SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A career setting weekend for senior forward Justin Janicke of the Notre Dame hockey team has earned him Second Star of the Week honors by the Big Ten Conference, as announced Tuesday. Janicke registered six points over the weekend split with Michigan, including three goals and three assists.
After posting an assist Friday night against rival Michigan inside Compton Family Ice Arena, Janicke led an Irish offense that posted its highest output of the season thus far, as the Maple Grove, Minnesota native, recorded his first career hat trick en route to a 7-4 victory for Notre Dame. Adding two assists on the night, his five points Saturday night tied a Big Ten single game record and he became the first Irish skater to notch five points in a game since Bobby Nardella in 2018.
In Saturday’s contest, he set a career-best in goals (three) and points (five) while tying his previous career high assist total with two.
His two-game cumulative six points tied for a Big Ten best and ranked fourth nationally over the weekend.
Janicke’s final point of the weekend beat the buzzer with 0.1 seconds left on the clock to complete the hat trick and become the first Irish forward to post three goals in a contest since Cole Knuble in the final game of 2023. His first goal also came shorthanded, tying the contest up 1-1 and was the team’s first goal on the penalty kill all season.
With four shots on goal over the weekend series against a top-10 Michigan team, Janicke boasted a .750 shot percentage.
The weekly conference honor is Janicke’s first of the season and the team’s second.
Janicke and the rest of the Irish squad return to his homestate this weekend as they take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Jan. 17-18.