COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 20 University of Notre Dame hockey team struck early for the eventual game-winner as they fought to the 1-0 victory over No. 12 Ohio State Saturday night.
In his first game of the series, Jack Adams got the scoring started with his first of the season at 2:37 of the opening period. The graduate senior lit the lamp out front off a rebound from Chase Blackmun early in the contest in what became the lone goal on the night.
The Irish carried the one-goal lead into the first intermission as Ryan Bischel stifled all 13 shots faced through the first 20 minutes of play.
Period two saw plenty of penalties for both sides as the two teams combined for 12 minutes but neither squad was able to capitalize on the man advantage and the score remained the same through the second stanza.
The two teams skated the remaining 20 minutes scoreless as Bischel registered his third shutout of the season, and fifth of his career, with the 1-0 final. The senior netminder faced a plethora of shots late as the Buckeyes battled for the equalizer but he stood tall between the pipes and cast aside each shot in the waning moments of regulation.
Through 60 minutes of play, the Irish sent 18 pucks on net, breaking the Buckeye goaltender once while Bischel saved all 37 shots faced for the win.
GOALS
- Jack Adams net his first of the year less than three minutes into Saturday night’s contest. The forward gathered a loose puck in the crease and beat a scrambling OSU netminder for the 1-0 lead. Nick Leivermann fed a pass over to Chase Blackmun at the top of the near circle. After settling the puck, Blackmun fired a shot towards net where the goaltender made the initial pad save but Adams found the rebound and buried it.
KEY STATS
- Notre Dame netminder Ryan Bischel registered 37 saves Saturday night for his fifth career blanking.
- The Irish jumped in front of an additional 18 shots, to halt the puck before it could reach Bischel.
- Jack Adams scored his first goal of the season with the game-winning tally at 2:37 of the opening period. Adams led the team with four shots on goal in the contest.
- Both teams were perfect on the penalty kill Saturday, as the Irish stopped all three Buckeye chances to lift them to victory.
UP NEXT
The Irish head to the East Coast for their final non-conference road tilts with Boston University (Nov. 23) and Boston College (Nov. 25). Puck drop Wednesday at BU is set for 5 p.m. before a 4 p.m. Friday start at BC.