PLYMOUTH, Mich. — The Notre Dame hockey team opened the 2025-26 season in convincing fashion, topping the U.S. National Team Development Program 5-2 in exhibition play Friday night.
Scoring from 10 individuals Friday night ultimately lifted the Irish to victory, including four newcomers in Will Belle (1-1-2), Pano Fimis (1-1-2), Sutter Muzzatti (0-1-1) and Dash Oliver (0-1-1).
The Irish got on the board quickly after Michael Mastrodomenico connected with Pano Fimis off the rush for a goal at 3:27 of the opening frame.
The U18s found the equalizer shortly after when a shot from AJ Garcia beat Nicholas Kempf in the Irish crease but the score wouldn’t last long as Cole Knuble brushed off his stick and fired a shot into the back of the net just seconds into an Irish powerplay opportunity to reclaim the lead at 11:42 of the first.
The score would hold through the end of the first as Knuble’s tally proved the difference-maker after 20 minutes of play.
The two teams remained locked in the 2-1 tally at the first media timeout of the second period following a successful kill by the Irish just under five minutes into play.
Notre Dame got a chance on the man-advantage shortly after the second media timeout. However, a shot from Cole Brown rang off the pipe to keep it a one-goal game.
The two sides returned to full strength and the U18s peppered the Irish net with shots but Kempf managed to cast them all aside in the final minutes.
With just under one minute to play in the frame, Mastrodomenico extended the lead with assists from a pair of new faces on the squad this season as Sutter Muzzatti and Dashel Oliver set up the third goal of the night.
The Irish wasted no time extending their lead in the third as Will Belle net his first for the Blue and Golf just 64 seconds into the frame, giving the Irish the 4-1 edge.
The U18s would get one back with 10:42 left in regulation, making it a 4-2 game, but the Jack Williams would hold them to that one goal in the period while Jayden Davis finished the scoring off with the team’s fifth of the night.