NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 12/12 Irish hockey program upended storied foe Michigan State 5-0 Friday night in game one of their series inside Compton Family Ice Arena. The shutout improves the Irish to 4-2-1 on the season and a 4-0-0 record on home ice.
Notre Dame opened the scoring at 8:28 of the first period, picking up a pass from Ryder Rolston for a shot at the wide open net.
Rolston continued his hot start to the season with a goal of his own, and team-leading eighth point, at 17:35 of the opening frame to lift the Irish to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.
Shots were fairly even through the first period of play with Ryan Bischel stopping all 11 pucks faced.
The two teams came out battling in the second stanza with the Spartans looking to cut the Irish lead in half, and the home team adamant to keep the opposition off the board.
Nick Leivermann extended the Irish lead just two and a half minutes into the period with a rocket shot to the top shelf, beating former teammate Dylan St. Cyr glove side.
Minutes later the Irish were called for a major penalty following a review and found themselves deep in their own defensive end.
Bischel repeated with 11 saves in the second stanza to keep the Spartans off the scoresheet and his shutout bid alive at the end of 40 minutes.
Chayse Primeau kept his career night going early in the third with a goal off the rush, his second of the year. Sophomore Hunter Strand concluded the scoring Friday night with his first of the season to round out the 5-0 win for the blue and gold.
Standing tall in net, Bischel picked up his second consecutive home shutout and fourth blanking of his career in the win, stopping 30 shots faced in 59:52 of playing time.
GOALS
- Ryder Rolston set Justin Janicke up for the backdoor goal at 8:28 of the opening period. After Chayse Primeau beat a Spartan defenseman in the slot, Rolston gathered the pass and faked St. Cyr out in net for the wide-open tally by J. Janicke.
- Rolston kept the score line going late in the first period, creating an odd-man rush with the help of Primeau and Bischel for his team-leading fourth of the season.
- Nick Leivermann net his second of the season, firing a shot into the high right corner of the net to make it 3-0 at 2:27 of the second. Chase Blackmun found a winding Hunter Strand in the near circle. The captain fired a wristshot above the glove of St. Cyr to extend the Irish lead.
- At 3:29 of the third period, Leivermann picked up the puck along the boards deep in the Irish end and fired a pass up ice to Rolston on the rush who centered the puck to Primeau for the fourth Irish goal of the night.
- Strand rounded out the scoring for ND Friday night, finding his first of the season at 10:20 of the third period. Jesse Lansdell sent the puck to Strand along the boards in the waning seconds of the Irish powerplay. Strand then found Helliwell at the blueline who skated the puck back through the zone to set up the play. As the Spartan offender stepped back on the ice, Strand hit twine and made it 5-0 for ND.
KEY STATS
- The Irish offense exploded Friday night for five goals from five individuals. Hunter Strand scored his first of the season while Chayse Primeau and Ryder Rolston each boasted three point nights (1-2-3).
- With five shots on net, Nick Leivermann led the team in the category while picking up his second goal of the season in the second period.
- With 30 saves in the contest, Ryan Bischel picked up his second shutout of the season and second-straight on home ice. The senior now boasts four career shutouts.
- Notre Dame skaters registered 13 blocked shots in the contest, led by Jake Boltmann and Ryan Helliwell with three a piece.
- Nine individuals highlighted the box score, including four with multiple points on the night. Primeau and Rolston led the team with three points each, while Strand and Leivermann both had a goal and an assist in the win.
UP NEXT
The two teams return to the ice tomorrow night to close out the series inside Compton Family Ice Arena. Puck drop for Saturday’s contest is set for 6:05 p.m. with a Hocktoberfest celebration prior to the game. The festivities will begin at 4 p.m. outside the Arena and include a food truck, beer garden and activities for kids. A costume contest will take place to celebrate of Halloween.