DENVER, Colo. – No. 11 Notre Dame opened their 2022-23 season with a hard-fought road contest at top-ranked Denver. In game one of the Ice Breaker Tournament, the Irish fell to the Pioneers, 5-2.
The two teams battled it out in the first period, trading pressure in each end but it was the Pioneers who opened the scoring with a goal at 13:09.
After killing off their first penalty of the night, the Irish were called for another trip halfway through the period. While the penalty kill unit went to work deflecting seven shots fired off in the first 90 seconds of the Denver power play, the puck eventually trickled into the net for the 1-0 tally.
The Irish had a handful of chances to equalize late in the period but came up just short as they skated to the locker room trailing by one after 20 minutes of play.
Denver made it 2-0 in the waning seconds of an Irish penalty before Ryder Rolston net the first Irish goal of the year with a power play tally of his own at 15:58.
Despite late offensive pressure from the Irish, they trailed 3-1 after 40 minutes of play following a Pioneer goal in the final minute of the second period.
Chase Blackmun pulled the Irish within one with a wraparound goal just three minutes into the third period but a pair of late Pioneer goals, including an empty net tally, sealed the 5-2 final.
Ryan Bischel made 22 saves between the pipes in the Irish loss, including 10 in the first period of play.
Although outshot, 20-27, in the contest, the Irish fired 14 pucks on net in the final period looking for the game-tying tally.
GOALS
- Rolston opened the Irish scoring Friday night with a power play tally at 15:58 of the second period. Pierson dodged a defender along the far boards, sending the puck back to Drew Bavaro at the point who found Rolston at the top of the circle for the one-timer.
- Tyler Carpenter made a diving play on net early in the third period that found traffic out front. Solag Bakich picked up the loose puck out front where he tucked it behind the net to a rushing Chase Blackmun for the wraparound tally early in the final period of regulation.
Key Stats
- The first three goals Friday night were scored on the power play. Notre Dame ultimately went 1-for-4 on the man-advantage with Rolston capitalizing on the chance at 15:58 of the second period.
- Rolston led the team in shots with four, while Chayse Primeau and Landon Slaggert each had three.
- Jackson Pierson found a breakaway chance shorthanded late in the third period for his second shot of the contest. The graduate student also had the second assist on Rolston’s goal.
- The Irish blocked 13 shots in the contest, led by Ben Brinkman, Solag Bakich, and Zach Plucinski with two each.
Up Next
The Irish conclude their road trip with the Ice Breaker Tournament finale at Air Force Academy Saturday night. Puck drop at Cadet Ice Arena is set for 6:07 p.m MT/8:07 p.m. ET.