Oct. 22, 2005
(Denver, Colo.) – The Notre Dame hockey team found out why the University of Denver has won back-to-back NCAA titles on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 6,063 at DU’s Magness Arena.
Led by All-Americans Matt Carle and Gabe Gauthier, the ninth-ranked Pioneers rolled to a 6-3 win, scoring two power-play goals, two short-handed goals and a pair of even strength tallies.
Carle scored the first goal of the game and added three assists for a four-point night and Gauthier scored short-handed and added two assists in the win. Freshman Brock Trotter scored a pair of goals (one PPG) while Paul Stastny (PPG) and Ryan Dingle (SHG) rounded out the Denver scoring on the night.
Notre Dame got goals from Wes O’Neill (PPG), Josh Sciba and Noah Babin (PPG) with Sciba’s goal cutting a Denver lead to 3-2 at 14:08 of the second period as the teams traded three scores in a 1:35 span. Freshman Erik Condra had three assists in the game in his second career game for the Irish.
The loss drops the Irish to 0-2-0 on the season while Denver evened its’ early season record at 2-2-0.
Carle opened the scoring with the team’s playing 4-on-4 as he one-timed a Chris Butler pass behind Irish goaltender Jordan Pearce, making his first career start for Notre Dame, at 3:28 for his first of the season.
The offenses came alive in the second period with Denver out scoring the Irish by a 3-2 margin to take a 4-2 lead. Three power-play goals and a short-handed tally were recorded.
Denver got the scoring going at 9:22 of the stanza when Gauthier and J.D. Corbin combined on a two-on-one short-handed tally after Carle stopped an Irish rush at the blue line. Corbin poked the puck ahead and carried it into the Notre Dame zone. He fed Gauthier who hit the wide-open net for his first of the year.
Notre Dame cut the lead to 2-1 on a 5-on-3 power play, as Wes O’Neill scored from the center point, beating Mannino with a low shot inside the left post. Josh Sciba and Erik Condra picked up assists.
The Pioneers made it 3-1 when Paul Stastny scored on the power play as he deflected a Gauthier shot past Pearce for his first of the season at 13:08.
The Irish answered a minute later at 14:08 when Sciba picked up a loose puck behind the Denver net and tried to tuck it inside the right post on a wrap-around attempt. Mannino made the initial stop but Sciba got a second poke at the puck to tuck it behind the Denver goaltender.
Denver closed the period with its second power-play goal of the night at 14:43 as Stastny set up Trotter for a one-timer from the bottom of the right wing circle for his first of the season.
The Pioneer lead would go to 6-2 in the third period as Trotter scored his second goal of the night at 5:52 on a deflection and Ryan Dingle added a short-handed tally at 11:55.
Notre Dame closed the scoring at 14:46 of the third on Babin’s power-play goal as he took a feed from Condra and drilled a shot past Mannino for the final score of 6-3.
The Irish finished the night going 2-for-8 on the power play while Denver converted two of their nine chances.
Denver out shot Notre Dame by a 23-19 margin in the game with Mannino making 16 saves and Pearce 17 for the Irish.
Notre Dame returns to action next weekend, Oct. 28-29 when the Irish play host to the Princeton Tigers at the Joyce Center. Game time on Friday night is 7:35 p.m.
GAME SUMMARY
Scoring
First Period: DU: Matt Carle 1 (Chris Butler, Brock Trotter), 4X4, 3:28.
Penalties: ND: 4 for 8 minutes; DU: 3 for 6 minutes.
Second Period: DU: Gabe Gauthier 1 (J.D. Corbin, Carle), SHG, 9:22; ND: Wes O’Neill 1 (Erik Condra, Josh Sciba), PPG, 10:46; DU: Paul Stastny 1 (Gauthier, Carle), PPG, 13:08; ND: Sciba 1 (Condra), 14:08; DU: Trotter 2 (Stastny, Carle), PPG, 14:43.
Penalties: ND: 2 for 4 minutes; DU: 4 for 11 minutes.
Third Period: DU: Trotter 2 (Andrew Thomas, Gauthier), 5:32; DU: Ryan Dingle 3 (unassisted), SHG, 11:55; ND: Noah Babin 1 (O’Neill, Condra), PPG, 14:46.
Penalties: ND: 4 for 8 minutes; DU: 2 for 4 minutes.
Shots On Goal:
Notre Dame 8 – 6- 5 – 19
Denver 10 – 7 – 6 – 23
Goaltender Saves:
ND – Jordan Pearce (60:00) 9 – 4 – 4 – 17
DU – Peter Mannino (60:00) 8 – 4 – 4 – 16
Power Plays:
ND: 2 for 8
DU: 2 for 9
Attendance: 6,063