By Dan Colleran
Nov. 2, 2015 | USCHO.com Poll
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — After a weekend sweep of Hockey East opponent Connecticut, the Notre Dame hockey team has been ranked 18th in the latest USCHO.com national poll, released on Monday, Nov. 2.
The Irish have started the season with a 3-1-2 record (2-0-0 HEA) and are back in a national poll for the first time since being ranked No. 15 in the Nov. 3, 2014 edition of the USCHO.com poll.
This past weekend (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1), Notre Dame swept Connecticut, including a 2-1 win on Saturday at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., and an 8-2 victory at the Barclays Center on Sunday in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Earlier on Monday (Nov. 2), sophomore goaltender Cal Petersen was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week. He played both games in Notre Dame’s weekend sweep and posted a 1.50 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in the two victories.
Emblematic of Notre Dame’s balanced attack, the 10 Irish goals scored against UConn were scored by 10 different players. Senior Sam Herr had Saturday’s third period game winner, while senior Thomas DiPauli tied a career-high mark with four points in Sunday’s win with a goal and three assists.
The Notre Dame penalty kill has also been a key over the last four games (2-0-2), going a perfect 21-for-21 during that stretch.
On the season, senior captain Steven Fogarty leads the team with eight points (4-4-8), while Fogarty and freshman forward Dylan Malmquist (4-1-5) are tied for the team lead with four goals apiece.
The Irish return to non-conference play this weekend with a pair of games against Minnesota on Nov. 6-7 at the Compton Family Ice Arena. Game one, which will be televised by the American Sports Network (ASN), will begin at 7:35 p.m., while game two, which will be broadcast by the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), is slated for a 6:40 p.m. puck drop.
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