NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Colin Theisen netted a hat trick, but #20 Notre Dame fell to Wisconsin, 5-3, on Saturday night inside Compton Family Ice Arena.
The hat trick was the first of Theisen’s collegiate career and included a pair of goals just 1:40 apart in the second period. Alex Steeves earned an assist on all three of Theisen’s markers to match his career-high with three points. Spencer Stastney, Michael Graham and Matt Hellickson also picked up assists.
Wisconsin netminder Robbie Beydoun made 29 saves to earn the victory. Dylan St. Cyr stopped 17 shots before Ryan Bischel made three saves in relief.
Notre Dame went 1-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
How It Happened
Ty Pelton-Byce opened the scoring for the Badgers with 4:04 left in the first period to give the visitors a one-goal lead entering the first intermission.
Wisconsin doubled its lead with a tally by Ryder Donovan just 3:54 into the middle frame.
The Badgers held the two-goal advantage until Theisen got the Irish back within one with a power-play goal with 5:23 left in the stanza. Graham fired a shot from the point that Theisen redirected past Beydoun for Notre Dame’s first goal of the 2020-21 campaign.
Just 1:40 later, Theisen one-timed a feed from Steeves at the top of the right circle to even the score at 2-2.
Brock Caufield put Wisconsin back on top with a goal in the final minute of the second period as the Badgers took a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes.
The Irish tied it once again at 7:57 of the third period when Theisen buried a rebound off of a point-blank chance by Steeves.
But Dylan Holloway gave Wisconsin the lead again just past the midway point of the period before Donovan’s second with 7:45 remaining accounted for the 5-3 final.
Notes
- Seniors Matt Hellickson and Colin Theisen skated in their 119th-consecutive games, dating back to the first game of their freshman season.
- Thiesen posted his first career hat trick and his 11th career multi-point game.
- It was the first Fighting Irish hat trick since Cal Burke scored three against Mercyhurst to open the 2018-19 season (Oct. 12, 2018).
- Alex Steeves assisted on each of Theisen’s goals for his second-career three assist game and eighth-career multi-point game.
- Michael Graham had an assist, bringing his point total to 11 (8-3-11) in eight games played against the Badgers.
- The game was officiated with one referee and two linesmen.
Next Up
- The Irish will have next weekend off before playing at Michigan following Thanksgiving.
- The series will take place on Friday and Saturday Nov. 27-28 at the Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Friday’s game will be on Big Ten Plus (streaming), while broadcast and/or streaming details for Saturday’s game will be announced at a later date.
—ND—