN TUNDRA:
Notre Dame has had a steady flow of players in recent years that played their junior hockey with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United State’s Hockey League. Six members of the current Notre Dame team have played in the Land of Lombardi. Senior defenseman Joe Zurenko (Palatine, Ill.) played there during the ’00-’01 season and sophomore blueliners Noah Babin (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and Wes O’Neill were teammates there in ’02-’03. Second-year assistant coach Layne LeBel also spent two seasons (’01-’03) with the Gamblers. Joining the Irish this season is right wing Victor Oreskovich and defenseman Dan VeNard (Vernon Hills, Ill). In 58 games with the Gamblers, Oreskovich had 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points and played in the league’s Top Prospects all-star game. VeNard spent three seasons in Green Bay. His 2003-04 campaign was cut short by injuries as he had two goals and two assists for four points in 22 games. During the 2004-05 season, the Irish will play a game in Green Bay as they will face Michigan Tech on Tuesday, Jan. 18 at the Resch Center.
NCAA ACTION:
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey team had a season to remember in 2003-04. The Irish advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program’s 36-year history with a 20-15-4 overall record. In their first trip to the tournament, the Irish dropped a 5-2 decision to two-time NCAA defending champion Minnesota in the Grand Rapids Regional.
THE IRISH AND THE U.S. DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM:
Notre Dame’s current roster includes four players who have past experience with USA Hockey, as members of the National Team Development Program (NTDP). Since the program began, the Irish have had a total of 13 NTDP alums grace their roster. The current contingent includes junior Tim Wallace and sophomores Noah Babin, Michael Bartlett (Morton Grove, Ill.) and Josh Sciba (Westland, Mich.). Other former NTDP players who played at Notre Dame and their years in the national program include: Brett Henning (1997-98), Michael Chin (1997-98), Connor Dunlop (1997-99), Paul Harris (1997-99), John Wroblewski (1997-99), Neil Komadoski (1998-2000), Brett Lebda (1998-2000), Rob Globke (1998-2000) and Derek Smith (2000-01).
FORMER IRISH GREAT GREG MEREDITH RECEIVES NCAA SILVER ANNIVERSARY AWARD:
Former Notre Dame hockey All-American, Greg Meredith (1976-80) was one of six NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recipients at the NCAA Convention in Dallas, Tex., Jan. 9. The Silver Anniversary Award recognizes former student-athletes who have distinguished themselves since completing their college careers 25 years ago. Meredith is Notre Dame’s all-time leading goal scorer with 104 goals in 149 career games. He is also tops in power-play goals (43) and seventh in all-time points with 192 for his career. He is just one of two players ever to score 40 goals in a season (1979-80) at Notre Dame. A four-year letterwinner with the Irish, Meredith was a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship and was an NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient. He is currently the managing director for Putnam Lovell NBF Securities Inc., and has held positions with Salomon Brothers, Inc., Nationsbanc Capital Markets, Inc., and Fenway Partners, Inc. From 2001 to 2003, he served as president and chief executive officer at HSBC Capital and was also president and CEO of Printvision, a software company from 2002-03. In addition, Meredith is the founder and president of Proctor Capital, a private investment and strategic advisory firm. He played four years in the NHL for the Calgary Flames and was an assistant coach at Harvard. Meredith currently coaches the St. David’s hockey program for boys and girls between 9 and 11 years of age. He formed the Meredith Family Foundation in 1997, which contributes to programs such as the LOGAN Center, which provides services to individuals with intellectual disabilities, the St. Joseph’s County Special Olympics, and Camp Millhouse, a summer camp for children with significant intellectual disabilities. In addition, the organization funds educational initiatives including the Paul E. Meredith scholarships at Notre Dame. Meredith is the 10th former Irish athlete to receive the award that was started in 1973.
INTERNATIONAL LEADER:
Notre Dame assistant coach, Andy Slaggert, served as the head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Select Team that finished second at the Five Nation’s Tournament from Aug. 24-28 in Halle, Germany. The U.S. Team’s lone loss came to the Czech Republic (the eventual winners). This was Slaggert’s second international appearance with USA Hockey as he served as assistant coach on the 2003 gold-medal winning team at the World Under-18 Select Tournament held in the Czech Republic. The 12-year assistant at Notre Dame has been involved in coaching with USA Hockey since the 1996-97 season.