NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team competed in front of their sixth-straight sellout crowd at Compton Family Ice Arena, downing the Wisconsin Badgers 5-3, Friday night.
Both teams traded shots early in the opening frame but it was the Irish who struck first with a powerplay goal at 6:10 of the first. It took the home team just 51 seconds to extend their lead as Hunter Strand hammered home the puck for the 2-0 lead at 7:01 of the period.
Moments after the second tally, the Irish found themselves down a man as they were called for a hook but the penalty kill unit buckled down and kept the Badgers scoreless on the man-advantage.
Wisconsin got one back when a shot snuck through the glove side of Ryan Bischel in net to make it 2-1 halfway through the first frame.
In a high scoring first period, Wisconsin knotted things up with 7:52 left to make it a 2-2 game.
Notre Dame got one back late in the first frame to carry the 3-2 lead to the locker room for the intermission after Jesse Lansdell sent a loose puck into the net on the powerplay for the team’s second of the night.
The Irish were called for a pair of penalties partway through the second period but the PK unit successfully killed off both as they clung to the 3-2 lead.
Jack Adams gave the Irish the two-goal lead heading into the final period of play when he lit the lamp at 18:16 of the second.
Notre Dame came out strong in the third, looking to close the game out. Justin Janicke extended the Irish lead just over two minutes into the final period to make it 5-2 but Wisconsin would get one back later on the powerplay as the Irish hung onto their two-goal lead late.
The Irish held off despite the extra Badger attacker to take game one of the series, 5-3.
GOALS
- Chayse Primeau kept his goal streak alive with the first goal of the night, lifting the pass from Landon Slaggert over the shoulder of Jared Moe in the Badger crease for the 1-0 tally. Ryder Rolston also tallied an assist on the play.
- Hunter Strand batted a loose puck home less than a minute after Primeau’s tally to give ND the 2-0 lead. Jake Boltmann’s initial shot ricocheted off the pads of Moe and back into the slot. Rolston stalled his man allowing Grant Silianoff to get to the loose puck, passing it back to Strand out front for his third of the year.
- Jesse Lansdell put the Irish back out in front with his fifth of the season late in the opening period. The senior picked up the loose puck on the doorstep and beat an outstretched Moe in net for the 3-2 tally. Drew Bavaro sent the first shot on net before Trevor Janicke’s stick attempted to take the lead. Moe made the first two saves but was unable to cover the puck as Lansdell lit the lamp with 2:28 left in the first.
- Jack Adams extended the Irish lead late in the second period, finding the open net off a pass from Nick Leivermann. The Irish offensive defensemen worked to keep the puck in the Irish zone as Chase Blackmun chased the puck down along the blue line to keep play onside. After racing down the puck, the Irish captain Leivermann called for his linemate to feed him a pass, drawing the Badger netminder off and giving Adams the open net to shoot at.
- Rolston picked up his second assist of the night on the final Irish goal of the contest. Racing up ice at the end of his shift, the junior dumped the puck in for the change where it bounced off the boards and out to Primeau whose shot was saved by Moe before Justin Janicke tapped the loose puck over the line for his sixth goal of the season.
KEY STATS
- The Irish outshot the Badgers 35-30 Friday night, with Ryan Bischel recording 30 saves between the pipes for a .900 save percentage.
- On top of 30 shots faced, the Irish defense blocked 13 shots in the contest, led by Drew Bavaro with three.
- Chayse Primeau and Ryder Rolston boasted two points each in the contest for a team-best.
- The Irish scored two powerplay goals in the victory while holding the Badgers to one goal on four powerplay opportunities.
UP NEXT
The Irish and Badgers return to Compton Family Ice Arena Saturday night to conclude the regular season series. This season the Irish hold the series advantage, 2-1-0.