The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are ready. They’re ready to win their first ever national championship in hockey. That’s right... for as good as the Irish have been in recent years, they still don’t have a title to help prop up the program.

Notre Dame has only made it to one championship game. That last time was in 2008 against the Boston College Eagles - a game that was lost by a score of 4-1. Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson was in his 3rd year then, and that was Notre Dame’s first ever trip to a Frozen Four. The Irish have been to two more since that 2008 season, and each time they were beat in the first game. Last year, it was the eventual champs, the Denver Pioneers that beat the Irish - and beat them good.

It’s not like Jeff Jackson is a stranger to winning the NCAA Tournament. Jackson, this year’s College Hockey Coach of the Year, was the head coach at Lake Superior State when they won in 1992 and again in 1994.

So Jackson is well seasoned, and the Irish have plenty of experience after last year’s Frozen Four appearance. Now we’re cooking!

Notre Dame will face the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan has the most NCAA championships with 9, but they haven’t won it all since 1998. Unlike they’re football bretheren, they are a true blue-blood of the sport.

So get ready for a Big 10 throwdown (I still have to swallow vomit when I read that aloud).

WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO WATCH

Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN

When: Thursday, April 5, 9:30 PM EDT

How To Watch: ESPN2 and the WATCH ESPN app.

LIVE GAME CHAT

The game thread is open below. I know many of us are on Twitter for most of the game, but I encourage you to vent and do other things that require more than 280 characters here.

GO IRISH!!!