Dec. 29, 2002
HANOVER, N.H. – The Notre Dame hockey team again received some offense from unlikely sources but failed to hold leads in all three periods, as the Irish skated to a 3-3 tie with the University of Vermont in Sunday’s consolation game at Dartmouth’s Leydard National Bank Tournament.
Notre Dame (8-7-3) – which returns to CCHA action next weekend at Nebraska Omaha – received goals from sophomore center Cory McLean, freshman center Matt Amado and junior defenseman Tom Galvin while sophomore Morgan Cey made 10 of his 26 saves in the third period to preserve the tie.
Vermont (5-8-3) answered each Notre Dame goal but failed to cash in any of its seven power-play chances, with the Irish going 0-for-3 with the man-up advantage.
The Irish finished with a 31-29 edge in shots on goal, including 14-8 in the opening period.
McLean – who now ranks third on the team with seven goals, after totaling just one as a freshman – opened the scoring in the late moments of the first period. Senior left wing Jake Wiegand – who scored twice in Saturday’s 6-4 loss to the host Big Green – set up the goal by dropping the puck to junior defenseman Brett Lebda. McLean was stationed in the slot and redirected Lebda’s pass into the net for the 1-0 lead (18:18).
The Catamounts answered just 20 seconds later, thanks to a 2-on-1 rush down the right side. John Longo worked the puck to Brad Leisenring and Longo tipped the return pass into the open net for his fifth goal of the season (18:38).
Amado scored his second goal of the weekend (and second of the season) early in the second period, thanks to a cross-ice pass from junior defenseman Neil Komadoski that caught UVm in a linechange. Amado was open at the right circle and blasted a shot past Shawn Conschafter for the 2-1 lead (4:33).
Vermont tied the game five minutes later, just two seconds after Galvin had released from an elbowing penalty. Gerard Miller skated in from the blue line and beat Cey with a rising shot for his first goal of the season (9:49).
Galvin (who also was credited with an assist on the Amado score) notched the sixth goal of his career early in the final period. The unusual goal saw Galvin flick an off-speed shot from the right circle – as he was falling to the ice – with the puck trickling through Conschafter’s legs for Galvin’s second goal of the year (2:46).
Thomas Hajek forged the third and final tie with 11:09 left in regulation, after a teammate’s shot had kicked off the back dasher. Hajek collected the rebound at the top of the right circle and beat Cey to the stick side for the 3-3 final (8:51).
Notre Dame 1 1 1 – 3
Vermont 1 1 1 – 3
1st Period: ND 1. Cory McLean 7 (Brett Lebda, Jake Wiegand) 18:18; UVM 1. John Longo 5 (Brad Leisenring, Baron Necker) 18:38.
2nd Period: ND 2. Matt Amado 2 (Neil Komadoski, Tom Galvin) 4:33; UVM 2. Gerald Miller 1 (Thomas Hajek, Shawn Conschafter) 9:49.
3rd Period: ND 3. Galvin 2 (Yan Stastny, T.J. Mathieson) 2:46; UVM 3. Hajek 2 (Bryson Busniuk, Jeff Corey) 8:51.
Saves: Morgan Cey, ND (7-9-10-0 – 26); Shawn Conschafter, UVM (13-6-6-3 – 28).
Power Play: ND 0-for-3, UVM 0-for-7.
Penalties: ND 8 for 16:00, UVM 4 for 8:00.