Dec. 11, 2017
By Dan Colleran
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — After posting a road sweep at Wisconsin for the first time in program history and extending its winning streak to 13 games, the University of Notre Dame hockey team moved up to No. 3 in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls (Dec. 11).
In game one of the weekend series against the Badgers (Dec. 8), Notre Dame trailed by two goals with just under 13 minutes to play in the third period, but rallied to score three straight goals en route to a 3-2 victory at the Kohl Center. Dylan Malmquist scored two goals, including the game winner to lead the Irish.
Then in game two of the series (Dec. 9), Cal Burke scored a hat trick and Dennis Gilbert netted two goals, including his first career shorthanded tally, as the Irish blew past Wisconsin 6-2. For Burke, it marked Notre Dame’s first hat trick since Steven Fogarty found the back of the net three times against Penn State on Oct. 16, 2015.
For the weekend, Notre Dame outscored Wisconsin 6-0 in the third period, while sophomore goaltender Cale Morris stopped 73 of the 77 shots he faced for a .948 save percentage.
THIRTEEN IN A ROW
- Notre Dame is on a 13-game winning streak, which is the longest active winning streak in the country.
- It is the longest Fighting Irish winning streak under head coach Jeff Jackson and the longest winning streak during a season in which Notre Dame competed in an NCAA Div. I conference.
- The only other times Notre Dame won at least 13 games in a row occurred during the 1983-84 season (15 consecutive wins from Nov. 4, 1983 – Jan. 21, 1984) and the 1987-88 season (14 consecutive wins from Dec. 11, 1987 – Feb. 13, 1988).
- The Irish competed under club status for the 1983-84 season and then were an independent during the 1987-88 season.
- Notre Dame’s previous longest winning streak under Jackson was 10 games from Feb. 13 – March 21, 2009.
- Jackson’s longest career winning streak came with Lake Superior State when his team won 15 consecutive games from Jan. 19 – March 9, 1991, as part of a 28-game unbeaten stretch by the Lakers.
PERFECT B1G START
- Notre Dame is also 10-0-0-0 in conference play this season, making it the first Big Ten team ever to win its first 10 conference contests of the season.
- The Fighting Irish are the second Big Ten team to go undefeated through 10 games and the first since Minnesota started 2013-14 with a 10-game unbeaten streak to open conference play (8-0-2-0).
NCAA LEADERS
- Jake Evans leads the country with 28 points on seven goals and 21 assists.
- Evans, who has skated in 111 consecutive games, also leads the country in assists (21), faceoffs won (277), even strength points (21) and games with at least three points (5).
- Cale Morris leads the country with a .954 save percentage and is tied for the national lead with 15 wins (15-1-0).
- Morris’ .938 winning percentage also leads the NCAA, while his 1.53 goals-against average ranks second, as do his four shutouts.
- The Fighting Irish are the only team without a road loss this season (8-0-0) and their eight road wins are tied with Minnesota State (8-3-0) for the most road wins in the country.
UP NEXT
The Irish have the rest of December off, as the team will focus on finals and then have some time off for Christmas break. Notre Dame returns to the ice for a Big Ten matchup against Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 5. The game will air live on BTN.
— ND —
Dan Colleran, Director of Athletics Communications at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and golf programs. A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Colleran also spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League and is a graduate of Providence College (’06 & ’08G).