Nov. 4, 2015
OVERVIEW
Unbeaten in its last four games (2-0-2), 18th-ranked Notre Dame returns home to play host to Minnesota in a weekend series at the Compton Family Ice Arena (Nov. 6-7).
DETAILS — GAME 7
Match-up: Minnesota at Notre Dame
Date: Friday, Nov. 6, 2015
Time: 7:35 p.m.
Site: Notre Dame, Ind.
Arena: Compton Family Ice Arena (5,022)
Television: American Sports Network (ASN)
Play-by-Play: Fred Pletsch
Analyst: Pat Micheletti
Live Streaming: None
Live Radio: New Country 99.9 FM
Live Audio: WatchND App (www.watchND.tv)
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Stats:
Live Updates: @NDHockey
All-Time Series: Minnesota leads, 26-14-3
DETAILS — GAME 8
Match-up: Minnesota at Notre Dame
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015
Time: 6:40 p.m.
Site: Notre Dame, Ind.
Arena: Compton Family Ice Arena (5,022)
Television: NBC Sports Network (NBCSN)
Play-by-Play: Steve Schlanger
Analyst: Anson Carter
Live Streaming: NBC Sports Live Extra
Live Radio: New Country 99.9 FM
Live Audio: WatchND App (www.watchND.tv)
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Stats:
Live Updates: @NDHockey
PENALTY KILL STREAK
— The Irish have killed off 21 consecutive opponent power plays, including all nine last weekend against the UConn Huskies (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1).
— Notre Dame also finished 12-for-12 on the penalty kill versus Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 23-24).
— Junior defenseman Justin Wade added a shorthanded tally against the Bulldogs in Notre Dame’s 3-3 tie on Oct. 23, marking his second career goal.
MINNESOTA AT A GLANCE
— The Golden Gophers enter the weekend with a 2-3-0 overall record (0-0-0 B1G) and had last weekend off.
— After opening the season with losses to Vermont (3-0 on Oct. 10) and Minnesota Duluth (3-1 on Oct. 16 and 3-0 on Oct. 17), Minnesota swept a home series versus Northeastern (4-0 on Oct. 23 and 4-3 on Oct. 24).
— Freshman goaltender Eric Schierhorn posted a .941 save percentage, a 1.50 goals-against average and two victories in the series sweep over Northeastern, making 23 saves in game one for his first career shutout.
— Junior defenseman Michael Brodzinski had one goal and three assists in the sweep of Northeastern, including assists on both game-winning goals. Ã… On the season, Brodzinski leads the team with five points (1-4-5), while junior forward Hudson Fasching has a team-high three goals (3-1-4).
— Schierhorn has played all five games in the Minnesota net, posting a 2-3-0 record to go along with a .924 save percentage and a 2.22 goals-against average.
— The Minnesota offense is averaging 1.80 goals per game, which ranks 54th in the country (Notre Dame’s 4.22 goals per game ranks ninth as of Nov. 3), while the Golden Gophers’ power play ranks 52nd (2-for-22, .091).
LUCIA VS. LUCIA IV
— Senior forward Mario Lucia will play against his father’s (Don Lucia) team for a fourth consecutive season.
— In five games against Minnesota, Mario has two goals and one assist for three points, while the Irish are 1-4-0 against Minnesota in those five games.
— Don Lucia, a 1981 Notre Dame graduate and the head coach of the Golden Gophers, played four seasons (1977-81) at Notre Dame for Head Coach Lefty Smith.
— As a defenseman,Don saw action in 124 games, scoring seven goals with 23 assists for 30 points and, like Mario, he was an alternate captain as a senior.
— Now in his 17th season as the head coach at Minnesota, Lucia has been a collegiate head coach for 29 seasons.
NHL DRAFT PICKS ON DISPLAY
— The Minnesota (12) and Notre Dame (nine) rosters feature a combined 21 NHL Draft picks.
— The college hockey teams with the most NHL Draft picks include: Boston College (12), Michigan (12), Minnesota (12), North Dakota (12), Boston University (10), Notre Dame (9) and Nebraska Omaha (9).
AGAINST THE B1G
— Notre Dame is 1-1-0 this season against the Big Ten, having split a season-opening series at Penn State.
— All-time, Notre Dame is 2-5-0 against the Big Ten (1-3-0 vs. Minnesota, 0-1-0 vs. Ohio State, 1-1-0 vs. Penn State).
ACTIVE NOTRE DAME POINT STREAKS
— Dennis Gilbert (0-3-3), Mario Lucia (0-3-3) and Steven Fogarty (1-1-2) each enter the weekend with two-game point streaks.
HOCKEY EAST HOT START
— With last weekend’s sweep of UConn, Notre Dame opened Hockey East play with a pair of wins for the first time in three seasons.
— Eight of the 12 Hockey East teams have played at least two league games this season and so far Notre Dame is the only team to start with a 2-0-0 record in Hockey East play (UMass, Boston College, Maine and Providence College have not yet played two league games).
— Notre Dame is now 2-1-0 in three Hockey East openers, including a 2-1 loss at Vermont on Nov. 1, 2013 and a 3-2 home win over the Catamounts on Oct. 31, 2014.
POWER PLAY PROGRESS
— The Notre Dame power play is 6-for-22 (.273) on the season, including at least one power-play goal in each of the last five games.
— As of Nov. 3, the Notre Dame power play ranked ninth nationally and second in Hockey East.
— Dylan Malmquist, Thomas DiPauli, Mario Lucia, Sam Herr, Steven Fogarty and Jordan Gross have combined for the four Notre Dame power-play goals.
PETERSEN HONORED
— Sophomore goaltender Cal Petersen was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, Nov. 2.
— Petersen led the Irish to a weekend sweep against Connecticut, including a 2-1 win on Saturday and an 8-2 victory at the Barclays Center on Sunday.
— Playing both games, Petersen posted a 2-0-0 record, a 1.50 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
— No stranger to Hockey East awards, it marks the third Defensive Player of the Week honor of Petersen’s career and his sixth total weekly honor after he was also named the Player of the Week once during his freshman season and twice earned Rookie of the Week honors.
GOALS GALORE
— Notre Dame posted an 8-2 victory over UConn on Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
— Eight different players scored for the Irish, while Thomas DiPauli had a goal and three assists.
— Notre Dame scored at least eight goals in a game for the first time since a 10-2 win over Canisius on Dec. 29, 2010.
LAST WEEKEND: HOCKEY EAST SWEEP
Last 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., on Sunday.
— 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.
— Emblematic of Notre Dame’s balanced attack, the 10 Irish goals scored against UConn were scored by 10 different players.
— Cal Petersen played both games, posting an 1.50 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in the two victories.
— Also in Sunday’s win, freshman forward Joe Wegwerth scored his first career goal and freshman defenseman Dennis Gilbert posted his first multi-point game with a pair of first period assists.
— Notre Dame improved to 3-0-1 all-time against UConn, with all four of those meetings coming in the last two seasons.
— ND —