Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Hockey To Open With Annual Blue-Gold Intrasquad Game On Sunday, Sept. 30

Sept. 27, 2001

Notre Dame, Ind. – The 2001-02 Notre Dame hockey team will hold its annual Blue-Gold intrasquad scrimmage on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 4:00 p.m. at the Joyce Center. Admission to the game is free, but donations will be taken for the Coaches’ Foundation which is dedicated to raising money for cancer research. Last year’s event raised over $3,500 for the coaches’ cause and for University of Maine head coach Shawn Walsh who lost his fight with the disease on September 24th.

The first 300 fans in attendance will receive a coupon for a six-inch sub from Blimpie’s. Fans will also have the opportunity to win a pair of Notre Dame season hockey tickets which will be announced between periods along with other prize giveaways throughout the game.

The intrasquad game will be played with two 21-minute periods and give fans their first chance to see the Irish in action this season.

“I’m really looking forward to the start of the season and the Blue-Gold game gives us a chance to see the team in game conditions,” said head coach Dave Poulin.

“The game also gives us a chance to play for a great cause – cancer research. Cancer has affected everyone in some way and each of our players will play in honor of someone that they know who has battled this disease.”

Making their first appearances for the Irish will be the seven-member freshman class including goaltender Morgan Cey (Wilkie, Sask.), defensemen Derek Smith (Marysville, Mich.) and Joe Zurenko (Arlington Heights, Ill.) along with forwards Alex Lalonde (Newmarket, Ont.), Cory McLean (Fargo, N.D.), Yan Stastny (St. Louis, Mo.) and Brad Wanchulak (Edson, Alb.).

The team’s top returnees include captain Evan Nielsen (Jr., Evanston, Ill.) and alternate captains David Inman (Sr., Toronto, Ont.) and Connor Dunlop (St. Louis, Mo.) along with CCHA all-rookie team member defenseman Brett Lebda (So., Arlington Heights, Ill.) and honorable mention all-rookie standouts Rob Globke (So., West Bloomfield, Mich.) and Aaron Gill (So., Rochester, Minn.).

Following Sunday’s intrasquad game, the Irish will play host to the University of Toronto on Friday, Oct. 5 for an exhibition game at 7:05 p.m. Notre Dame then opens the regular season with a two-game series with the Union College Dutchmen, a member of the ECAC, from Schenectady, N.Y. Game times on Thursday, Oct. 11 and Friday, Oct. 12 are 7:05 p.m.