SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey program looks to close out the first half of the season this weekend with a pair of games at Munn Ice Arena, home to the Michigan State Spartans, Dec. 8-9.
The Irish enter the weekend back in the rankings, coming in at No. 20 in both polls following their most recent split with then No. 13/12 Michigan last week. The seventh-ranked Spartans have yet to play this month, having had the first week of December off.
Friday’s contest is set for 7 p.m. followed by a 6 p.m. start Saturday to close out the series. Both games will be streamed on B1G+.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Michigan State Spartans
Location: East Lansing, Mich. | Munn Ice Arena
Schedule: Fri. 7 p.m. | Sat. 6 p.m.
TV: B1G+
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame | Michigan State
QUICK HITS
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The Irish boast a 8-6-2 record and are 4-2-2 thus far in Big Ten Conference play.
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Catalino Family Head Hockey Coach Jeff Jackson hit a career milestone with his 400th win behind the Irish bench. The team celebrated Friday night following their 6-1 victory over Michigan with a tribute video from current and former players congratulating Jackson on the accomplishment.
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The Irish split with the visiting Woverines last weekend, taking game one by a 6-1 score before falling night two, 2-1, to close out the first half of the home season.
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After registering 60 saves over the two-game stretch, and holding the nation’s second-best offense to just 1.50 goals per game in the weekend series, Ryan Bischel was named the Big Ten Conference Third Star of the Week.
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Coaches Jackson, Pooley and Slaggert have won all 400 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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In their most recent Big Ten road trip, the Irish split on at then-No. 6/6 Minnesota, including Coach Jackson’s 399th win behind the Notre Dame bench.
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Most recently, the Irish hosted Boston College for the 49th edition of the Holy War on Ice, Nov. 24. The Irish fell to the No. 2/1 Eagles at home to close out November.
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The team’s leading scorer, Landon Slaggert, tallied the lone goal in the loss to the Eagles.
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With his shutout Saturday against OSU, Bischel now leads the country with three this season and he now owns 10 career blankings, becoming just the sixth Irish netminder to record double-digits and first since Cale Morris.
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Two Irish skaters recorded their first goals with the program against Ohio State with Patrick Moynihan and Cole Knuble each finding the back of the net Saturday for their first goals in an Irish sweater.
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Notre Dame opened Big Ten Conference play at Penn State at the start of November, earning three points on the weekend between a pair of shootouts inside Pegula Ice Arena.
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Maddox Fleming net his first career goal against the Nittany Lions, scoring the equalizer late in the third period night one to force overtime and the eventual shootout.
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The Irish closed out their first month of contests with a weekend sweep over Mercyhurst, Oct. 26-27.
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Despite trailing to start the third period against the Lakers, 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.
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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.
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Two Irish rookies recorded first career goals when Paul Fischer and Brennan Ali helped lift the Irish to their 5-0 victory Friday night against the Lakers.
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The Irish opened their season with a split against Clarkson inside Compton Family Ice Arena.
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The first line chart of the season featured nine new faces while all 10 appeared on the ice at some point last weekend.
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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.
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Two Irish rookies net their first collegite goals on the weekend with Jayden Davis and Danny Nelson each finding the back of the net in Sunday night’s win.
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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.
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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.
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The Irish return 19 letterwinners from the 2022-23 season this year, including 2023 Big Ten Conference Goaltender of the Year, Ryan Bischel.
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Classmate Trevor Janicke also returned for his fifth season with the Irish, serving as alternate captain for the second time in 2023-24.
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Of those letterwinners returning, 17 saw game action last season while five appeared in all 37 games played for the Irish a season ago.
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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
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Ten new faces join the team this season, including eight freshmen. The new contributors consist of seven forwards and three defensemen.
NOTRE DAME vs. MICHIGAN STATE
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In 142 all-time meetings between the two teams, the Irish own 52 wins over the Spartans. The two teams have also tied 16 times with the most recent coming last season at Compton Family Ice Arena, 1-1.
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At Munn Ice Arena a season ago, three current Irish skaters highlighted the box score. The team’s current leader in goals found the back of the net in game two of the weekend road series in 2022-23 while Zach Plucinski and Justin Janicke each had assists.
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The two teams last met in the Big Ten quarterfinals last March with the Irish ultimately falling in the best-of-three series two games to one.
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.
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).