BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — The University of Notre Dame hockey team completed its non-conference slate Saturday night, closing out January with a 2-2 tie and shootout win at Bowling Green State University.
The Falcons struck early Saturday night, as the Irish trailed for the first time on the weekend. A redirect in front of Nicholas Kempf got the Falcons on the board at 4:23 of the opening period.
Shortly after the BG goal, Notre Dame was whistled for interference and were tasked with the kill. After a pair of saves by Kempf to keep it a one-goal game, a cross-check in front of the net sent another Irish skater to the box and ND faced a two-man disadvantage for 51 seconds.
The Irish managed to kill off both penalties unscathed and play returned to even strength halfway through the opening period with the Falcons holding the 1-0 lead.
A pair of late penalties made it four-on-four hockey for two minutes following cross-checking infractions for both parties. With more ice between them, the Irish and Falcons continued to battle as Notre Dame looked to even it up before the end of the frame. A shot from Bowling Green rang off the pipe and the Irish had a look on net in the waning moments of action that was cast aside to keep the game 1-0 through 20 minutes played Saturday.
Bowling Green was called for cross-checking just 48 seconds into the second stanza and it took the Irish powerplay unit a mere 13 seconds to capitalize, drawing even with the Falcons off the stick of Evan Werner who net his fourth powerplay goal of the season to make it a 1-1 game.
The Irish then claimed the lead just over four minutes later after Sutter Muzzatti picked off a Falcon skater near the Irish blue line and created a rush up ice with Brennan Ali crashing in on net. Despite Muzzatti’s initial shot being stifled, Ali was able to convert the rebound and give Notre Dame the 2-1 edge at 5:18 of the second.
The teams skated fairly even a side the remainder of the period before a play along the end boards sent the Irish penalty kill unit to the box for five minutes at 16:56 of the second. The Irish looked to kill off the remainder of the period unscathed but a shot from the top of the slot with 11 ticks left on the clock beat Kempf’s glove top shelf, tying the game at 2-2 with approximately two minutes left on the ND major to start the third.
Despite giving up the late second period goal, the Irish quieted any momentum BG looked to bring into the third when a roughing call against the Falcons at 56 seconds of the frame ended the Irish kill and gave them a powerplay chance when they returned to full strength.
The two teams traded chances throughout the remainder of regulation and a combined 25 saves for the netminders on either end sent the game to extra time for the second consecutive night.
In overtime, the Falcons controlled play early with the Irish finally gaining possession nearly two minutes in. Werner and Muzzatti looked to have scored on a rebound on the ensuing rush but the officials waved it off, saying the initial shot was saved and the puck frozen before trickling over the line.
The Falcons maintained the puck for the majority of the overtime session and an Irish penalty at 3:48 of the frame gave the home team the man-advantage as the crowd grew deafening. Notre Dame successfully killed off the last 1:12 of the overtime session to force a shootout, backstopped by an impressive nine saves in overtime by Kempf.
Notre Dame hopped over the boards first in the shootout with Sutter Muzzatti taking the first attempt. The team’s leader in goals was denied at the doorstep by Falcons’ goaltender Jacob Steinman who made 25 saves through regulation and overtime.
On the opposite end, Kempf stuffed the Falcons’ first shooter’s attempt to keep it scoreless heading into the second round.
After three rounds of shooters, neither side had been able to convert and the shootout continued. In the eighth round of the shootout, senior defenseman Axel Kumlin finally broke the netminding to give Notre Dame the 1-0 lead with one last attempt looming for the Falcons. On the ensuing attempt, Kempf shut Tyler Hotson down to clinch the victory and finish the night with an unofficial 56 saves.
The game will officially be recognized as a 2-2 tie by the NCAA and Kempf’s save total will only include the 48 saves made through the first 65 minutes. The mark tops that of his previous career-best 45 saves set against Michigan State a season ago. His 48 saves is the most for an Irish netminder since Ryan Bischel’s 51 stops, also against MSU, in December 2023.
UP NEXT
The Irish continue their road stretch with a trip to Madison, Wisconsin to face off against the Badgers for a two-game series Feb. 6-7. Both games are set for 8pm ET puck drops on B1G+.