CANTON, N.Y. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team opened its 2024-25 campaign on the road at St. Lawrence University, defeating the Saints 4-1 inside Appleton Arena.
Hunter Strand had the best chance of the opening minutes as a feed from Maddox Fleming crashing in on net was tipped just wide of an open back door opportunity.
Earning the nod in net in Friday’s opener, Owen Say faced his first test just over six minutes into the contest. The rebound bounced off the pads of Say to generate a rush up ice for the Irish offense where Michael Mastrodomenico’s wrister hit the crossbar and play continued, knotted 0-0.
The Irish opened the scoring on the 2024-25 season with a backhander from Blake Biondi for his first official goal in an Irish sweater.
Notre Dame was whistled for too many men after a couple of skaters from either side got tangled up near the Irish bench in the middle of a change. The Saints capitalized on the man-advantage to make it a 1-1 game at 8:38 of the opening period.
At 11:11 of the first frame, the Saints were sent to the penalty box for slashing and the Irish powerplay unit went to work. Despite chances from Danny nelson and Brennan Ali, the Irish were unable to convert on the powerplay opportunity and both teams five-on-five hockey returned at Appleton Arena.
Biondi nearly had his second of the night late in the opening stanza but his shot ricocheted off the pipes and bounced out.
The two sides headed to the first intermission knotted 1-1 despite the Irish doubling up the Saints in shots on goal, 14-7.
The teams returned to the ice for period two and the Irish drew a penalty just eight seconds in to head back on the powerplay however the Irish could not capitalize on the man-up opportunity.
The Irish and Saints continued to skate even aside halfway through the middle stanza before Cole Knuble lit the lamp in his first game back, intercepting a clear attempt by SLU to make it a 2-1 game.
Notre Dame extended their lead late in the second with a powerplay goal from Danny Nelson to make it a 3-1 game. The Irish had one more solid look on net in the frame when Brennan Ali backhanded a shot from the doorstep into the chest of Kucenski but the Saints’ netminder made the save and the horn sounded on the period.
The Irish continued to pepper the Saints end with shots midway through the third period, outshooting the home team 33-17 to that point. At 8:44 of the frame the Irish were whistled for their second infraction of the night, this time a hold, and were sent to the kill for two minutes. The PK unit successfully killed off the third period penalty to maintain the two-goal lead just over halfway through the third stanza.
Knuble picked off a SLU rush in the neutral zone to create a two-on-one in the opposite direction. Feeding the puck over to Justin Janicke, Knuble raced in on net and took the pass back from Janicke before burying his second goal of the night.
The Saints called timeout and pulled their netminder moments after the Knuble goal in favor of the extra attacker. Nelson nearly had his second of the night but his shot on the empty net hit the right post.
After the Irish called timeout with 60 seconds to play in regulation. An offensive zone faceoff for the Irish drew the Saints goalie back in his crease. After winning the faceoff, Hunter Strand got tripped up at the blue line and drew a penalty as the Irish finished the night off on the powerplay. The Irish closed out the night with possession but did not convert on the late powerplay and finished with the 4-1 final for their first win of the season.
The Irish rounded out the night with the 38-33 edge in shots on goal, with Owen Say turning aside 32 shots faced, including 18 in the third period to keep the Irish on top.
GOALS
- Blake Biondi net his first official goal with the Irish at 6:45 of the first period Friday night, outstretching for the rebound and lifting the puck over the pads of Mason Kucenski in the St. Lawrence net. Michael Mastrodomenico who took the initial shot was credited with the primary assist while Ryan Helliwell also tallied an assist on the play.
- The Irish took a 2-1 lead at 11:55 of the second period behind an unassisted tally from Cole Knuble. The sophomore intercepted a pass in the offensive zone and buried his shot high glove side to give the Irish the one-goal lead.
- Danny Nelson extended the Irish lead with a deflection in front of the net at 17:12 of the second frame. Paul Fischer’s shot from the top of the slot found the tape of Nelson in traffic who tipped it behind the SLU netminder to make it a 3-1 game. Justin Janicke earned the second assist on the play.
- Knuble continued his offensive pressure with the final goal of the night, assisted by Justin Janicke. The sophomore center stole the puck in the neutral zone and created a two-on-one opportunity the opposite way as he and Janicke connected on a series of passes before Knuble buried a shot over the glove of Kucenski for the 4-1 final.
KEY STATS
- After recording the first two goals in the team’s exhibition last week, Blake Biondi got the Irish season underway with the first official tally of the year for the Blue and Gold. The graduate student’s goal at 6:45 of the first period was his first countable goal in an Irish sweater.
- After missing the exhibition last weekend for precautionary reasons, Cole Knuble made his return to the lineup Friday evening against the Saints and scored twice for the Irish, including the eventual game-winning goal halfway though the second period.
- Knuble’s two goals both came off defensive picks as the sophomore’s game-winner in the second was an unassisted tally following a failed clear attempt by a SLU defenseman in the Irish offensive end. His second goal at 16:29 of the third period came after picking off a Saints skater in the neutral zone and creating an odd-man rush the opposite way.
- The Irish fired 38 shots on goal Friday night in the win, including eight off the stick of Cole Knuble.
- Getting his first nod in net for the Irish, Owen Say stopped 32 of 33 shots faced for a .970 save percentage, including over half of those in the third period of play.
UP NEXT
The Irish close out their opening weekend road trip with a 7pm tilt at Clarkson on Saturday, Oct. 12. The two teams last clashed in the season opener a year ago with both teams skating away with a victory in the two-game split.