NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey program picked up the extra point in a nine-round shootout Saturday night to cap off senior weekend with a 2-2 tie against No. 7/7 Ohio State.
The officials called the first penalty of the night just 41 seconds into the contest, sending the Buckeyes to the box for a hook. Despite three shots on goal during the Irish powerplay, the home team was unable to find twine and OSU returned to full strength with the score knotted 0-0.
A slew of penalties ensued, with both teams racking up a combined 14 minutes of penalties halfway through the opening period. On the seventh penalty called, an Irish tripping infraction, the stalemate was broken as OSU took the 1-0 lead with 6:11 to play in the first.
With 14 seconds left in the opening frame, a scuffle at the Irish net led to three more penalties for an Irish powerplay to close out the period.
Notre Dame returned from the intermission trailing by one but with 1:46 left on the man-advantage. The team registered a handful of shots on net but could not capitalize and the Buckeyes were able to get back to full strength.
OSU would extend their lead just over three minutes into the second period with a shot from the far circle beat Ryan Bischel glove side.
The Irish cut the Buckeye lead in half with a goal from Jack Adams at 6:53 of the second stanza.
The two teams continued to battle it out midway through the contest inside a sold out Compton Family Ice Arena. OSU was called for a hooking penalty to spur the second period media break as the Irish headed back to the powerplay.
It took the team in green just 39 seconds to capitalize on the man-advantage following the break when Nick Leivermann fired a shot into the open net to make it 2-2 at 9:13 of the second period.
The Irish carried their two goals into the second intermission as they erased the 2-0 deficit halfway through the period to knot things up.
Notre Dame and Ohio State both fought hard in the final period of regulation but the netminders on either end stood their ground to force extra hockey. In the Irish end, Bischel recorded 20 saves in the third period for a total of 47 saves through 60 minutes of action.
The Buckeyes continued to hold the edge in the overtime session but Bischel kept his ground in the Irish end, picking up an additional five saves in the five-minute period to send it to a shootout.
Leivermann went first in the shootout, lighting the lamp to take the early 1-0 lead while Bischel made the save on the Buckeyes’ counter. Both skaters missed the second shot before OSU evened it out with a goal to force round four with their do-or-die attempt with the third shot.
Both teams scored in the fourth round to extend the contest with Hunter Strand scoring first. The next four rounds all ended with saves on either end of the ice before Chase Blackmun gave the Irish the 3-2 advantage in round nine.
Following the go-ahead shootout goal, Bischel made a pad save to earn the extra point and finish the night with an unofficial 57 saves, including the six in the shootout.
GOALS
- Jake Boltmann fired a shot on net from the point which got deflected at the front of the crease by Jack Adams for the opening Irish goal to make it a 2-1 game partway through the second. Hunter Strand also tallied an assist on the play, setting up the initial shot from Boltmann at 6:53 of the second period.
- Chayse Primeau won the draw following the media break and set up a pass to Landon Slaggert at the far circle. Slaggert found an open Nick Leivermann who ripped a wrister into the back of the net for the 2-2 score.
KEY STATS
- The Irish topped the Buckeyes in the ninth round of a shootout after Chase Blackmun lit the lamp and Ryan Bischel made a pad save at the opposite end of the ice.
- Halfway through the third period, Ryan Bischel became the first netminder to record 1,000 saves on the season. He now boasts 1,015 in 32 games played.
- On senior night, both tallies came from graduate students as Jack Adams and Nick Leivermann both lit the lamp in their final regular season home game.
- The Irish fired 23 shots on goal in the shootout victory while Bischel made 50 saves in the Irish net to secure the extra point.
- OSU fired 20 shots on the ND net in the final period but Bischel cast all aside to force extra hockey.
- The Irish blocked an additional 22 shots, led by Justin Janicke and Jesse Lansdell with four each.
UP NEXT
The Irish will conclude the regular season Feb. 24-25 at Michigan looking to secure home ice in the Big Ten Tournament.