Feb. 5, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Notre Dame junior left wing Dan Carlson recorded his second overtime goal in three weeks-just minutes after Ohio State had misfired on a penalty shot in the final seconds of regulation-as the Irish emerged with a 2-1 victory over the Buckeyes in playoff-intensity Central Collegiate Hockey Association action Saturday night at Value Center Arena.
The frantic finish marks the first time that Notre Dame has scored a game-winning goal in the final minute of regulation or overtime in seven years-since Matt Osiecki found the net with 55 seconds left in overtime to give the Irish a 5-4 win at Kent State on Feb. 14, 1992. Since that time, the Irish have been on the losing end of 12 last-minute, game-winning goals (including seven during the five-year tenure of head coach Dave Poulin).
The Irish win comes on the heels of OSU’s 3-1 triumph Friday night, with both teams picking up two points over the weekend as they strive for different immediate goals.
The win pushes Notre Dame (12-14-6, 9-8-5) back into sole possession of fifth place and the final CCHA playoff spot, thanks to Bowling Green’s 3-2 win at sixth-place Nebraska-Omaha (8-9-5). The Irish failed to pick up ground on Lake Superior (13-8-1), which posted a 3-1 win at Joe Louis Arena over Michigan State (13-7-1) to move back into a tie with the Spartans for third place.
Ohio State (9-16-3, 5-13-2) fell four points behind in-state rival BG (8-12-0) for the 10th and final playoff spot, with the Buckeyes and Falcons still to face each other twice over the final eight games.
Carlson’s team-leading 12th goal of the season-and sixth in the last six games-came with 56 seconds left on the clock. Senior center Ben Simon assisted on the play with a pass from the left side of the crease, with freshman right wing Michael Chin then slapping a shot on net. Carlson was stationed at the far right side of the crowded crease area and swept the rebound into the net for his fourth game-winning goal of the season and third in as many weeks.
Carlson’s recent heroics included two huge goals in the 4-3 win over Western Michigan on Jan. 21, as he forced OT by scoring with 1:23 left in regulation before netting the 6-on-5 game-winner in the first minute of overtime.
OSU nearly stole the game in the final seconds of regulation, when Eric Meloche slanted in from the right on a partial breakaway, with senior defenseman Tyson Fraser attempting to cut off the play. Meloche beat Fraser to the slot and sent a shot to the lower right corner-with freshman Tony Zasowski making the save-but the referee called for a penalty shot after Fraser had swiped at the puck as he was falling down behind Meloche.
Despite argument from the Irish bench, Meloche was awarded the free shot (with 16 seconds left on the clock) but the senior right winger and OSU’s leading goalscorer sent the puck high and wide of the right post, with Zasowski positioning himself well to cut down the shooter’s options.
Chin-who has six points in the last five games-had given the Irish a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, lifting home a deflected power-play shot by junior right wing Ryan Dolder for his fourth goal of the season (11:30). Carlson set up Dolder’s shot from the left circle, with Chin scooping a backhanded shot past senior goaltender Ray Aho and into the far right side of the net.
Notre Dame dominated in the second period (17-7 shot edge, four power-play chances) but failed to pad its lead, with OSU regrouping after a timeout at the 13:45 mark.
Just 12 seconds after the timeout, the Buckeyes tied the game, as junior left wing Jean-Francois Dufour converted a pass from Meloche on an odd-man rush (13:57). An outlet pass from sophomore defenseman Jaisen Freemen sprung the break down the right boards and Meloche raced toward the endline before dropping a pass back into the slot area. Dufour was filling the middle and one-timed a forehand shot past Zasowski on the stick side, for his 11th goal of the season and a 1-1 game.
The Irish held a 36-23 shot advantage, marking the sixth straight game that Notre Dame has outshot its opponent (or tied in the shot margin). During the course of those six games, the Irish have posted a 4-1-1 record while amassing a 213-124 edge in shots on goal (average of 36-21).
Notre Dame again played without co-leading scorer Joe Dusbabek, as the senior right wing was sidelined for the second straight game due to muscle spasms. The Irish elected to shift Chin into Dusbabek’s first-line spot, alongside Simon and Carlson (Chin also skated on the first power-play unit).
NOTES: In other CCHA action Saturday, Northern Michigan (14-4-2) set up its run at the regular-season title by hanging a 7-1 loss on visiting ninth-place Western Michigan (8-11-3) … Michigan (15-5-1) now leads NMU by a single point, after dropping a 4-2 game at eighth-place Ferris State (9-11-2) … Miami (9-8-3) scored with nine seconds left in OT to drop visiting Alaska Fairbanks, 5-4, all but eliminating UAF (3-18-1) from the playoff hunt while boosting the RedHawks into a tie for sixth … ND has played an OT game in each of the past six weekends, with ties at Denver, vs. LSSU, at NMU and at UAF, plus the wins over WMU and OSU … OSU had owned a 7-2-0 mark in the previous nine games vs. ND … despite winning just twice in overtime during the past two seasons (2-1-11), the Irish have lost just once in their last 14 OT games (3-2 at Miami on March 5, 1999)-with the previous loss coming in the painful 2-1 CCHA playoff game at Michigan on March 14, 1998 (when UM’s Bobby Hayes scored in the 19th minute of OT to tie the series, 1-1) … ND and OSU have their share of recent history in regards to the rare penalty shot … on Feb. 8, 1997, Dusbabek sent a penalty shot wide right in the second period of a game at the OSU Ice Rink (OSU went on to win 4-3, with Aho making 23 saves) … then, on Dec. 5, 1998, former Irish RW Brian Urick saw Jeff Maund save his second-period penalty shot at the Columbus Fairgrounds (Maund totaled 26 saves in that 4-1 OSU win) … Carlson suddenly has moved into a tie for 10th all-time at ND with seven career GWGs (just seven players have totaled 10-plus, with Urick and Poulin sharing the record of 13) … Carlson’s four GWGs this season are tied for eighth in the record book … since Dave Bankoske’s ND record seven GWGs in 1989-90, only Urick (5, 1997-98) has posted more GWGs in a season that Carlson’s current total … ND’s seven one-goal wins (7-4) equal the second-most in team history (the 1978-79 team went 11-4 in one-goal games) … ND’s two overtime victories ties the school record while the eight OT games are the second-most by an Irish team in the last six years (the 1997-98 team was 2-4-4 in OT) … Chin (2G-4A in last five games, 4G-6A overall) leads all ND freshmen in goals and is tied with center Connor Dunlop (2G-8A) for most points among the Irish rookies … 32 of ND’s 75 goals this season (43 pct.) have come on the PP (13 of the last 22) … ND has scored PPGs in five straight games (9-for-42/.214, in those games) … the Irish snapped a seven-game streak of PPGs allowed … Zasowski has allowed 0-2 goals in 13 of his 18 starts while lowering his GAA to 2.25 and raising his save pct. to .909 (both on pace to break the ND records of 2.58 and .907) … he has allowed just 27 even-strength goals in 21 games played and just seven in his last nine appearances … Carlson has points in five of the last six games (5G-2A) … the ND defense has allowed just nine goals in the last five games, but the offense has managed just 12 goals at the other end during those five games … Carlson’s team-best 12 goals include a team-best eight PPGs (plus one 6-on-5 score) … Simon has assisted on both of Carlson’s OT goals this season … Carlson has scored or assisted on five of ND’s 12 GWGs … Carlson also pushed his team-best point total to 23 (12G-11A), with the bunched team scoring leaders also including Dusbabek (7G-13A in 27 games played), Dolder (7G-13A), Simon (6G-13A in 30 games) and sophomore C David Inman (11G-5A in 28 games).
NOTRE DAME (12-14-6, 9-8-5 CCHA) 1 0 0 1 – 1
OHIO STATE (9-16-3, 5-13-2 CCHA) 0 1 0 0 – 1
1st: ND 1. Chin 4 (Dolder, Carlson), PP, 11:30.
2nd: OSU 1. Dufour 11 (Meloche, Freeman) 13:57.
OT: ND 2. Carlson 12 (Chin, Wiegand) 4:04.
Shots: ND 7-17-10-2/36, OSU 5-7-10-1/23.
Saves: ND (Zasowski) 5-6-10-1/22, OSU (Aho) 6-7-10-1/34.
Power Play: ND 1-for-6, OSU 0-for-5.
Penalties: ND 6 for 12:00, OSU 7 for 14:00.