Notre Dame Hockey: Irish Thrash Penn State Nittany Lions 7-2 in South Bend

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish started the series against the Penn State Nittany Lions in style Friday as a third period burst earned the guys in gold and blue a blowout W.

First Period

The two teams went through nearly a full period of back and forth and penalties before either one got on the board and neither team capitalized on the power play.

However, while Irish forward Jesse Lansdell was in the box for the final penalty of the period, Graham Slaggert found the back of the net for a shorthanded Irish squad with just a minute and ten seconds left in the period and with an assist from his brother, Landon. By the end of the first, the Irish had set the offensive tone and outshot the Nittany Lions 12-8.

Second Period

Notre Dame’s Justin Janicke who nabbed the first goal of the period and his first collegiate goal just about three and a half minutes in. However, fans picked up on a more defined sense of urgency as Penn State went after it on offense. Nittany Lion Connor MacEachern put his team on the board later in the period and Penn State outshot Notre Dame 13 to 10, this time around.

As the period came to a close, Notre Dame’s Chase Blackmun scored his team’s third goal of the game to mark his first goal of his Notre Dame career and the only power play goal of the night.

Third Period

Penn State’s Tyler Gratton snatched the first goal of the period a little less than four minutes in. The Nittany Lions carried some leftover momentum from the second into the third, but the rapid-fire Irish offense locked it all in at the end. A goal from Trevor Janicke and another from Hunter Strand with little more than a minute in between them, later followed by a score from Landon Slaggert and a nearly immediate response from Max Ellis brought it to 7-2, Irish.

Game Summary

Scoring

Notre Dame: Graham Slaggert at 18:50 in the 1st with assists from Adam Karashik and Landon Slaggert

Notre Dame: Justin Janicke at 03:28 in the 2nd with assists from Jake Boltmann and Ryder Rolston

Penn State: Connor MacEachern at 14:26 in the 2nd with an assist from Connor McMenamin

Notre Dame: Chase Blackmun at 18:47 in the 2nd with assists from Spencer Stastney and Trevor Janicke

Penn State: Tyler Gratton at 03:47 in the 3rd with assists from Christian Berger and Chase McLane

Notre Dame: Trevor Janicke at 08:40 in the 3rd with assists from Adam Karashik and Jake Boltmann

Notre Dame: Hunter Strand at 09:45 in the 3rd with assists from Justin Janicke and Jack Adams

Notre Dame: Landon Slaggert at 17:56 in the 3rd with assists from Ryder Rolston and Jake Boltmann

Notre Dame: Max Ellis at 18:29 in the 3rd with assists from Jesse Lansdell and Jake Pivonka

Penalties

Notre Dame: Trevor Janicke for high-sticking at 04:33 in the 1st

Penn State: Paul DeNaples for interference at 09:34 in the 1st

Penn State: Ben Schoen for slashing at 12:37 in the 1st

Notre Dame: Jesse Lansdell for charging at 18:36 in the 1st

Notre Dame: Zach Plucinski for cross-checking at 00:14 in the 2nd

Penn State: Jimmy Dowd, Jr. for tripping at 09:34 in the 2nd

Penn State: Ben Schoen for tripping at 18:42 in the 2nd

Notre Dame: Solag Bakich for faceoff violation at 01:05 in the 3rd

Notre Dame: Grant Silianoff for roughing at 14:54 in the 3rd

Goalies

Notre Dame: Ryan Bischel, 32 saves

Penn State: Liam Souliere, 23 saves

Moving Forward

The Irish will meet the Nittany Lions again Saturday, February 5 at 6 p.m. in South Bend. Stream the game with Peacock.

Follow me on Twitter.