BELFAST, Northern Ireland — In a clash of specialty sweaters, the University of Notre Dame hockey team came out victorious with a 5-2 win over Harvard University Friday night. The Irish made their international debut Friday, competing outside the United States for the first time in program history as Blake Biondi recorded his second three-point night in as many weeks to help the Irish clinch the win in Belfast.
Harvard was whistled for the first infraction of the night when Cole Knuble got tripped up at the blue line and was down momentarily just under eight minutes into the opening period.
Blake Biondi would find twine during the man-advantage for the team’s third straight successful powerplay opportunity, giving the Irish the 1-0 lead at 8:25 of the first.
The Irish extended their lead with a shot from deep off the stick of Jaedon Kerr to make it a 2-0 game at 16:30 of the first.
Just 38 seconds after Kerr’s first career tally, Biondi net his second of the game to make it a 3-0 score heading into the first intermission.
The second period was all Harvard as they closed the gap and came within one with a pair of early tallies that beat Owen Say in net.
Nearly halfway through the second period and with Harvard dominating possession, Axel Kumlin was sent to the box for a trip and the Irish faced their first penalty kill of the night. Notre Dame successfully killed off the man-disadvantage with Nelson generating the team’s best chance of the period to that point with a shot on the breakaway that sailed wide.
The Irish continued to hold off the Crimson’s pressure throughout the second period with Say recording numerous saves to keep the one-goal lead intact. Despite the strong defense throughout the latter stages of the second, at the final media break of the frame the Irish were still looking for their first shot on goal of the period.
Harvard took an interference penalty with 2:20 to play in the second and Nelson fired a quick shot on goal. Biondi nearly had the hat trick with under two minutes to play but his shot ricocheted off the crossbar and the Irish continued to just lead by one.
Nelson had three shots on goal during the man-up opportunity but the Irish could not capitalize and they skated to the second intermission clinging to the one-goal lead.
The Irish would score twice in the final period of regulation for the 5-2 final, with the second line combining for a pair of tallies in the second half of the frame as Justin Janicke and Cole Knuble each found twine.
Janicke’s goal came at 14:18 of the third on the powerplay to give the Irish the 66-percent success rate Friday night, lighting the lamp on two of their three powerplay opportunities.
The Irish closed out the scoring when Knuble picked off a puck in the defensive end and faced a gapping net at the other end of the ice. The sophomore centered a shot into the empty net to seal the deal and send the Irish to the Friendship Four championship game Saturday night against Boston University.
GOALS
- Blake Biondi opened the scoring Friday night, sparking a three-goal first period against the Crimson. His shot beat the Harvard netminder blocker-side to make it a 1-0 game at 8:25 of the opening period. His goal was assisted by Cole Knuble and Justin Janicke.
- Jaedon Kerr net his first collegiate goal with a shot from the point to make it 2-0, Irish, Friday night. Jayden Davis won the draw, allowing Tyler Carpenter to chip the puck back to Kerr for the faceoff tally.
- Biondi deflected the puck in front of the net off a shot by Michael Mastrodomenico for the eventual game-winner at 17:08 of the opening period. Paul Fischer, who fed the puck along the blueline to Mastrodomenico, was credited with the second assist.
- On the powerplay, Justin Janicke picked up the rebound on the doorstep for the 4-2 tally. The Irish top powerplay unit capitalized on their second goal of the game to boast a 66-percent success rate. Biondi and Danny Nelson each tallied an assist on the play.
- Cole Knuble rounded out the scoring Friday night with an unassisted empty net tally in the final 90 seconds of regulation for the 5-2 final. The sophomore picked off a Harvard attacker at the blue line before beating a defender and firing a shot into the open net.
KEY STATS
- The Irish scored five goals for the third time this season, including the exhibition, led by Blake Biondi with two goals for the Irish.
- With his first period goal, Jaedon Kerr scored his first career goal and will travel back from Belfast with a memorable keepsake puck marking the occasion. The defenseman previously recorded an assist at Michigan (Nov. 9) and now boasts two career points.
- Notre Dame’s two powerplay goals Friday night improve the special teams unit to a 30.4-percent success rate. In their last two outings, the Irish have scored on five of six chances.
- Biondi’s powerplay goal to open the scoring in game one of the weekend tournament make him tied with Danny Nelson for a team-best three on the man-advantage.
- Cole Knuble’s late third period goal was his seventh of the season as the sophomore leads the team in the category and boasts 16 points on the season. His assist on the first goal of the night moves him into a tie with Justin Janicke for a team-best in the category as the linemates each posted a goal and an assist Friday evening.
- The Irish, led by Nelson’s five shots on goal, peppered the Crimson net with 27 shots in the 5-2 win.
UP NEXT
The Irish will face off against the Terriers of Boston University Saturday night in the Friendship Four championship with puck drop set for 7pm local, 2pm ET.