Jan. 5, 2001
Notre Dame, Ind. –
Time was not on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey team’s side in their 4-2 loss to the Ferris State Bulldogs Friday night at the Joyce Center.
Ferris State sophomore left wing Chris Kunitz scored a pair of power play goals and senior defensemen Scott Lewis and Jim Dube picked up a pair of assists as the Bulldogs downed the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 4-2, at the Joyce Center Friday night.
The Ferris State win moves the Bulldogs out of the CCHA cellar past Notre Dame. FSU has now won two of its last three games to improve to 6-11-4 overall and 2-8-3 in the league, good for seven points in the standings. Notre Dame has now dropped three in a row and eight of its last nine games to slide to 4-15-3 on the year and 2-9-2 (six points) in the CCHA.
The Bulldogs used the power play to score three times (one five-on-three and one into an empty net) in eight chances on the night while the Irish scored just once in six man-advantages, mustering just three shots on the power play.
FSU broke on top at 6:11 of the first period when Rob Collins deflected a Lewis shot from the right point past ND’s Kyle Kolquist (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) for a 1-0 lead.
ND came back to tie the game at 5:29 of the second period on some hard work by senior left wing Dan Carlson (Sr., Edina, Minn.). Carlson burst out of the penalty box after serving a minor for cross-checking and raced in on FSU’s Phil Osaer. The junior goaltender denied Carlson with a sliding pad save.
Ferris State broke back and Carlson intercepted a pass at the Irish blueline and was joined by Matt Van Arkel (Sr., Richton Park, Ill.) for a two-on-one. Carlson, ND’s top scorer pulled the defense toward him and fed Van Arkel who buried a one-timer past Osaer for his second goal of the year at 5:29.
The Irish would take the lead for the only time of the night at 10:52, when ND’s three hottest players, Carlson, right wing Ryan Dolder (Sr., Hutchinson, Minn.) and defenseman Brett Lebda (Fr., Buffalo Grove, Ill.) combined for a Dolder power play goal giving all four players four-game scoring streaks.
Carlson moved the puck along the left wing boards to Lebda who sent a pass to Dolder at the right point. The senior slapped the puck at the net and his shot broke of Osaer’s glove and trickled into the net for his ninth goal of the season.
The Irish had the momentum but they would soon lose that due to a pane of glass in the Notre Dame end popping loose. After a 15-minute delay to repair it, the Irish never seemed to get that jump back.
A late icing call on the Irish would cost them as time ran out in the second period. FSU center Kevin Swider appeared to lose a face-off to the left of Kolquist, but beat the ND defense to the loose puck and walked out in front of Kolquist. The senior puckstopper made a great save on the first shot, but the rebound came to Swider who flipped it into the open goal with just 4.6 seconds left in the period to tie the game at 2-2.
“There’s no question that goal was the first key play in the game,” said a frustrated Dave Poulin following the game.
“I don’t think the glass coming loose changed the momentum. I thought we were tired to and the break was okay, not as long as we had, but I don’t think it affected us.”
The ND bench boss continued, “They beat us to the puck. Koly (Kolquist) made a great save on the first shot, but didn’t have a chance on the rebound. A goal that late hurts, it changes a lot.”
The second key play came at 3:24 of the third period. With the Irish killing a power play, senior defenseman Ryan Clark (Littleton, Colo.) was whistled off for cross-checking in front of the goal.
With the five-on-three advantage, Kunitz got his first of the night and 10th of the season with just one second left on the first Irish penalty to Neil Komadoski at 3:34.
“The second penalty really killed us,” commented Poulin. “We had almost killed the first one and that gave them the five-on-three. Those two plays cost us two goals.”
The Irish, who would muster just five shots in the third period, pulled Kolquist with 1:21 left in the period and controlled the play in the Ferris State zone, until Dolder was whistled off for elbowing at 19:25.
Kunitz got his second of the night into the empty net as time wound down with just seven seconds left at 19:53 for the final score of 4-2.
Ferris State outshot Notre Dame, 33-22 on the night. Kolquist, still searching for his first career win, made 29 stops as his record went to 0-2-1 on the season. Osaer made 20 saves for the Bulldogs as he improved to 2-4-2 for the season.
“We played well in segments of the game,” said Poulin. “But, that’s not good enough. They have to learn to play an entire 60-minute game. I told them after the game that this would stop when they get sick and tired of losing. They have to figure it out.”
The two teams close out the weekend series on Sat., Jan. 6 at the Joyce Center. Face-off is set for 7:05 p.m.
Irish notes:
Freshman defenseman Tom Galvin (Miller Place, N.Y.) returned to action after missing the last 13 games. He severed tendons in his left arm on Nov. 2 when his arm was skated over in practice. He had emergency surgery that night to repair the injury and came back ahead of schedule. “That was one bright spot tonight,” said Poulin. “I thought Tommy stepped in and played a strong game for being out so long.”
Notre Dame’s two representatives to the U.S. Junior National Team will return to the lineup next week. Connor Dunlop (So., St. Louis, Mo.) and Rob Globke (Fr., West Bloomfield, Mich.) helped the U.S. to a fifth place finish and a 5-2 record. Dunlop had three assists in seven games and Globke scored a pair of goals.
SUMMARY:
Ferris State (6-11-4/2-8-3) 1 1 2 – 4
Notre Dame (4-15-3/2-9-2) 0 2 0 – 2
First Period: FSU: Rob Collins 9 (Scott Lewis, Jim Dube), PPG, 6:11.
Penalties: FSU: 3 for 6 minutes, ND: 2 for 4 minutes.
Second Period: ND: Matt Van Arkel 2 (Dan Carlson), 5:29, ND: Ryan Dolder 9 (Brett Lebda, Dan Carlson), PPG, 10:52, FSU: Kevin Swider 11 (unassisted), 19:55.
Penalties: FSU: 1 for 2 minutes, ND: 3 for 6 minutes.
Third Period: FSU: Chris Kunitz 9 (Lewis, Dube), PPG, 3:34, FSU: Kunitz 10 (unassisted), PPG, ENG, 19:53.
Penalties: FSU: 3 for 6 minutes, ND: 3 for 6 minutes.
Power Plays:
Ferris State: 3 for 8
Notre Dame: 1 for 6
Shots On Goal
Ferris State: 9 – 15 – 9 – 33
Notre Dame: 6 – 11- 5 – 22
Goaltender Saves:
Ferris State: Phil Osaer (60:00) 6 – 9 – 5 – 20
Notre Dame: Kyle Kolquist (58:46) 8 – 14- 7 – 29
Attendance: 1,948