Irish Open B1G At Penn State

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame opens Big Ten Conference play at Penn State this weekend with a pair of games inside Pegula Ice Arena, November 4-5.

Game one of the weekend series is set for 7:30 p.m. on B1G+ with the second tilt scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. puck drop on Big Ten Network.

New this season, fans can view line charts for home games online at fightingirish.com/HKYLineCharts. Lines will be posted online approximately 90 minutes before puck drop (timing subject to change).

SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Penn State Nittany Lions
Location: State College, Pa.| Pegula Ice Arena
Schedule: 7:30 p.m. (Sat.) | 4:30 p.m. (Sun.)
TV: B1G+ (Sat.) | BTN (Sun.)
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame | Penn State

QUICK HITS

• The Irish closed out their first month of contests with a weekend sweep over Mercyhurst, Oct. 26-27. 

• Despite trailing to start the third period, the Irish came back to notch the overtime game winner off the stick of Landon Slaggert night one before storming off to a 5-0 win the following night to improve to 4-3-0 on the season.

• Ryan Bischel made 33 saves between the pipes in his ninth career shutout, and second of the 2023-24 season.

• With four goals against Mercyhurst, including two each night and the game-winner night one, Landon Slaggert led the nation in goal scoring last weekend and was named Big Ten Third Star of the Week for his performance.

• Two Irish rookies recorded first career goals in their most recent outing when Paul Fischer and Brennan Ali helped lift the Irish to their 5-0 victory Friday night against the Lakers. 

• Carter Slaggert also recorded his first career point over the weekend series with Mercyhurst, tallying an assist each night to embark on a two-game point-streak.

• The Irish have played one game away from home this season, competing against RIT in their annual Brick City Game inside Blue Cross Arena, home to the Rochester Americans, AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. 

• The Irish opened their season with a split against Clarkson inside Compton Family Ice Arena. 

• The first line chart of the season featured nine new faces while all 10 appeared on the ice at some point last weekend. 

• The new talent made an immediate impact on the Irish team with five 2023-24 additions recording their first points in an Irish sweater over the weekend. 

• Two Irish rookies net their first collegiate goals on the weekend with Jayden Davis and Danny Nelson each finding the back of the net in Sunday night’s win. 

• Davis’ goal came off his first shot on goal in his NCAA debut. The goal in the second period proved to be the eventual game-winner.

• With his first win of the season, Ryan Bischel picked up his eighth career shutout behind the 3-0 victory. He stopped all 22 shots faced in the contest to improve his season save percentage to .957 through two games played.

• The Irish return 19 letterwinners from the 2022-23 season this year, including 2023 Big Ten Conference Goaltender of the Year, Ryan Bischel. 

• Classmate Trevor Janicke also returned for his fifth season with the Irish, serving as alternate captain for the second time in 2023-24.

• Of those letterwinners returning, 17 saw game action last season while five appeared in all 37 games played for the Irish a season ago.

• The veteran leadership consists of four graduate seniors, including new additions to the team in Patrick Moynihan (forward; Providence) and Ryan Siedem (defenseman; Harvard), and eight seniors. 

• Ten new faces join the team this season, including eight freshmen. The new contributors consist of seven forwards and three defensemen.  

NOTRE DAME vs. PENN STATE

• In 35 previous meetings between the Irish and the Nittany Lions, Notre Dame boasts a 22-9-4 record, including a 9-4-3 tally at Penn State.

• Last season the two teams split their regular season series, with each teams capturing a home and road win in four meetings between the squads.

• At Penn State last season, the Irish helped the Nittany Lions record two then-record setting crowds inside Pegula Ice Arena. In game one of the series in State College, the Irish claimed a 2-1 victory before falling by a goal the following night for the weekend spilt.

• Four current Irish skaters recorded points in the contest while graduate netminder Ryan Bischel set a career saves record, stopping 52 of 53 shots faced in game one of the series. Justin Janicke led the team in points with three assists while Trevor Janicke is the lone returner to the Irish this season to have scored a goal at Pegula Ice Arena last year. Landon Slaggert and Drew Bavaro also had points in the series.

IRISH HEADED HOME

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• The tournament first began in 2015 and is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interation.

• Over the course of six previous tournaments, 24 games have been played dating back to the inagural games in 2015.

• Northern Ireland remains the only destination outside of the United States to host consequential NCAA Divison I ice hockey games.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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).