Erika Condra

Irish Close Out Regular-Season Home Schedule With 5-0 Win Over Michigan State

Feb. 27, 2009

| Final Stats | Photo Gallery

Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame’s senior class of 2009 was honored in their final regular-season home game on Friday night at a sold-out Joyce Center and several seniors did their part in contributing to the 5-0 shutout win over Michigan State.

Senior Erik Condra scored twice and fellow senior Justin White added a single goal while Garrett Regan and Christian Hanson picked up assists in the shutout. Also notching goals on the night for the Irish were freshman Billy Maday and junior Christian Minella. Senior goaltender Jordan Pearce made 15 saves in picking up his second consecutive shutout and his sixth of the season.

The Irish also received the 2009 CCHA regular-season championship trophy as CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos was in attendance and presented it to the team following the game.

The Irish win, their fifth in a row, improves Notre Dame to 26-5-3 on the year and 20-4-3-3 in the CCHA while Michigan State falls to 10-20-5 and 7-16-4-3 in conference action.

The Irish scored early and often, lighting the lamp four times in the first period to build a 4-0 lead.

Condra got the party started when he scored unassisted just 1:48 into the game for his 11th goal of the season.

Defenseman Teddy Ruth fired the puck into the right wing corner where Michigan State came away with possession. The Spartan defender lost the puck behind the net to Condra who skated it along the boards and back toward the blue line before cutting to the slot. His rising wrist shot beat goaltender Drew Palmisano as it found its way through a screen and over his blocker for the opening goal.

The lead would go to 2-0 at 9:41 when White converted a pretty backhand pass from freshman Patrick Gaul for his eighth goal of the year.

Gaul carried the puck down the left side and flipped a pass over a Michigan State defender to White who was streaking in from the left boards. White snapped a quick shot past Palmisano to give the Irish a 2-0 margin.

Just over eight minutes later, the Notre Dame lead would go to 3-0 as Maday converted on the power play for his 14th goal of the season.

With defenseman Jeff Petry off for cross checking, defenseman Brett Blatchford moved the puck from the center point to junior center Kevin Deeth in the right wing circle. Deeth fed the biscuit across the slot to Maday who one-timed a blast off Palmisano’s stick to give the Irish a three-goal lead.

Condra closed out the period with his second goal of the night at 18:25 to make it 4-0. Ben Ryan and Dan Kissel controlled the puck in the left wing corner with Kissel moving behind the net to the right post where he backhanded it across the crease to the senior captain on the doorstep. Condra snapped it past Palmisano for his 12th of the year.

The score stayed 4-0 until the third period when the Irish broke through at 10:35 for the fifth goal of the game. Minella jammed a rebound past Palmisano for his eighth goal of the season.

Hanson carried the puck across the slot and got off the initial shot that Palmisano stopped. Regan kept the rebound alive and Minella was able to crash the crease and backhand the puck behind Palmisano.

Pearce was not severely tested in the game until late in the third period in getting the shutout. He made six stops through the first two periods and nine in the third for a 15-save night. This marks the second time this season that Pearce had back-to-back shutouts and his shutout streak went to 135:29 with the last goal he surrendered coming on Feb. 20 at 8:10 of the third period against Nebraska-Omaha.

The win was the 54th of Pearce’s career and moved him into a tie with David Brown `07 for second on the all-time win list. He is one off the school record of 55 that is owned by Lance Madson `90. Pearce also now has 10 career shutouts.

With his two-goal game, Condra now has 47 goals and 107 assists for 154 points in his career. He moves into 13th on the all-time points list, ahead of Jamie Ling `96 who had 153 career points. The game-winning goal was Condra’s 11th of his career and moved him into sixth on the all-time list with Paul Regan `73 as both now have 11 for their career.

For the night, Notre Dame out shot the Spartans, 31-15. Palmisano finished the game with 26 saves.

The two teams close out the regular season on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 28th at Munn Arena. Game time is 5:05 p.m. with the contest televised by FSN-Detroit.

**IRISH NOTES**

## Notre Dame honored its 2009 Senior Class following the game. The group of senior manager Kyle Kron, defenseman Luke Lucyk, Justin White, Garrett Regan, Christian Hanson, Jordan Pearce and Erik Condra were honored after the game as they played in their final regular season game at Notre Dame. This group of players is the winningest classs in the program’s history with 98 wins to date in their four seasons.

## Notre Dame played its first game of the season without long-time play-by-play man, Mike Lockert, who passed away on Friday morning. WSBT’s Darin Pritchett filled in for the Lockert on the game on Cat Country 99.9 FM.

GAME SUMMARY                           1     2     3  -  FMichigan State (10-20-5/7-16-4-3)      0     0     0  -  0#1/#2  Notre Dame (26-5-3/20-4-3-3)    4     0     1  -  5

Scoring First Period: ND: Erik Condra 11 (unassisted), 1:48; ND: Justin White 8 (Patrick Gaul, Teddy Ruth), 9:41; ND: Billy Maday 14 (Kevin Deeth, Brett Blatchford), PPG, 17:01; ND: Condra 12 (Dan Kissel, Ben Ryan), 18:25illy Maday 11 (Brett Blatchford, Kevin Deeth), PPG, 18:37; ND: Calle Ridderwall 14 (Maday, Deeth), PPG, 19:52.

Penalties: MSU: 2 for 4 minutes; ND: 2 for 4 minutes.

Second Period: No Scoring.

Penalties: MSU: 0 for 0 minutes; ND: 0 for 0 minutes.

Third Period: ND: Christiaan Minella 8 (Christian Hanson, Garrett Regan), 10:35.

Penalties: MSU: 1 for 2 minutes; ND: 3 for 6 minutes.

Shots On Goal:Michigan State    3 -  3 -  9 - 15Notre Dame        8 - 12 - 11 - 31
Goaltender Saves:MSU - Drew Palmisano (60:00) 4 - 12 - 10 - 26ND - Jordan Pearce (60:00) 3 - 3 - 9 - 15
Power Plays:MSU: 0 for 3ND: 1 for 1
Attendance: 2,857 (sellout)