Justin Wade scored late in the second period for the Irish.

Hockey Skates To 2-2 Exhibition Tie Against the USNTDP U-18 Team

Oct. 11, 2015

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PLYMOUTH, Mich. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team skated to a 2-2 overtime tie with the USNTDP U-18 team on Sunday afternoon at the USA Hockey Arena.

In a game that featured end-to-end action and physical play throughout, Justin Wade scored late in the second period to tie the game at 1-1.

Mario Lucia then scored a power-play goal early in the third period to put the Irish up 2-1 but then Kieffer Bellows scored a power-play goal for Team USA later in the third, forcing the eventual 2-2 tie.

In the Notre Dame net, Cal Petersen finished with 33 saves. One of his best saves of the night came with four minutes left in the third period, when he got back across the crease to deny Team USA’s Graham McPhee and preserve the 2-2 tie.

In the Team USA net, Joseph Woll made 29 stops. Both teams finished the game 1-for-2 on the power play.

“It was a good game for us and will help prepare us for next weekend since the speed of the game was really good,” Notre Dame Head Coach Jeff Jackson said. “That’s the kind of game you want this time of year.”

It was a return of sorts for Jackson as he helped start the USNTDP program and was the program’s first head coach (1996-2000). Until this season, the program had been located in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Irish open the regular season next weekend with a road series at Penn State (Oct. 16-17). Friday night’s game is slated for 7:00 p.m., while Saturday’s game will begin at 3:00 p.m. It will mark the first two meetings between the Nittany Lions and the Fighting Irish since Penn State joined the NCAA Div. I ranks.

Goals

Clayton Keller scored the game’s first goal at 3:25 of the second period. He took advantage of an Irish turnover, cut into the low slot and put a wrist shot high past Petersen for his fourth goal of the season.

Following an offensive zone faceoff, Justin Wade tied the game, 1-1, at 18:03 of the second period when he let a wrist shot fly from the high slot that beat Woll high. Steven Fogarty won the faceoff to earn an assist on the play.

Lucia put the Irish up 2-1 early in the third period when he took a slap shot from the top of the near circle following passes by Jordan Gross and Fogarty at the top of the offensive zone. Lucia’s power-play tally took a deflection in front, where Connor Hurley was battling a Team USA defenseman for position.

Kiefer Bellows scored a power-play goal at 4:15 of the third to tie the game, 2-2. The game-tying goal was assisted by Keller and Joey Anderson.

Notes
— Notre Dame moved to 3-1-2 in the all-time series versus the USNTDP U-18 squad.

— Thirty-five Notre Dame players have come through the USNTDP program, including Andy Ryan, Thomas DiPauli, Dawson Cook, Anders Bjork and Joe Wegwerth from the current roster.

— The game marked the second (first versus a NCAA opponent) at the newly re-opened USA Hockey Arena, which is now home to the USNTDP program. USA Hockey relocated the program from nearby Ann Arbor, Michigan prior to this season.

— The game’s first whistle came 9:56 into the first period.

Steven Fogarty (1-2-3) and Jordan Gross (0-3-3) each registered at least one point in both exhibition games.

— by Dan Colleran, Athletics Communications Associate Director