Senior center Kevin Deeth is Notre Dame's Scholar-Athlete of the Year and is in the running for CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Irish Icers Spend Thanksgiving At Home With A Weekend Series Versus Bowling Green

Nov. 25, 2009

Notre Dame, Ind. –

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<>• The Games: #14/#13 Notre Dame (6-5-3/3-2-3-1) vs. Bowling Green (2-9-1/2-5-1-1)

• Date/Site/Time: Fri.-Sat., November 27-28, 2009 • Joyce Center • 7:35 p.m./7:05 p.m.

• Broadcast Information: Radio: Notre Dame hockey can be heard live on Cat Country 99.9 FM, starting with the pregame show 20 minutes before the opening face off. Darin Pritchett will call the action for the Irish.

• Internet: Audio: Both games of the Bowling Green series will have live video streaming available free of charge at und.com. Live stats are available at und.com and on the CCHA website at ccha.com

TALKING TURKEY: The Notre Dame hockey team will spend the Thanksgiving holidays at home this season as the Irish play host to the Bowling Green Falcons in a weekend series, Nov. 27-28, 2009, at the Joyce Center. Friday’s game has a 7:35 p.m. starting time while opening face off on Saturday is set for 7:05 p.m. The Irish are coming off a win and a tie with sixth-ranked Michigan State last week, settling for the 1-1 tie in East Lansing on Nov. 19 (winning the shoot-out, 2-1) before taking a 4-1 decision on Nov. 22 at the Allen Country War Memorial Coliseum in Ft. Wayne, Ind. Sunday’s win snapped a four-game winless skid (0-2-2) for the Irish and improved Notre Dame to 6-5-3 overall and 3-2-3-2 in the CCHA, good for a share of fifth place in the league with 14 points. The Falcons are coming off a split with Michigan, winning at Ann Arbor on Friday, 4-2, before dropping a 4-1 decision on Saturday in Toledo, Ohio. Bowling Green is 2-9-1 on the year and has a 2-5-1-1 mark in the conference for eight points. The Irish are ranked 14th in the most recent USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll and 13th in the USCHO.com rankings. Following the Bowling Green series, the Irish will take to the road on Dec. 4-5 for a pair of games with the top-ranked Miami RedHawks.

IRISH VERSUS FALCONS: Notre Dame and Bowling Green have met 87 times in the all-time series with the Irish holding a 47-34-6 advantage. The two teams meet four times every season as cluster partners and will meet again in February (19-20) for a pair of games at Bowling Green. At the Joyce Center, Notre Dame is 26-12-4 all-time against the Falcons. The Irish have won 12 straight in the series and are in the midst of a 16-game unbeaten streak (15-0-1) against Bowling Green. The last Falcons’ win in the series came on Jan. 29, 2005, a 6-2 win at the Joyce Center. Last season, the Irish won all four meetings by 5-1, 9-1, 3-1 and 4-3 scores.

CCHA DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK: Senior defenseman Kyle Lawson (New Hudson, Mich.) has been named the CCHA defenseman of the week for his performance for the Irish versus Michigan State. Lawson had two assists, was +4 for the two games, blocked five shots and helped the Irish kill all eight Spartan power-play chances on the weekend. That included two five-minute majors and one five-on-three advantage for a full two minutes.

MICHIGAN STATE RECAP:

Thursday, Nov. 19 – Notre Dame freshman Kyle Palmieri (Montvale, N.J.) and Michigan State freshman Derek Grant traded goals as the Irish and Spartans battled to a 1-1 overtime tie on Nov. 19 at Munn Arena. In the post-game shoot out that followed, the Spartans led, 1-0 on a goal by Andrew Rowe only to see Ben Ryan (Jr., Brighton, Mich.) tie the score 1-1 on Notre Dame’s third and final regulation shot. That was followed by a shoot-out winning, highlight-reel goal by Dan Kissel (Sr., Crestwood, Ill.). Irish goaltender Mike Johnson (Fr., Verona, Mich.) stopped Nick Sucharski and Corey Tropp on MSU’s third and fourth shots to seal the shoot-out victory. For the game, Notre Dame out shot Michigan State, 26-24. Johnson finished with 23 saves, including 10 in the third period and four in overtime. Drew Palmisano had 25 saves for the Spartans. Irish penalty killers killed a pair of five-minute majors in the game and one 5-on-3 for two minutes in the game.

Sunday, Nov. 22 – Notre Dame snapped a four-game winless streak (0-2-2) with a 4-1 win over Michigan State at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Ft. Wayne, Ind., on Sunday afternoon. Four players scored single goals for Notre Dame – Calle Ridderwall (Jr., Stockholm, Sweden), Kyle Palmieri, Riley Sheahan (Fr., St. Catharine’s, Ont.) and Kevin Deeth (Sr., Gig Harbor, Wash.). Junior goaltender Brad Phillips (Farmington Hills, Mich.) stopped 27-of-28 shots in the game, giving up just a first-period goal to Daultan Leveille. Ridderwall and Palmieri gave the Irish a 2-0 lead in the first period before Leveille cut the lead in half at the 14:00 mark. Sheahan scored at 8:23 of the second before Deeth closed the scoring with an empty-net goal at 19:05. In the game, the Irish were out shot, 28-16. MSU goaltender Drew Palmisano made 12 saves in the game. Ridderwall (1g, 1a), Deeth (1g, 1a), Billy Maday (2a) and Kyle Lawson (2a) each had two points in the game.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Notre Dame’s game versus Michigan State at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 22 was the third time the Irish had played there. They are now 2-1 all-time at the Ft. Wayne building. Notre Dame first played there on Feb. 18, 2005, dropping a 9-2 decision to Michigan in front of 7,948 fans. The Irish returned on Dec. 30, 2006 and defeated Northern Michigan, 4-3, with a crowd of 3,134 on hand for the contest. This time, Notre Dame prevailed, 4-1, on Nov. 22 with a 3,572 in attendance. Notre Dame, the Allen Co. War Memorial Coliseum and the city of Ft. Wayne will serve as cohosts of the 2010 NCAA Hockey Midwest Regional on March 27-28, 2010.

END OF THE DROUGHT: Kevin Deeth’s goal at 19:05 of the third period against Michigan State on Nov. 22, snapped a personal 28-game goal-less drought. His last goal came on Jan. 17, 2009 versus Lake Superior State. In the 28 games since that goal, Deeth had recorded 20 assists.

IN A RUT: Notre Dame’s 4-1 win over Michigan State snapped a four-game winless skid (0-2-2) for the Irish. That was the longest winless streak since Feb. 16-Feb. 29, 2008 when they were 0-2-2 over that four-game span.

DEFENSIVE DANDIES: Through the first 14 games this season, the Notre Dame defense has held opponents to two goals or less in nine of them and have not given up more than three goals in any game this season. For the year, the Irish have given up just 25 goals for 1.79 goals per game to rank fourth in the nation in team defense. The trio of Irish goaltenders – junior Brad Phillips, freshman Mike Johnson (Verona, Wis.) and senior Tommy O’Brien (Mokena, Ill.) own a 1.75 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage to go with the 6-5-3 record.

HOME ICE STRUGGLES: To date, the Irish have played nine games at home and have a 3-4-2 record at the Joyce Center to show for it. During the 2008-09 campaign, the Irish were 13-3-2 at the Joyce Center and over the previous three seasons owned a 37-9-7 mark on home ice.

HERE COMES THE FUTURE: Earlier this week, Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson announced that nine players have signed national letters-of-intent to begin playing hockey at Notre Dame over the next two seasons. The list included three defensemen and six forwards. The defensemen are Stephen Johns (Wampum, Pa.), Kevin Lind (Homer Glen, Ill.) and Jarred Tinordi (Millersville, Md.) and the forwards include Jeff Costello (Milwaukee, Wis.), David Gerths (Ankeny, Iowa), Anders Lee (Edina, Minn.), Garrett Peterson (Manhattan, Ill.), Bryan Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.). In making the announcement, Jackson said, “We’re very excited about this class of players and over the next two years they will have an impact on the next phase of our program. This class gives us a nice balance of skill, grit and size for the future.” Three members of the incoming class – Johns, Rust and Tinordi – play for USA Hockey’s National Team Developmental Program. The other six are all currently playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Two members of this group – Costello and Lee – have already been drafted by National Hockey League teams in the 2009 Entry Draft and four are currently listed by the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting in their preliminary rankings – Johns, Rust, Tinordi and Kevin Lind. For more information on the nine players check the Notre Dame website at und.com

USHL                               GP   G   A   PTS    PIMJeff Costello - Cedar Rapids       13   7   6    13     28David Gerths - Lincoln             13   1   7     8     10Anders Lee - Green Bay             17  11   7    18     18Kevin Lind - Chicago               13   2   4     6     14Garrett Peterson - Lincoln         15   2   0     2     29T. J. Tynan - Des Moines           18   8  19    27     10
USA UNDER-18 GP G A PTS PIMStephen Johns 20 1 5 6 12Bryan Rust 20 8 5 13 10Jarred Tinordi 20 0 5 5 32

HIGHLY RANKED: Notre Dame freshman center Riley Sheahan is the lone CCHA player with an A ranking in NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings of players in the NCAA. The highly ranked freshman has three goals and six assists for nine points in his first 14 games this season.

SCORING DROUGHT: Through the first 14 games of the season, Notre Dame has scored a total of 32 goals. For the first time all season, the Irish failed to score a power-play goal in two consecutive games versus Michigan State. Of the 32 goals, 17 have come at even strength. Notre Dame has 14 power-play goals and one short-handed tally to go with the 17 even-strength goals. The Nov. 22nd 4-1 win over Michigan State marked the first time all season that the Irish have scored more thatn than three goals in a game. They are averaging just 2.29 goals-per-game this season. Notre Dame’s offensive attack ranks 50th in the nation.

CLOSE ONES: With the 3-2 loss to Northern Michigan on November 14, Notre Dame is now 1-4 this season in one-goal games. During the 2008-09 campaign, the Irish were 11-2 in games decided by one goal.

BEST OF THE BEST: Over the past three-plus seasons, the Notre Dame hockey program is tops in the nation. Since the start of the 2006-07 campaign, the Irish have won 96 games and own a .717 winning percentage over that period. Notre Dame leads Michigan (93) in wins and winning percentage (.697). Here are the top five teams by wins and winning percentage since 2006-07.

                 WINS        WINNING .PCTNotre Dame           96         Notre Dame (.717)Michigan             93         Michigan (.697)Miami                89         Miami (.691)North Dakota         83         Boston College (.639)Boston University    77         North Dakota (.638)Boston College       77

PENALTY KILLING PROWESS: Over the last three games, Notre Dame’s penalty killers have killed 14 straight power-play chances and for the year are 58-of-64 for a 90.6% success rate that is the third best in the nation. On Nov. 19 at Michigan State, the final stat sheet showed that Notre Dame was 4-for-4 killing penalties. Behind that number is the fact that the Irish had to kill a pair of five-minute majors and one 5X3 power-play for a full two minutes. On the night, Michigan State had 9:57 of power-play time while the Irish had just 2:17.

FRESHMEN SCORERS: Freshmen forwards Kyle Palmieri and Riley Sheahan each scored a goal in the 4-1 win over Michigan State. That marked the first time since the season opener that the dynamic duo each scored in the same game. On Nov. 19 at Michigan State, the two freshmen were united with freshman left wing Nick Larson (Apple Valley, Minn.) to form an Irish “Kid Line” for the first time this season.

SWEEPLESS IN SOUTH BEND: On Nov. 16, for the third time this season, Notre Dame found itself in a position that it hasn’t been in very often over the last four seasons – looking at a possible opponent sweep. Since Jeff Jackson took over behind the Irish bench for the 2005-06 season, the Irish have lost back-to-back games on a weekend just eight times. Five of those series losses came during the 2005-06 season with two coming in 2007-08 and one last year (2008-09). The last time the Irish dropped a weekend series came on Oct. 24-25, 2008 when they lost twice to Miami at the Joyce Center.

GOAL-SCORING MACHINE: Junior left wing Calle Ridderwall leads Notre Dame with seven goals this season with four of them coming on the power play. His four-game, goal-scoring streak that started on Oct. 16 versus Providence came to an end on Oct. 31 against Ohio State. During his streak, Ridderwall had four goals with one assist for five points. Over the last two seasons, he has scored 24 goals for Notre Dame with 15 of them coming via the power play.

POWER-PLAY NOTES: Notre Dame has now scored at least one power-play goal in 10 of its first 14 games this season. The Irish were shutout on the power play in back-to-back games for the first time all season versus Michigan State. For the season, they are Irish are 14-for-72 with the man advantage for a 19.4% success rate that ties them for 22nd in the nation.

THE BIG 5-0: Ryan Thang’s second-period power-play goal versus Alaska on Nov. 6 was the 50th of his Irish hockey career. The senior captain enters Thursday’s game with 50 goals and 46 assists for 96 career points.

BACK BETWEEN THE PIPES: Junior goaltender Brad Phillips has had a successful return to the Notre Dame lineup this season. The 6-2, 187-pound goaltender missed all of last season due to a knee injury suffered in the preseason that required surgery. Phillips, who made five starts in his freshman year (2007-08) and was 4-1-0 with a 1.53 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage to go with one shutout, has started seven games this season and is 2-3-2 with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage with one shutout.

BACK-TO-BACK: Freshman goaltender Mike Johnson made three consecutive starts in goal for the Irish from Nov. 6 through Nov. 14 for the first time in his career. On Friday, Nov. 6, Johnson made a career-high 35 saves in the 3-2 win over the Nanooks. Included were 16 saves in the third period as the Irish were out shot, 16-3, in the final stanza. On Saturday, Nov. 7, Johnson gave up two goals on 23 shots in a 3-1 loss to Alaska. On Nov. 14, he made 15 saves in a 3-2 loss to Northern Michigan. In the three-game span he was 1-2-0 with a 2.34 goals against and a .910 save percentage. On Nov. 19, Johnson played in his first CCHA shoot-out, stopping three-of-four shots in a 2-1 shoot-out win for the Irish. For the year, he is 3-2-1 with a 1.49 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. His goals-against average and save percentage are tops among freshmen goaltenders in the nation.

MADAY TO THE RESCUE: Trailing 2-0 to Northern Michigan on Nov. 15, the Irish turned to sophomore Billy Maday to jump start the offense. His power-play goal at 8:42 of the second period cut the lead to 2-1 and his four-on-four tally at 2:36 of the third tied the game at 2-2. In the shoot out, Maday scored Notre Dame’s first goal of the shoot out (he’s scored on four of five shoot out attempts in two seasons) as the Irish picked up the extra point with a 2-1 win. The two-goal game was the second of Maday’s career. He is tied for second on the team with four goals and five assists for nine points.

DEETH TOPS 100: Senior center Kevin Deeth (Gig Harbor, Wash.) became the 44th player in the 42-year history of the Notre Dame hockey program to reach 100 points for his career on Oct. 23. His assist on Calle Ridderwall’s first-period goal gave Deeth 32 goals and 68 assists for his 100th career point. He reached that mark in 133 games. Deeth now has 105 career points and is tied for 39th on the all-time points list. Right behind him is senior teammate Ryan Thang who has now played in 133 career games, scoring 50 goals with 46 assists for 96 points. He needs just four assists to join the 50/50 club for players with 50 goals and 50 assists in a career.

STEALING THE SHOW: Junior goaltender Brad Phillips made a career-high 34 saves as he handed the Boston University Terriers a 3-0 loss at Agganis Arena. Phillips got all the offensive support he needed in the second period when Billy Maday (So., Burr Ridge, Ill.) and Ben Ryan scored 12 seconds apart to give the Irish a 2-0 lead. Calle Ridderwall added a power-play goal in the third period for the 3-0 final score. Maday, Ryan and Ridderwall each had a goal and an assist in the game. Phillips made 27 of his 34 saves in the first and third periods, including 17 in the final stanza. Notre Dame was 8-for-8 killing penalties on the night and 1-for-6 on the power play. BU out shot the Irish, 34-16, in the game. The win was the first-ever for the Friars against Boston University (1-2-0 all-time).

CCHA DIFFERENCES: With the start of Notre Dame’s CCHA schedule this weekend, there are a couple diffences to remember with the final results of a game. First is the shootout – should a game remain tied after 60 minutes of regulation and a five-minute overtime, a winner will be decided via a shootout. Each team will select three shooters who will go one-on-one versus the opponent’s goaltender with the winner being the team that scores the most. If the game remains tied after the first three shooters, single shooters will continue until a winner is found. The team winning the shootout will receive two points in the standings while the loser just one. On the national level, the game is still considered a tie. Secondly, the standings in the conference will be different. A regulation or overtime win will see the winning team awarded three points with the loser none. If the game goes to a shootout, both teams will get one point with the shootout winner getting the extra point in the standings.

STREAK BUSTERS: Notre Dame’s 3-0 shutout win over Boston University, snapped a streak of 99-consecutive games that the Terriers had not been shutout. The last time BU was shutout came on Dec. 2, 2006 when the Terriers shutout Boston College, 1-0. The win also marked the first time since Jan. 15, 2008 that Boston University lost a non-conference game, a streak of 10 consecutive wins.

ROAD WARRIORS: During the 2008-09 season, Notre Dame turned in a 14-2-1 record on the road, the best in the program’s history. That included a nine-game road win streak and a 10-game unbeaten mark (9-0-1). After four games on the road, the Irish are 2-1-1 away from home this season.

LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD: Notre Dame senior captain Ryan Thang has been named one of 20 nominees for the 2009-10 Lowes Senior CLASS Award. The award is given annually to an NCAA Division I student-athlete in nine sports based on achievement’s in the “Four C’s” of classroom, character, community and competition. CLASS is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. Last season, two members of the Irish hockey team – Erik Condra `09 and Jordan Pearce `09 – were selected as one of 10 finalists for the honor. For the 2007-08 campaign, captain Mark Van Guilder `08 made it to the list of 10 finalists. For the 2006-07 season, goaltender David Brown `07 was selected as the first winner of the hockey award. The list of 20 candidates will be narrowed down midway through the season with the final 10 going on a ballot to select the national winner.

STINGY IRISH: Over the last three seasons, the Irish have been ranked first in the nation twice with lowest goals-against average. For the 2006-07 season, Notre Dame was best in the nation with a 1.67 goals against. The Irish followed that in 2007-08 with a 2.13 goals-against average to rank fifth in the country and last year the goals-against average was best with a 1.73 average. Through the first 14 games of the 2009-10 season, the Irish are fourth in the nation, giving up just 1.79 goals per game.