SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team is set to embark on their first road trip of 2024 as they prepare for a pair of games at the Ohio State University, January 12-13. Game one of the weekend series in Columbus, Ohio, is set for a 7 p.m. puck drop Friday on B1G+ while the series finale between the Irish and Buckeyes will air on Big Ten Network Saturday with a 7:15 p.m. start.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Ohio State Buckeyes
Location: Columbus, Ohio| Value City Arena
Schedule: Fri. 7:04 p.m. | Sat. 7:15 p.m.
TV: B1G+ (Fri.) | BTN (Sat.)
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame | Ohio State
QUICK HITS
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The Irish get back on the road with a trip to Columbus, Ohio, for the regular series finale with Ohio State. The two teams previously met in mid-Novermber, with the Irish outscoring the Buckeyes 7-1 in the two game sweep.
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The team most recently dropped a pair of games to the Wisconsin Badgers as they fell to 10-10-2 on the year.
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Notre Dame closed out the 2023 calendar year and non-conference regular season play with a sweep. In the first ever meeting between the Irish and the Vikings of Augustana (SD), Notre Dame jumped out to a convincing 5-1 victory in game one of the series before an overtime battle between the two squads on Sunday in the series finale.
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Cole Knuble net the overtime game-winner in Sunday’s contest to complete the weekend sweep and add to his career-weekend which saw him record his first collegiate hat trick the night prior. For his four goal weekend, including both game-winning tallies, Knuble was named Big Ten Conference Second Star of the Week.
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With his goal to tie it Sunday night vs. Augustana, sophomore Michael Mastrodomenico registered his first career goal and now boasts five points on the season (1-4-5) following just one assist in his rookie season.
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Catalino Family Head Hockey Coach Jeff Jackson hit a career milestone with his 400th win behind the Irish bench in game one of the team’s home series against Michigan. The team celebrated Friday night following their 6-1 victory over the Wolverines with a tribute video from current and former players congratulating Jackson on the accomplishment.
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Coaches Jackson, Pooley and Slaggert have won all 402 games as a unit while Brock Sheahan, who joined the dynamic coaching staff prior to 2023-24, was a part of win No. 1 when he was a student-athlete at Notre Dame.
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Two Irish skaters recorded their first goals with the program against Ohio State earlier this season with Patrick Moynihan and Cole Knuble each finding the back of the net in game two of that series for their first goals in an Irish sweater.
NOTRE DAME vs. OHIO STATE
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The two teams met previously this season with the Irish earning the weekend sweep to open conference play at home.
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In the 100th all-time meeting between the two teams, Ryan Bischel and the Irish completed the sweep behind a 3-0 shutout win, Bischel’s 10th of his career.
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Graduate student and 2023 transfer, Patrick Moynihan net his first goal in an Irish sweater against the Buckeyes while Cole Knuble’s empty netter to clinch the home series sweep was the first of his collegiate career.
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Numerous Irish had career nights in the first half of the season series with Moynihan earning his first career multi-goal game, Knuble notching his first career point and multi-point games, Landon Slaggert assisting on all three goals in game two while earning an assist the first night. Brennan Ali, Ryan Siedem and Hunter Strand also had two assists each in game one, a career mark for all three.
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All-time, the Irish lead the series 46-42-12 while trailing only slightly on the road with a 20-22-7 record. Last season the Irish split with the Buckeyes at Value City Arena.
IRISH HEADED HOME
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The University of Notre Dame, in conjunction with The Odyssey Trust, announced the Irish would participate in the 2024 rendtion of the Friendship Four men’s college ice hockey tournament.
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The annual tournament is set to be played in Belfast, Ireland, next November (2024) with the Irish joining Harvard, Merrimack and Boston University as participants competing for the coveted Belpot Trophy.
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The tournament was last played in 2022 with Quinnipiac reigning victorious that fall before winning the national championship at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.
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The tournament first began in 2015 and is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interation.
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Over the course of six previous tournaments, 24 games have been played dating back to the inagural games in 2015.
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Northern Ireland remains the only destination outside of the United States to host consequential NCAA Divison I ice hockey games.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
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The 2022-23 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year was one of two unanimous selections for 2023-24 Preseason All-Big Ten Teams. He was selected to the All-Big Ten First Team ahead of the coming season. Bischel was also a Mike Richter Award semifinalist and a Hobey Baker nominee a season ago.
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Drew Bavaro made an immediate impact at the blueline last season after joining the Irish and will look to continue that success this season as a senior. He was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team for the preseason. Landon Slaggert also picked up preseason honors from the Big Ten when he was named an Honorable Mention heading into the season.
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Following his performance against Mercyhurst, which included a nation’s best four goals on the weekend, Landon Slaggert was named the Big Ten’s Third Star of the Week October 31.
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Two Irish were recognized for their play in the weekend sweep of Ohio State to open conference play at home. Bischel picked up First Star of the Week honors with a .984 save percentage in two games played. The graduate netminder stopped 60 of 61 shots faced and earned his 10th career shutout. With his third blanking of the season, Bischel leads the nation in blankings.
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Landon Slaggert also picked up conference honors following the weekend against OSU, being tabbed Third Star of the Week by the Big Ten behind a goal and three assists.
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After a weekend split against then-No. 13/12, Ryan Bischel was named Big Ten Third Star of the Week for his .953 save percentage and 1.50 goals against average.
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Following a four goal weekend which included the team’s first hat trick performance in nearly two years, freshman Cole Knuble was named Big Ten Second Star of the Week. The honor came as Knuble’s first of his career and it was the fifth weekly award for the Irish this season.
FAMILY TIES
- The 2023-24 Notre Dame roster features quite a few family connections to the program and hockey world.
- Three sets of brothers are currently on the roster, including Justin and Trevor Janicke, Landon and Carter Slaggert, and Henry and Danny Nelson.
- With the addition of the Nelsons this season, the Irish have had 17 sets of brothers lace up their skates together for the Irish.
- Carter Slaggert also joins the Irish in 2023-24, becoming the third Slaggert brother to appear in a game for the Irish and joins his older brother Landon, who is a senior. Oldest brother Graham currently plays in the Buffalo Sabres organization and skated two years alongside Landon before graduating.
- Senior forward Brady Bjork is the younger brother of former Irish All-American and current Chicago Blackhawk Anders Bjork.
- Brady’s father, Kirt, played for the Irish from 1979-83 where he appeared in 141 and tallied 161 career points (76-85). When older brother Anders played for the Irish, they became the fourth set of father-son combinations within Notre Dame hockey.
- The Slaggerts are part of the fifth set of father-son combinations to suit up for the Irish, joining their father and associate head coach Andy Slaggert.
- Justin and Trevor Janicke are the sons of Curtis Janicke, who played for the Irish from 1989-93, appearing in 125 games while scoring 46 goals and adding 98 assists for 144 points.
- Justin, Trevor and Curtis represent the sixth father-son duo to play for the Irish.
- Freshman Paul Fischer is the nephew of Mike Gearan, a member of the first varsity hockey team at Notre Dame. Fischer will honor his uncle by wearing his number during his career with the Irish, No. 16.
- Freshman forward Cole Knuble is the son of former NHLer Mike Knuble, who spent 16 seasons in the NHL, including stints with Detroit, New York Rangers, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington. Cole was recently drafted by the Flyers’ organization where his father played during his early childhood. He will wear No. 22 with the Irish to honor his father.
- Four current Irish skaters have siblings playing at the collegiate level, away from South Bend.
- Cole Knuble’s brother, Cam, is a senior at Western Michigan University.
- Ryan Siedem’s brother is a freshman at the University of New Hampshire.
- Jayden Davis’ brother Matthew is a junior on the Denver Pioneers’ hockey team.
- Maddox Fleming’s sister Delaney is a freshman on the Ohio State University women’s hockey team.
CURRENT IRISH AND THE NHL DRAFT
- The 2023-24 roster features nine NHL draftees, including Jake Boltmann (CGY ‘20), Justin Janicke (SEA ‘21), Danny Nelson (NYI ‘23), Brennan Ali (DET ‘22), Paul Fischer (STL ‘23), Patrick Moynihan (NJD ‘19), Landon Slaggert (CHI ‘20), Cole Knuble (PHI ‘23) and Trevor Janicke (ANA ‘19).
- The 2023 NHL draft saw three Irish rookies selected, the most since 2020, and 15th time in program history that at least three Irish icers were selected in a single draft class.
- The trio of skaters selected in 2023, Danny Nelson (2nd Rd., 49 overall), Cole Knuble (4th Rd., 103 overall) and Paul Fischer (5th Rd., 138 overall) join fellow rookie Brennan Ali (DET ‘22) as draftees in the ND freshmen class.
- When D. Nelson was selected in the second round of this year’s Draft, Notre Dame extended its streak of players drafted to 21 years (2004-present).