NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 12th-ranked Notre Dame hockey program skated to a 1-1 tie with their Big Ten foe, Michigan State, Saturday night to round out the weekend series at home.
The Spartans struck first with a tally off the rebound at 5:43 of the opening period.
Despite firing 13 shots on goal in the first frame, the Irish offensive efforts were unrewarded as they skated to the locker room trailing by a goal after 20 minutes.
The Irish fired 19 shots on goal in the second period to bring their total to 32 after 40 minutes of play. Nick Leivermann’s shot from the point late in the period knotted things up for the two teams with one period left.
Both sides skated hard in the third period but the goaltenders in either crease held their ground and turned aside all shots faced to force the overtime session.
With the extra conference point on the line, the two squads headed to overtime knotted up 1-1. The Irish had two close shots in the five minute session but were unable to light the lamp and a shootout ensued.
Leivermann, who had the lone goal for the Irish Saturday night, went first in the shootout. Firing a shot high stick side the graduate captain gave ND an early advantage but the next two shooters were turned aside and the Spartans claimed the extra Big Ten point.
On opening weekend of conference play, the Irish clinched four of six possible points.
GOALS
- Nick Leivermann scored his second goal of the weekend with the game-tying tally in the second period. Trevor Janicke’s initial shot ricocheted off the pads of the Spartan netminder before Zach Plucinski gathered the pucks along the boards. Skating the puck deep along the boards, Plucinski found Leivermann at the top of the far circle for the equalizing goal.
KEY STATS
- Ryan Bischel turned aside 18 shots in the opening period, allowing just one goal against with 40 minutes to play.
- The Irish fired a season-high 19 shots on goal in the second period with Nick Leivermann’s being the lone goal in the stanza on either side.
- With four saves in the overtime period, Ryan Bischel set a career-high 41 saves Saturday night. The tie was the senior’s first 40+ save night.
- The Irish fired 40 shots on goal through 65 minutes of play, with Trevor Janicke posting a team-high six.
- Zach Plucinski’s four blocks, including two in the final period of play, doubled his season total. The Irish boasted 14 blocked shots in Saturday night’s game.
UP NEXT
The Irish hit the road for their first true road series of the year when they face top-ranked Minnesota, Nov. 4-5. Puck drop for both contests at 3M at Mariucci Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET.