NOTRE DAME, Ind. — With the 2019-20 Irish hockey season rapidly approaching, head coach Jeff Jackson has announced the captains for the upcoming campaign.
Cal Burke, a senior, will serve as team captain, while Burke’s classmates Tory Dello and Cale Morris will take on alternate captain roles. Burke, Dello and Morris will each be donning a letter for the first time in their Irish careers.
“We have a strong leadership core and three of our seniors Cal, Tory and Cale will wear letters for us this season, personifying that strength,” Jackson said. “They have developed into leaders on our team, serving as trusted voices in the locker room and on the ice while setting an example for our team. In addition to playing in big games and knowing what it takes day-in- and day-out to emerge victorious, these captains have helped maintain our culture on and off the ice since arriving on campus.”
Burke assumes the captaincy from Andrew Peeke, who over the past three seasons helped the Irish earn a trio of Big Ten Championships and NCAA Frozen Four appearances in 2017 and 2018. Morris becomes the second goaltender under Jackson to wear a letter following Cal Petersen, who served as the team’s captain for the 2016-17 season.
Burke, a forward, enters his senior season with 19 goals and 49 points in 73 career games. The Boxborough, Massachusetts, native tied for the team lead with 12 goals last season en route to posting a career-best 30 points. A two-time All-Academic Big Ten honoree, Burke also earned the Compton Family Leadership in Service Award in 2019 and he was Notre Dame’s Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree. He was also a Hobey Baker Fan Vote nominee a season ago.
Last season as a junior, Dello collected a career-high 13 points on two goals and 11 assists while also earning a +10 rating. The defenseman netted the game-winning goal in Notre Dame’s 6-3 win over Michigan State on January 25th before giving the Irish the extra B1G point with a shootout winner against the Spartans the following night. He also had a pair of assists to help the Irish top Michigan, 5-2, on February 12th.
Last season as a junior, Morris posted 19 wins with a .930 save percentage and 2.18 goals-against average. He earned Big Ten Tournament MVP, Big Ten All-Tournament Team, Second Team All-Big Ten and Mike Richter Award semifinalist honors. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Morris enters his senior season with 1,772 career saves alongside a .933 save percentage and 2.19 goals-against average. He has backstopped the Irish to 36 wins in his career. As a sophomore, he earned All-American accolades and was named the Mike Richter Award winner as the nation’s top goaltender.
Notre Dame opens the 2019-20 campaign with a matchup against Air Force on Friday, Oct. 11 at the Compton Family Ice Arena. Coming off back-to-back Big Ten Tournament championships, the Fighting Irish also carry a four-year NCAA Tournament appearance streak into the 2019-20 season. Click here for tickets.
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