Irish head coach Jeff Jackson and his team have worked hard during the bye week to be ready for the second round of the playoffs.  They will play host to Nebraska-Omaha March 13-15.

Irish Icers To Practice On The Pond Friday Afternoon

Jan. 21, 2009

Notre Dame, Ind. – The No. 1 ranked Notre Dame hockey team will “Practice On The Pond,” Friday afternoon, Jan. 23, when the Irish move their practice from the Joyce Center to the outdoor rink at Merrifield Park in Mishawaka, Ind. The practice will run from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Immediately following the practice, from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m., fans will have a chance to meet the Irish hockey team and get autographs of their favorite players.

Cat Country 99.9 FM, the flagship radio station for Notre Dame hockey will be on hand with a live remote from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will have prizes to hand out, including tickets to remaining regular-season home games and the CCHA playoffs.

Free hot chocolate will be provided to the first 200 fans in attendance.

This is the second time that the Irish have taken a practice outdoors at Merrifield Park. Last season, they spent an afternoon the outdoor rink prior to the Jan. 25-26, 2008 series with Bowling Green.

Top-ranked Notre Dame has a bye this week, but will return to action next weekend, Jan. 30-31, with a home-and-home series against eighth-ranked Michigan. The Irish face the Wolverines on Friday, Jan. 30 at the Joyce Center in an 8:05 p.m. game.

Notre Dame is currently 19-3-3 overall and 13-2-3-3 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), good for 32 points and first place in the league standings. The Irish own a seven-point lead over second-place Miami and Alaska. Notre Dame is in the midst of a 20-game unbeaten streak (17-0-3) that started on Oct. 31, 2008. The streak is the longest in the program’s 41-year history.