Nov. 5, 1999
OMAHA, Neb. – Notre Dame senior center Troy Bagne picked up his fourth career goal in timely fashion and freshman goaltender Tony Zasowski continued his strong play, but Nebraska-Omaha sophomore left wing Jeff Hoggan scored with 1:22 left in regulation to forge a 2-2 tie, in the first game of a Central Collegiate Hockey Association series Friday at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Notre Dame (2-5-2, 1-4-2 CCHA) traded power-play goals with UNO early in the second period before Bagne skated the length of the ice for a 4-on-4 goal five minutes prior to the second intermission. Zasowski-who spent the past two seasons in junior hockey as a member of the Omaha Lancers-made 37 saves to stay unbeaten in his Irish career (he totaled 58 saves in last week’s 5-2 win and 2-2 tie with Miami University).
Nebraska-Omaha (0-3-2, 0-3-2 CCHA) remained winless in its first season of CCHA play despite holding a 39-25 edge in shots on goal. The penalty-kill unit kept UNO in the game by stopping five of six Notre Dame power plays (including a lengthy 5-on-3 chance).
Notre Dame senior center Ben Simon recorded his first point since the season-opening series versus Michigan, after knocking home a rebounded power-play shot from between the circles by junior left wing Dan Carlson early in the second period.
Zasowski-who made a wide assortment of saves with several of his former Lancers teammates in attendance-has totaled 110 saves in his last four appearances while allowing just seven goals in those 236 minutes of play (for a 1.78 goals-against average and .940 save pct. in that stretch).
Hoggan brought the boisterous sellout crowd of 8,314 to its feet with a breakaway goal at the 19:38 mark of the third period, after faking Zasowski to the left before flicking a backhanded shot into the right side of the net.
The game was preceded by a rare playing of the Notre Dame Fight Song in an opposing arena but the Irish failed to shake down the thunder in the first period, despite nine shots on goal and an extended 5-on-3 chance shortly before the first intermission.
Notre Dame’s first-period woes have included just one first-period goal this season, despite 75 first-period shots on goal (the opponents have combined for eight goals on 87 first-period shots).
UNO’s power-play goal came at the 5:50 mark of the second period, with sophomore left wing Shane Glover skating from his own blue line and curling behind the Irish net before sliding a pass to junior left wing Billy Pugliese, who was camped at the left side of the crease for the easy tap-in score.
Bagne regained the lead for the Irish with an unassisted goal, after senior defenseman Nathan Borega had knocked UNO’s Allan Carr off the puck in the Irish zone. Bagne collected the loose puck and skated down the left side before angling towards mid-ice. With two UNO players still in front of him, Bagne slowed down and split the opposing players, after faking a shot and skating to the left of sophomore defenseman Zach Schibner.
Senior goaltender Kendall Sidoruk had plenty of time to see the play developing in front of him but Bagne sent a shot from the edge of the right circle under Sidoruk’s glove hand.
NOTES: Borega and fellow senior D Tyson Fraser skated together for the third time this season and the 69th time in their career … the Irish played without two of their top players from last week’s Miami series, as senior D Sean Molina and senior RW Joe Dusbabek both missed the game due to illness … prior to the first UNO goal, the Irish had stopped 16 straight opponent power plays, after allowing three PPGs in both losses to Ferris State … Notre Dame has scored power-play goals in seven of nine games this season while nine of the team’s total 21 goals have come on the PP … Bagne’s goal was the second of his career in a CCHA game (he also scored a key goal in the 3-3 tie at Northern Michigan last season).
NOTRE DAME (3-5-1, 2-4-1 CCHA) 0 2 0 0 - 2NEBRASKA OMAHA (0-4-1, 0-4-1 CCHA) 0 1 1 0 - 2
2nd: ND 1. Simon 2 (Carlson, Dunlop), PP, 2:56, UNO 1. Pugliese 1 (Grover, Cassin), PP, 5:50, ND 2. Bagne 1 (unassisted) 15:12. 3rd: UNO 2. Hoggan 3 (Chalmers, Cassin) 19:38.
Shots: UNO 9-12-16-2/39, ND 11-8-6-0/25.
Saves: UNO (Sidoruk) 11-6-6-0/23, ND (Zasowski) 9-11-15-2/37.
Power Play: UNO 1-for-3, ND 1-for-6. Penalties: UNO 9 for 26:00, ND 6 for 12:00.