SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team completed the weekend sweep of Mercyhurst with a 5-0 blanking Friday night to close out the first month of competition and improve to 4-3-0 on the season.
Playing the point on the team’s first powerplay unit, Drew Bavaro took to his position following a hooking call on the Lakers at 8:26 of the opening period. The senior blueliner took advantage of the man-advantage and buried a shot at 9:30 for the eventual game-winning goal.
At the halfway point of the first period, the Irish led 1-0 while outshooting the opposition, 10-3.
Paul Fischer extended the Irish lead late in the first, with his first career goal, as Notre Dame took the 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Irish netminder stood tall between the pipes, making multiple acrobatic saves in the second period to keep the Lakers off the board and give his team the two-goal advantage heading into the final period of regulation.
For the second night in a row, senior captain Landon Slaggert net two goals for the Irish, stretching the Notre Dame lead to four goals late in the third period before Brennan Ali won a footrace to the puck and got a shot on the empty Lakers net for the 5-0 final and his first collegiate goal.
GOALS
- Drew Bavaro net his second powerplay goal of the season to open the scoring at 9:30 of the first period Friday night. His shot from the point beat the Lakers’ netminder blocker side for the 1-0 tally and eventual game-winner. Maddox Fleming was credited with the lone assist on the play for his team-leading sixth apple of the year.
- The Irish extended the lead to 2-0 late in the opening frame behind a shot from Paul Fischer. For his first collegiate goal, Fischer ripped a shot top shelf following a pass from Tyler Carpenter on the rush. Carter Slaggert also picked up an assist on the goal, his second of the weekend series.
- Senior forward Landon Slaggert net his first of the night early in the third period to give the Irish the 3-0 lead. Ryan Siedem sent a puck towards the net where Danny Nelson tipped the puck but the Lakers’ netminder was able to make the initial save. While D. Nelson attempted to gather the rebound, L. Slaggert got his blade on the loose puck and found the wide open net for his sixth goal of the season.
- The elder Slaggert scored once more to round out his four-goal weekend at 18:32 of regulation. A collision at the net between two Lakers led to an open net for the forward to bury the puck and claim the 4-0 lead late in the contest. Mercyhurst challenged the play for goaltender interference but a brief review confirmed the call on the ice and L. Slaggert had his seventh goal of the season. Patrick Moynihan and Bavaro each tallied assists on the play.
- Brennan Ali closed out the scoring with an empty net tally at 19:31 of the third for his first collegiate goal. Fellow rookie Fischer recorded the assist on the goal for his first multi-point game.
KEY STATS
- With two goals in Friday night’s win, and four on the weekend series, Landon Slaggert is now tied for the nation’s lead in goals scored (seven) this season.
- Ten individuals highlighted the box score Friday night, including five members of the freshman class.
- With two points each, L. Slaggert, Drew Bavaro and Paul Fischer led the team in the category in the win. L. Slaggert’s two goals led the Irish while Bavaro and Fischer each tallied a goal and an assist Friday night.
- For Fischer, the goal at 16:49 of the opening period was his first collegiate goal.
- Brennan Ali also net his first career goal Friday night, beating a Laker defender to the loose puck with under a minute to play in regulation and finding the empty net for the fifth Irish goal of the contest.
- With 33 saves in the victory, Ryan Bischel picked up his second shutout of the season, and ninth career blanking, improving to 4-3-0 between the pipes in 2023-24.
- The Irish posted a 60.3-percent success rate at the faceoff dot, led by Tyler Carpenter who went seven-of-nine for a 77.8 percentage at the circle. Danny Nelson also boasted a success rate above 70-percent, winning the draw on 12-of-16 attempts.
- With a plus-three on-ice rating, senior defenseman Zach Plucinski led the team in the category.
- Irish skaters jumped in front of 17 shots in the tilt, led by Fischer and D. Nelson with three blocked shots a piece.
- L. Slaggert led the team in shots on goal, boasting six shots on the Lakers’ netminder, scoring twice in the third period.
UP NEXT
The Irish open Big Ten play next weekend with a pair of games at Penn State University, Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 4-5). Game two of the weekend series at Penn State will air on Big Ten Network.