Irish Remain #1, Trio Up For Hobey Fan Vote

Jan. 15, 2018

Hobey Fan Vote

By Dan Colleran

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — For the second consecutive week, the Fighting Irish hockey team has been ranked No. 1 in both the USCHO.com and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls.

Also on Monday (Jan. 15), the fan voting ballot for the 2018 Hobey Baker Memorial Award was released and it includes Notre Dame senior forward Jake Evans, senior defenseman Jordan Gross and sophomore goaltender Cale Morris.

IN THE POLLS

Both polls were released on Monday, Jan. 15. Notre Dame received 44 of a possible 50 first-place votes in the USCHO.com poll and 29 of a possible 34 first-place votes in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. It also marked the third consecutive week the Irish have occupied the top spot in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

This season’s number one ranking marks the seventh time in program history the Irish have been ranked No. 1 for at least one week during a season.

Notre Dame, which had a bye week last week, has won 15 consecutive games dating back to a 5-4 win over Omaha on Oct. 27.

The 15 consecutive wins is tied for the longest mark in program history, which was also done from Nov. 4, 1983 – Jan. 21, 1984 when the Irish competed as a club team. It is also tied for head coach Jeff Jackson’s longest career winning streak, as Jackson’s previous longest career winning streak came with Lake Superior State when his team won 15 consecutive games from Jan. 19 – March 9, 1991, as part of a 28-game unbeaten stretch by the Lakers.

Notre Dame is also 12-0-0-0 in Big Ten play so far this season, having swept each league team in the first rotation through the league.

HOBEY HOPEFULS

The Hobey Fan Vote will once again be part of Phase I of the selection process for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which is given annually to the top player in college hockey. The list of players will be narrowed to a Top-10 and then Phase II voting on the Top-10 will begin (March 14-25).

The Hobey Hat Trick will then be announced on March 29 and the Hobey Baker Memorial Award will be presented to the winner on April 6, 2018 during the NCAA Frozen Four Championship in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jake Evans

• After serving as an alternate captain as a junior, he is the team’s lone captain as a senior.
• Evans is the 13th Canadian-born captain of the Irish and the first since two-year captain Steve Noble (1996-98).
• Had two goals, including the game winner and the empty net shorthanded tally, and an assist in Notre Dame’s 5-3 win against Alabama Huntsville to open the season (Oct. 6).
• Added a pair of assists in Notre Dame’s 4-0 win in game two against the Chargers (Oct. 7) for a five-point weekend.
• Was named the Big Ten Conference’s Second Star (Oct. 10).
• Had a three-point weekend against No. 1 Denver with a goal and two assists (Oct. 13-14) to reach the 100-career points milestone.
• Evans became the 52nd player in program history to notch at least 100-career points.
• Posted a career-best four assists in Notre Dame’s 6-4 loss to Omaha (Oct. 26), becoming the first Irish player with a four-assist game since Stephen Johns did so on Dec. 29, 2010, versus Canisius.
• Posted three assists in Notre Dame’s game two win over Omaha (Oct. 27) for a seven point series (0-7-7) and was named the B1G’s Third Star of the Week.
• Named a Senior Class Award candidate (Nov. 1).
• Scored the game-winning goal and added two assists for a three-point game in Notre Dame’s 3-2 win at Ohio State (Nov. 4).
• Had a goal and an assist in Notre Dame’s 4-1 win at RPI, including the game’s first goal.
• Scored the game-winning goal and added two assists for a three-point night in Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over sixth-ranked Minnesota (Nov. 25).
• Had a goal and an assist to lead Notre Dame to a 3-1 win at Michigan State (Dec. 1).
• Named to Team Canada’s roster for the 2017 Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland (Dec. 26-31).

Jordan Gross

• Serving as an alternate captain for the first time in his Irish career.
• Opened the season with a three-assist game against Alabama Huntsville (Oct. 6) and followed by scoring a goal in the 4-0 win over the Chargers on Oct. 7 for a four-point weekend.
• Was named the Big Ten’s Third Star of the Week (Oct. 10).
• Scored a game-tying, third period goal against No. 1 Denver in Notre Dame’s 4-2 defeat (Oct. 14).
• That goal against the Pioneers was a power-play tally that was blasted through the back of the net and later called a goal after video review.
• Had a goal and two assists in Notre Dame’s 5-4 win over
• Omaha (Oct. 27), including his 100th career point on the assist and the game-winning goal.
• He became the 53rd player in program history to reach 100 career points.
• Had a pair of assists in Notre Dame’s 3-1 win at Michigan State.

Cale Morris 2017-18

• Made 25 saves against Alabama Huntsville to earn the win in his first career start (Oct. 6).
• Made a career-high 30 saves in Notre Dame’s 4-2 loss to Denver (last DU goal was an ENG).
• Stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced against Sacred Heart to post his second career win (Oct. 20).
• Made 23 saves to lead the Irish to a 4-1 win at #16 Ohio State, marking Notre Dame’s first win in its first Big Ten game.
• Made 39 saves in Notre Dame’s 3-2 win at #16 Ohio State (Nov. 4) for his third straight win, including 22 saves in the third period.
• Stopped a career-high 40 shots in Notre Dame’s 5-3 win over Penn State (Nov. 10).
• Made 33 saves in Notre Dame’s 1-0 win against Penn State to post his first career shutout (Nov. 11).
• Put together a shutout streak of 118:30 from Nov. 10 – Nov. 17 that came to an end in the third period of Notre Dame’s 4-1 win at RPI (Nov. 17).
• Came back and posted a 25-save shutout in game two against the Engineers as Notre Dame won 1-0 in overtime (Nov. 18).
• Made a career high 44 saves in Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over Minnesota (Nov. 25).
• Stopped 40 shots while yielding just two power-play goals in game two against the Gophers as the Irish won 5-2
• (Nov. 25).
• Named the Big Ten’s First Star for the third consecutive week following that Minnesota series.
• Posted a 23-save shutout in Notre Dame’s 2-0 win at Michigan State (Dec. 2) for his fourth shutout of the season and of his career.

UP NEXT

The Irish will be back in action with a Friday-Sunday series against Wisconsin on Jan. 19 and 21. Friday’s game will be played at 7:35 p.m. ET at the Compton Family Ice Arena, while Sunday’s game will take place at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m CT at the United Center in Chicago. To purchase tickets, click here.

— ND —

Dan Colleran, Director of Athletics Communications at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and golf programs. A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Colleran also spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League and is a graduate of Providence College (’06 & ’08G).