Dec. 5, 2003
Kalamazoo, Mich. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish came into Friday night’s game versus Western Michigan having surrendered an average of two goals a game. That average will be higher on Saturday morning as the Irish and Broncos teamed up to score 14 goals in a game won by Western, 8-6, at Lawson Arena.
The loss snaps Notre Dame’s five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) and drops the Irish to 8-4-2 on the year and 7-4-2 in CCHA play. Western Michigan evens its record at 8-8-2 and the Broncos are now 4-5-1 in league play. The two teams will play again on Saturday night in Kalamazoo.
Jeff Campbell and Jeremy Cheyne each scored two goals in the game and Vince Bellissimo had a goal and three assists to lead the Broncos. Six different Notre Dame players – Matt Amado, Brett Lebda, Jason Paige, Aaron Gill, Josh Sciba and Cory McLean – got on the score sheet for the Irish.
“We just didn’t do the little things we’ve been doing all season very well tonight,” said Irish head coach Dave Poulin.
“When we tied the game at 3-3 early in the second period, I thought we were in good shape, but then we had two major breakdowns that ended up in the net. Then it became a shootout.”
Western jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead as Campbell scored twice (once on the power play) and Pat Dwyer getting a single goal. The three goals were the most the Irish had given up in one period all season long.
The Irish came out flying in the second, scoring three times in a span of 1:23. Amado made it 3-1 as he came late as a sixth attacker on a delayed penalty and converted a centering pass by Tim Wallace at 3:17 of the second period. . Lebda made it 3-2 just 41 seconds later as his blast from center ice beat goaltender Scott Foster for his second goal of the year at 3:58. Foster was forced to leave the game due to illness and sophomore Eric Marvin entered the game.
Paige welcomed him with his third goal of the season at 5:40 as he used Josh Sciba as a decoy on a two-on-one and blew a shot past Marvin from the top of the right wing circle to tie the game at 3-3.
Bellissimo, Cheyne and Dana Lattery took advantage of rebounds, each depositing a puck behind Notre Dame goaltender David Brown for a 6-3 lead going into the final period. For Brown, it was the most goals he had surrendered to date in his rookie season.
“David (Brown) just wasn’t sharp tonight. He had some trouble with rebounds. They were dropping right down in front. Usually he snaps them up,” said Poulin.
Rory Walsh took over for Brown in the third period and Cheyne scored his second of the night after the puck came of the back boards and got by Walsh. Cheyne was able to just get the puck over the goal line to make it 7-3.
Notre Dame came back though. Aaron Gill scored on a power play at 4:08 and Josh Sciba scored his second of the year 56 seconds later at 5:04.
Bronco defenseman Ryan Mahrle made it 8-5 with a power-play goal at 9:10 and McLean scored his goal off a scramble in front of Marvin to make it 8-6 at 16:16.
On the night, the Irish outshot Western Michigan 37-34. Brown finished with 18 saves in 40 minutes. Walsh made eight saves and took the loss, surrendering the game-winning goal. Foster had 12 saves in 23:58 and Marvin picked up his first collegiate win, making 19 saves.
“This was the first time in 14 games that we didn’t give ourselves a chance the game. We gave up eight goals tonight after giving up eight in our last five games. We have to regroup and comeback tomorrow night. That’s the challenge we have,” said Poulin.
IRISH NOTES:
** Notre Dame extended its string of games with a power play goal to eight in a row with Aaron Gill’s third-period power-play tally.
** Rob Globke had his five-game scoring streak snapped in the loss to Western Michigan. He still needs just one point to reach the 100-point plateau.
** Through 13 games this season, the Irish had surrendered just 26 goals and had a 1.97 goals-against average for the season.
** The last time Notre Dame played in a game that the two teams combined for 14 goals was Nov. 20, 1998, a 9-5 Irish win over Western Michigan. The last time the Irish gave up eight goals in a game was Jan. 27, 2001 in an 8-2 loss at Yale.
GAME SUMMARY 1 2 3 – F
Notre Dame (8-4-2/7-4-2) 0 3 3 – 6
Western Michigan (8-8-2/4-5-1) 3 3 2 – 8
Scoring
First Period: WMU: Jeff Campbell 6 (Vince Bellissimo, Brent Walton), PPG, 6:30; WMU: Pat Dwyer 6 (Reid Yantzi), 7:52; WMU: Campbell 7 (Bellissimo, Mat Ponto), 14:27.
Penalties: ND: 2 for 4 minutes; WMU: 4 for 8 minutes.
Second Period: ND: Matt Amado 2 (Tim Wallace, Mike Bartlett), 3:17; ND: Brett Lebda 2 (unassisted), 3:58; ND: Jason Paige 3 (T.J. Jindra), 4:30; WMU: Bellissimo 6 (Ryan Mahrle), 7:55; WMU: Jeremy Cheyne 7 (Mike Jarmuth), 17:36; WMU: Dana Lattery 10 (Walton, Jarmuth), 18:38.
Penalties: ND: 2 for 4 minutes; WMU: 2 for 4 minutes.
Third Period: WMU: Cheyne 8 (unassisted), 2:10; ND: Aaron Gill 5 (Bartlett, Neil Komadoski), PPG, 4:08; ND: Josh Sciba 2 (Cory McLean, Wes O’Neill), 5:04: WMU: Ryan Mahrle 5 (Bellissimo, Walton), PPG, 9:10; ND: McLean 6 (Mike Walsh, O’Neill), 16:16.
Penalties: ND: 4 for 16 minutes; WMU: 4 for 8 minutes.
Shots On Goal:
Notre Dame 10 – 13 – 14 – 37
Western Michigan 13 – 11 – 10 – 34
Goaltender Saves:
ND – David Brown (40:00) 10 – 8 – x – 18
Rory Walsh (18:52) x – x – 8 – 8
WMU – Scott Foster (23:58) 10 – 2 – x – 12
Eric Marvin (36:02 ) x – 8 – 11 – 19
Power Plays:
ND: 1-6
WMU: 2-4
Attendance: 3,441