Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Northern Michigan Blows By Hockey, 6-0

Jan. 14, 2000

MARQUETTE, Mich. – Northern Michigan scored in the first minute and added two more first-period goals en route to a 6-0 victory Friday over visiting Notre Dame, giving the seventh-ranked Wildcats a sweep of the two-game Central Collegiate Hockey Association series at the Berry Center.

Notre Dame (8-13-5, 5-7-4 CCHA) failed to continue its climb up the CCHA standings, as the Irish remained in a three-way tie for seventh place, dropping three points out of sixth place while remaining four points out of fourth. The Irish continued their season-long trend of dropoffs in the second games of CCHA series, with a 4-2-2 mark in the opening games but just 1-5-2 in the second games.

Notre Dame failed to convert on all nine of its power-play chances and is mired in a goalscoring slump that has seen the Irish score just five goals in the last four games (with three of those goals coming on the power play).

Freshman goaltender Tony Zasowski played the final two periods for the Irish, after sophomore Jeremiah Kimento had yielded three even-strength goals on 12 shots in the first period.

The Irish were whistled for 13 penalties (leading to nine NMU power plays), well above of the team average of 7.5 penalties per game.

The win keeps Northern Michigan (16-6-2, 11-3-2 CCHA) tied with Michigan (12-4-0) and Michigan State (12-5-0) for first in the CCHA standings. Senior backup goaltender Duane Hoey picked up his third shutout of the season and the fifth of his career, stopping all 19 Irish shots in his ninth start of the season while giving the Wildcats a team-record seven shutouts for the season.

GOAL RECAPS

* Freshman defenseman Jimmy Jackson opened the scoring in the games first minute, notching his sixth goal of the season on a low shot from the center of the blue line that tucked inside the right post (0:38).

* Senior left wing Lee Ruff added to NMUs lead with his second goal of the series, at the 5:47 mark. Ruff chased down the puck as it slid to the top of the slot, turned and flung a low shot by Kimento for the two-goal cushion.

* Despite giving up the pair of early goals, the Irish stayed in the game by killing off four Wildcats power plays in the first 14 minutes. But NMU senior right wing J.P. Vigier notched his own second goal of the series moments later, stretching NMUs lead to 3-0. Vigier converted amid a scramble between the circles, beating Kimento with a low shot at the 15:21 mark.

* NMU cashed in its seventh power-play chance of the night late in the second period, with freshman center Peter Michelutti scoring his first career goal on a scramble at the top of the crease (14:33).

* The Wildcats scored again on the power play in the third period, with freshman left wing Terry Harrison putting back a rebounded shot from sophomore defenseman Sean Owens for his second goal of the season (14:42).

* Senior left wing Roger Trudeau capped the scoring with his fourth shorthanded goal of the season (and NMUs ninth), braking free to beat Zasowski for his team-leading 15th goal of the season (17:45).

NOTES: The Irish dropped to 0-5-3 on the opponents ice this season … ND has been outscored 30-21 in the first period this season (just 44-38 in the final two periods combined) … Zasowski has allowed just 24 even-strength goal in 14 games played … the Irish have scored 0-2 goals in 16 of 26 games this season … the six goals are the most allowed by the Irish since a 6-1 loss to Michigan in the first week of the season … the margin of defeat is the biggest for the Irish since dropping a 7-1 game to NMU in last seasons CCHA playoff series.

 NOTRE DAME (8-13-5, 5-7-4 CCHA)         0 0 0 - 0NORTHERN MICHIGAN (16-6-2, 11-3-2 CCHA) 3 1 2 - 6

1st: NMU 1. Jackson 6 (Schmidt, Phillips) 0:38, NMU 2. Ruff 4 (Donnette, Harrison) 5:47, NMU 3. Vigier 10 (Connolly, Theuer) 15:21. 2nd: NMU 1. Michelutti (Cockburn, Harrison), PP, 14:33. 3rd: NMU 5. Harrison 2 (Owens, Ruff), PP, 14:42, NMU 6. Trudeau 15 (unassisted), SH, 17:45.
Shots: ND 4-11-4/19, NMU 12-7-11/30.
Saves: ND 9-6-9/24 (Kimento 9-x-x/9, Zasowski x-6-9/15), NMU (Hoey) 4-11-4/x19.
Power Play: ND 0-for-9, NMU 2-for-9.
Penalties: ND 13 for 26:00, NMU 13 for 26:00.