SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey program’s rookie Cole Knuble has been named the Big Ten Conference Second Star of the Week following his four goal performance in the team’s most recent sweep over Augustana.
In the final two games of the 2023 calendar year, the Irish rolled to a 5-1 win and 3-2 overtime victory off the tape of Knuble who tallied both game winners over the weekend series. The freshman out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, posted his first multi-goal game and became the first Irish skater to record a hat trick in nearly two years (Ryder Rolston; Jan. 19, 2022).
Knuble scored his first goal of the weekend partway through the second period Saturday night to give the Irish the 2-1 lead and eventual game-winner. He added two more tallies in the latter half of the third period to complete his career night and lift his team to the 5-1 final.
The freshman centerman continued his scoring streak with the overtime game winning goal just 22 seconds into the extra session Sunday night to secure the sweep for the Irish to close out the team’s non-conference slate.
Knuble was one of just two conference skaters to record a hat trick over the weekend and led the nation in total goals with four.
In addition to his offensive scoring, Knuble also led the team at the faceoff dot with a 72.2 percent success rate over the two-game stretch, winning 26 of his 36 draws.
The honor comes as Knuble’s first of his career and the fifth Irish honoree of the season including two weekly awards each for Ryan Bischel and Landon Slaggert.