SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 1/1 Notre Dame stays unbeaten, defeating Michigan by a score of 9-4 to improve to 6-0 on the season. This marks the second 6-0 start for the Fighting Irish in the last four seasons.
The Irish defense was the story of the game, holding Michigan to a season-low four goals. Notre Dame held Michigan scoreless for the final 28:17 of the contest.
Thomas Ricciardelli continued his impressive form in goal, making 11 saves while only allowing four goals for a robust 73.3 save percentage.
On the offensive end the trio of Josh Yago, Brock Behrman and Matt Jeffery each scored twice to pace the attack. Behrman also added two assists and Yago had one.
Freshman Aidan Diaz-Matos was effective at the dot, winning 10-of-14 faceoffs and scooping up seven ground balls.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish scored the first two goals to open the game, as Jeffery and Behrman each found the back of the net to open a 2-0 lead just over three minutes into the contest. Michigan scored less than a minute later followed by an extra-man goal from Notre Dame’s Brady Pokorny to give the Irish a 3-1 lead after the opening 15 minutes of play.
Notre Dame extended the lead to four off back-to-back goals from Yago, making the score 5-1 midway through the second stanza.
The Wolverines clawed back with the final two scores of the half to trim the Irish lead to two at 5-3.
Michigan scored the first goal of the second half to cut the lead to one at 13:17 and was given a two-minute, man-up opportunity that was locked in on the ensuing possession.
The Notre Dame man-down unit locked in and didn’t allow a score in the two-minute span, swinging momentum back to the home sideline. Luke Miller and Fisher Finley then scored their first goals of the afternoon in the final 4 minutes of the third to extend the lead to 7-4.
Behrman fired in his second of the day in the opening 15 seconds of the fourth frame on an extra-man opportunity to push the advantage back up to four at 8-4. In the final minute of play Jeffery put an exclamation mark on the win with his second goal to make the final score 9-4.
STAT OF THE GAME
Ricciardelli’s save percentage of .733 is a season high. He has now allowed 10 or fewer goals in five straight games and has finished at 50 percent or better in five of six games this season.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
- The Irish improved to 8-1 against Michigan in the all-time series.
- Notre Dame is 12-3 against Big Ten opponents over the last four seasons, including a mark of 3-0 during the 2026 campaign.
- Notre Dame has been stingy on defense, holding each of the last four opponents to less than 10 goals, three coming against ranked opponents.
- The Irish have now won 51 straight games when holding their opponent to less than 10 goals in a game, a streak that dates back to the 2019 season.
- Behrman recorded his third game this season with four or more points, finishing with two goals and two assists.
- With two goals, Yago has scored multiple goals in five of six games this season.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame has a bye week before opening ACC play on the road in Charlottesville, Virginia, taking on the Cavaliers in Klockner Stadium at noon ET on Saturday, March 28. The game will air on ESPNU.
— ND —