WHO: #12 Notre Dame (23-13-3, 11-11-2-2 B1G) vs. #4 UMass (29-9-0, 18-6-0 HEA)
WHEN: Saturday, March 30 – 6:30 p.m. ET
WHERE: SNHU Arena, Manchester, N.H.
WATCH (TV): ESPNU
WATCH (STREAMING): ESPN App
LISTEN: 94.3 FM (South Bend) & UND.com
FOR STARTERS
- With another dramatic playoff win last night in overtime against Clarkson, 3-2, Notre Dame has reached the NCAA Northeast Regional Final and will play top seed UMass.
- It will mark the third consecutive regional final for the Irish, who will be looking to advance to a third consecutive Frozen Four.
- It will mark Notre Dame’s sixth NCAA Regional Final appearance in program history, all since 2007 under head coach Jeff Jackson.
- The Irish are 4-1-0 in their five previous regional final games including a loss in 2007 and then wins in 2008, 2011 (Manchester, N.H.), 2017 (Manchester, N.H.) and 2018.
- Last night, Cam Morrison netted the game-winning goal, lifting Notre Dame to a 3-2 overtime victory over Clarkson to advance.
- The Irish used a Bobby Nardella extra attacker goal late in the third period to force overtime at the SNHU Arena (5,033).
- It marked Morrison’s second consecutive game-winning goal as he also had the second period game winner in Notre Dame’s 3-2 win over Penn State in the Big Ten Championship game (March 23).
- In three career NCAA games at the SNHU, Morrison has three goals and an assist for four points.
- Former Hockey East opponents, UMass and Notre Dame played the longest college hockey game in history on March 5, 2015 when the Minutemen won game one of a playoff series 4-3 in five overtimes (151:42 minutes) — the Irish rallied with 5-3 and 7-0 victories to take the series.
- For the fourth consecutive season and the 11th time in program history, Notre Dame is appearing in the NCAA Championship field.
- Notre Dame also is coming off back-to-back Frozen Four appearances, including a spot in last season’s title game that ultimately saw Minnesota Duluth post a 2-1 win.
- Notre Dame (and also Minnesota Duluth, which starts NCAA play today) is attempting to become the first team to make three straight Frozen Fours since North Dakota did so in 2014-16.
- Jackson has led the Irish to 10 of their 11 NCAA tournament appearances.
- Notre Dame is 44-29-0 all-time in the playoffs under 14th-year head coach Jeff Jackson, including a 32-20-0 mark in conference tournament playoff games (includes games in the CCHA, Hockey East and Big Ten) and 12-9-0 in NCAA Tournament games.
- Now in 11 career playoff games, Cale Morris is 10-1-0 with a .950 save percentage and a 1.54 goals-against average.
- The Irish are 17-0-1 this season when scoring at least three goals.
- Notre Dame (23-13-3) has reached at least 20 wins on the year for a third consecutive season, marking the second time Notre Dame has recorded at least 20 wins in three consecutive seasons (2006-07 – 2008-09 marked the other time).
IRISH NCAA TOURNEY TALK
- Notre Dame is making the 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and the 10th under head coach Jeff Jackson.
- Jackson has guided the Irish to 10 NCAA appearances in the last 14 seasons to go along with Frozen Four appearances in 2008, 2011, 2017 and 2018.
- In 2008 and 2018, Notre Dame advanced to the national title game.
- Notre Dame’s streak of four consecutive NCAA appearances marks a program-best run and is the fourth longest active streak, trailing only Denver (12), Providence (6) and Minnesota Duluth (5).
- Cam Morrison (8 GP, 4-3-7) and Dylan Malmquist (8 GP, 2-2-4) are Notre Dame’s active leading scorers in NCAA Tournament play.
MANCHESTER MAGIC
- Notre Dame’s runs to the 2011 and 2017 Frozen Fours started at the NCAA Northeast Regional in Manchester, New Hampshire and following the win over Clarkson the Irish are 5-0-0 at the SNHU/Verizon Wireless Arena.
- On their way to St. Paul in 2011, at what was then called the Verizon Wireless Arena, No. 3 seed Notre Dame overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 2 seed Merrimack, 4-3, on an Anders Lee goal scored at 5:18 of overtime.
- Then in the 2011 Northeast Regional Final, Notre Dame downed No. 4 seed New Hampshire, 2-1, to advance to the Frozen Four for the second time in program history.
- Mike Johnson made 37 saves in the regional final, while Stephen Johns and Billy Maday
scored for the Irish. - Johnson was named the 2011 Northeast Regional’s Most Valuable Player.
MANCHESTER MAGIC
- Notre Dame’s runs to the 2011 and 2017 Frozen Fours started at the NCAA Northeast Regional in Manchester, New Hampshire and following the win over Clarkson the Irish are 5-0-0 at the SNHU/Verizon Wireless Arena.
- On their way to St. Paul in 2011, at what was then called the Verizon Wireless Arena, No. 3 seed Notre Dame overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 2 seed Merrimack, 4-3, on an Anders Lee goal scored at 5:18 of overtime.
- Then in the 2011 Northeast Regional Final, Notre Dame downed No. 4 seed New Hampshire, 2-1, to advance to the Frozen Four for the second time in program history.
- Mike Johnson made 37 saves in the regional final, while Stephen Johns and Billy Maday
scored for the Irish. - Johnson was named the 2011 Northeast Regional’s Most Valuable Player.
- Then in 2017, No. 4 seed Notre Dame came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat top-seeded Minnesota, 3-2, in the first round of the NCAA Northeast Regional (SNHU Arena).
- Anders Bjork scored a pair of goals, including the game winner at the 8:42 mark of the third period to help lead the Irish to the win.
- Then in the 2017 Regional Final, the Irish posted a dramatic 3-2 overtime win against No. 2 seed UMass Lowell on Andrew Oglevie’s game winner at 2:44 of the extra period.
- Cam Morrison scored Notre Dame’s other two goals in that victory.
- Bjork was named the 2017 Northeast Regional’s Most Valuable Player.
PLAYOFF DRAMA
- Dubbed the “Cardiac Kids” last year when they went on a run of winning five straight playoff games in the final minute of play or in overtime, including victories in the Big Ten semifinal and final as well as the NCAA East Regional semifinal and final and the
Frozen Four semifinal game, Notre Dame’s playoff dramatics have continued in 2019. - This season, the Irish beat Michigan State by scores of 1-0 and 2-0 in the Big Ten quarterfinals (March 8-9).
- Michael Graham scored early in overtime to send Notre Dame past Minnesota in the Big Ten semifinal (March 26).
- Cam Morrison netted the game winner in a 3-2 Big Ten Championship win (March 23).
- Morrison then scored at 15:53 of overtime to lift the Irish to a 3-2 NCAA Northeast Regional semifinal win over No. 2 seed Clarkson (March 29).
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
- Cam Morrison scored the game-wining goal in the Big Ten title game for the second consecutive season and Cale Morris finished with 46 saves en route to earning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor for the second consecutive season as the Irish posted a 3-2 win over Penn State (March 23).
- The win sent Notre Dame to the NCAA Tournament for a program-record fourth consecutive season.
- Spencer Stastney scored his first career goal early in the first period to give the Irish a 1-0 lead and Cal Burke also netted a first period tally for the Irish.
- It marked the eighth championship in program history, all under the guidance of head coach Jeff Jackson:
• Regular-season: 2006-07 (CCHA), 2008-08 (CCHA), 2017-18 (B1G)
• Tournament: 2007 (CCHA), 2009 (CCHA), 2013 (CCHA), 2018 (B1G), 2019 (B1G)
• To reach the 2019 title game, Notre Dame swept Michigan State in the quarterfinals - (March 8-9) and then defeated Minnesota in the semifinals with Michael Graham’s power-play goal 53 seconds into overtime proving to be the difference (March 16).
- In the first three Big Ten tournament games, Mike O’Leary, Pierce Crawford and Michael Graham accounted for Notre Dame’s game-winning goals.
- In the 2019 Big Ten Tournament, Cale Morris posted a 0.75 goals-against average and a .977 save percentage.
- The Irish are now 6-0-0 on Big Ten Tournament games since joining the Big Ten.
B1G HONOREES
- The Big Ten announced their annual awards on Tuesday afternoon (March 19) and five Irish skaters earned individual honors as voted on by the league’s head coaches and media members.
- Bobby Nardella was named an All-Big Ten First Team selection, while Cale Morris earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors.
- Michael Graham was named to the six member Big Ten All-Freshman Team, while Dylan Malmquist was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection.
- Cal Burke was named the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree.
- In addition, Cal Burke, Pierce Crawford, Matt Hellickson, Dylan Malmquist, Cale Morris, Andrew Peeke, Nick Sanford, Dylan St. Cyr, Matt Steeves and Colin Theisen were named to the 2019 Big Ten’s Academic All-Conference team.
PROVEN PLAYOFF PERFORMERS
- Several players on the Irish roster have extensive playoff experience after back-to-back Frozen Four runs and four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
- Junior Cam Morrison leads the active roster with 13 career playoff points on eight goals and five assists in 17 games.
- Morrison notched the overtime game-winning goal in last season’s Big Ten Tournament championship victory over Ohio State.
- Morrison then added the game-winning goal in this season’s Big Ten championship game win over Penn State when he broke a 2-2 tie late in the second period.
- Morrison then added to his post-season story with the overtime game-winning goal in the NCAA Northeast Regional semifinal win over No. 2 seed Clarkson (March 29).
- Senior Dylan Malmquist has skated in 20 career playoff games, posting four goals and four assists for eight points.
- Malmquist scored the game-winning goal in the final minute of play in last season’s NCAA East Regional Final against Providence to send the Irish to the Frozen Four.
- Senior Jack Jenkins has three goals and five assists for eight points in 19 career playoff games (20% of his 15 career goals have come in the playoffs).
- Jenkins scored the game winner with under a minute remaining in regulation in last season’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal win over Penn State.
- In 18 career playoff games, Bobby Nardella has two goals and six assists for eight points.
- In the NCAA Northeast Regional semifinal win over No. 2 seed Clarkson, Nardella scored the extra attacker goal late in the third period to force overtime (March 29).
- In 12 career playoff games, Cal Burke has two goals and five assists for seven points.
- In net last season during the playoffs, Cale Morris went 5-1-0 while posting a 2.03 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage in Notre Dame’s six games.
- Now in 11 career playoff games, Morris is 10-1-0 with a .950 save percentage and a 1.54 goals-against average.
UMASS SERIES NOTED
- Having spent four seasons together in Hockey East, Notre Dame and UMass have met 16 times, with Notre Dame holding a 10-6-0 lead in the all-time series.
- The Irish and Minutemen last split a two-game series at Mullins Center in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 2-3, 2016.
- UMass took the first game by a 5-4 score before the Irish blanked the Minutemen 3-0 in the second game.
- In game one, Bobby Nardella scored a goal and added two assists and Andrew Peeke netted Notre Dame’s first goal while also collecting an assist.
- Cal Burke and Cam Morrison each notched assists in Notre Dame’s 3-0 game two victory.
- The Irish and Minutemen also met five times in the 2014-15 campaign.
- Notre Dame won four of five match-ups against UMass that season, including a 2-1 series win in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs.
- The first game of that postseason series went to five overtimes and was the longest in college hockey history at 151:42 minutes.
- UMass earned a 4-3 win in that contest before the Irish rallied with 5-3 and 7-0 victories to clinch the series win.
- The Irish have won four of five match-ups against UMass since that five-overtime contest on March 6, 2015