Notre Dame Hockey: Irish Close Out Minnesota Series With 3-2 OT Win

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish returned to Compton Family Ice Arena Saturday to close out the series against the Minnesota Golden Gophers with a comeback. The Irish were hungry coming off a 5-1 loss Friday to the Gophers. However, the second time around, the Irish took it all the way to OT to earn the win.

First Period

After the home team killed off an early slashing penalty on Notre Dame’s Hunter Strand, Max Ellis put the Irish on the board with his fifteenth goal of the season. A string of penalties on members of both squads followed Ellis’ goal, but neither team capitalized on the power play.

With just about three minutes left in the first, Notre Dame’s Trevor Janicke doubled the Irish score with his tenth goal of the season and assists from both Landon and Graham Slaggert. By the end of the period, the Irish narrowly outshot the Gophers 9-8.

Second Period

The Gophers wasted no time getting after it in the second. Minnesota’s Ben Meyers snatched his team’s first goal of the night with just under a minute and a half into the period.

A tripping penalty on Minnesota’s Blake McLaughlin provided the sole power play opportunity of the period for either team, but the score remained 2-1, Irish heading into the third period.

Third Period

Less than two minutes into the third, Minnesota’s Bryce Brodzinski found the back of the net to tie it up 2-2. The two teams went back and forth for the rest of the period, with the Irish outshooting the Gophers 9-6 by the end of regulation, but the tie remained and the game headed into overtime.

OT

Just about half a minute into overtime, Landon Slaggert scored with an assist from his brother Graham to lock in the win for the Irish.

Game Summary

Scoring

Notre Dame: Max Ellis at 04:30 in the 1st with assists from Spencer Stastney and Cam Burke

Notre Dame: Trevor Janicke at 16:45 in the 1st with assists from Landon Slaggert and Graham Slaggert

Minnesota: Ben Meyers at 01:27 in the 1st with assists from Jackson LaCombe and Matthew Knies

Minnesota: Bryce Brodzinski at 01:23 in the 3rd with assists from Ryan Johnson and Mike Koster

Notre Dame: Landon Slaggert at 00:32 in OT with assists from Graham Slaggert

Penalties

Notre Dame: Hunter Strand for slashing at 03:25 in the 1st

Minnesota: Sammy Walker for slashing at 03:38 in the 1st

Notre Dame: Jesse Lansdell for elbowing at 06:10 in the 1st

Minnesota: Matthew Knies for hooking at 06:37 in the 1st

Minnesota: Ben Meyers for faceoff violation at 07:31 in the 1st

Minnesota: Blake McLaughlin for tripping at 10:57 in the 2nd

Notre Dame: Zach Plucinski for cross checking at 19:22.8 in the 2nd

Goalies

Notre Dame: Ryan Bischel, 24 saves

Minnesota: Justen Close, 20 saves

Moving Forward

The Irish will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in South Bend on Friday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m. Stream the game with Peacock.

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