WHO: #6/6 Notre Dame (4-3-1) vs. #14/15 Michigan (4-3-0)
WHEN: Friday, November 9 – 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, November 10 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Yost Ice Arena
WATCH: Friday & Saturday – Big Ten Network+
LISTEN: Friday Radio Broadcast | Saturday Radio Broadcast
THE SERIES VS. MICHIGAN
- In their inaugural season in the Big Ten, the Irish and Wolverines met five times, with the Irish claiming three victories, including a last second win at the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four.
- As time ran down in the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four semifinal (April 5), Cam Morrison slid the puck back to Jake Evans in the slot, who shot it five-hole for the game-winner with five seconds remaining – sending Notre Dame to the national championship.
- All-time, Michigan leads the series 76-59-5, however, since their final season in the CCHA (2012-13), the Irish hold the edge with an 8-3-0 record.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- 300 – In his 14th season, head coach Jeff Jackson now has 300 career wins at Notre Dame (300-180-55). Notre Dame’s all-time wins leader is Lefty Smith (307-320-31).
- 50 – Notre Dame is embarking upon the 50th season of varsity hockey at the University
- 11 – Bobby Nardella leads the Irish with 11 points on four goals and seven assists. Entering the weekend, his 11 points rank tied for ninth nationally and tied for second among defensemen.
- 8 – The 2018-19 Irish roster boasts eight players who have been selected in the NHL Draft.
- 7 – With the 2018 Big Ten tournament and regular season titles, Notre Dame has now won even conference championships in program history, each under Jeff Jackson (three regular season)
- 5 – With his shutout against Providence to claim the Ice Breaker Championship on Oct. 13, goaltender Cale Morris boasts five career shutouts with the Irish.
- 3 – Jack Jenkins, Bobby Nardella and Cal Burke have combined for Notre Dame’s three shorthanded goals this season, which is tied for the second-most in the country.
- 2 – Against Mercyhurst on Oct. 12, junior Cal Burke notched a third period hat trick — the second of his career. He became the first Irish player since Anders Lee with multiple career hat tricks.
OTHER TIDBITS
- The Fighting Irish are in the midst of three consecutive weekend series against last season’s Frozen Four teams, including No. 1/1 Minnesota Duluth, No. 7/9 Ohio State and No. 12/13 Michigan.
- This weekend’s series between the Irish and Wolverines kicks off Big Ten play for Michigan. The Irish, having split with Ohio State last weekend, are 1-1-0 in conference play.
- The two teams last met in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four semifinals where the Irish defeated the Wolverines 4-3 on a last second goal from Jake Evans.
- In 2017-18, the two teams split their regular-season schedule with both teams claiming two victories.
- Four of their five meetings last season ended in one-goal decisions, with the Irish claiming three of those victories.
- This season the two teams will meet for a weekend series in Ann Arbor, Michigan, before the Wolverines make two trips to Indiana in early 2019.
- The first of those two trips will feature the rivals meeting in Notre Dame Stadium for the first outdoor college hockey game in the House That Rockne Built, just days after the Bruins and Blackhawks meet in the 2019 Bridgestone Winter Classic ®.
- Over the last two seasons, the Irish are now 13-2-1 in road contests (17-4-2 over the past two seasons in road and neutral site games combined).