NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey program was selected to finish second in the Big Ten Conference this season by coaches, the league announced Wednesday. The ninth-ranked Irish finished third in the Big Ten last season, earning a berth in the conference tournament semifinals and an NCAA Tournament bid.
Additionally, two Irish skaters were picked to preseason teams with junior Landon Slaggert selected All-Big Ten First Team and Nick Leivermann pegged as an honorable mention.
A South Bend native, Slaggert finished third on the team in goals last season (12) and points (26). He returns veteran leadership to the Irish offensive corp as the junior forward returns 12 goals and 14 assists from last season, a career high. In 40 games played in 2021-22, Slaggert fired 93 shots off and recorded a plus-nine on-ice rating.
Leivermann returns to ND for his fifth season as an All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree. The graduate student has appeared in 118 career games for the Irish, amassing 17 goals, 41 assists and 58 points. The defenseman recorded a career-high 27 points last season which was second on the team and sixth among Big Ten defenders in 2021-22.
The Irish open their season at top-ranked Denver for the 2022 Ice Breaker Tournament, October 7.
2022-23 Preseason All-Big Ten Hockey Team
As selected by Big Ten coaches
FIRST TEAM
Mackie Samoskevich, F, MICH
MATTHEW KNIES, F, MINN
Landon Slaggert, F, ND
LUKE HUGHES, D, MICH
Brock Faber, D, MINN
Erik Portillo, G, MICH
SECOND TEAM
Adam Fantilli, F, MICH
Logan Cooley, F, MINN
Kevin Wall, F, PSU
Jackson LaCombe, D, MINN
Mason Lohrei, D, OSU
Jakub Dobes, G, OSU
HONORABLE MENTION
Nick Leivermann, D, ND
Connor MacEachern, F, PSU
Corson Ceulemans, D, WIS
Matt De St. Phalle, F, WIS
2022-23 BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
1. Minnesota
2. Notre Dame
3. Michigan
4. Wisconsin
5. Ohio State
6. Penn State
7. Michigan State
Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS