Michigan sweeps Notre Dame hockey; road playoff series next for Irish
Notre Dame’s recent lucky charm of success playing at Michigan’s Yost Ice Arena ran out Saturday night.
Marshall Warren, a graduate-transfer defenseman from Boston College, beat Notre Dame goaltender Ryan Bischel with a slapshot while skating across the deep slot with 2:57 remaining in regulation to give the No. 16 Wolverines a 2-1 victory and two-game sweep of their Big Ten series Saturday night.
Prior to the series, coach Jeff Jackson’s Fighting Irish (15-17-2 overall, 9-13-2 Big Ten) were 8-1-1 in their last 10 games at Yost dating back to the 2018-19 season. But the sweep (Michigan won Friday 4-0) allowed coach Brandon Naurato’s Wolverines (17-12-3 overall, 10-10-2 Big Ten) to move past the Irish into solo fourth place with a 34-31 edge in points with two games in hand.
The home sweep of the Irish was the first by the Wolverines since the 1996-97 season when alumnus Gordon “Red” Berenson, whose signature is on the Yost ice surface, was the head coach during a 33-year tenure.
Friday night:No. 16 Michigan puts serious dent in Irish home-ice playoff hopes with 4-0 victory
The Wolverines now set their sights on finishing ahead of third-place Minnesota, which has 37 points, when the two teams meet next weekend in Minneapolis. If Michigan does finish third, Notre Dame will play at Minnesota March 8-10. If the Gophers prevail, however, it’s back to Yost for the Irish.
Saturday night, Michigan’s Jake Barczewski, who had 22 saves in the Friday victory, and Bischel stood their ground in a matchup of graduate goaltenders. Both finished with 28 saves for the game, with Bischel stopping 14 of the 15 shots launched in the final period by Michigan, which started the final period with a 13-0 shot advantage.
Indeed, Tyler Carpenter’s slapshot which Barczewski, a grad transfer from Canisius, stopped at 13:58 of the third period was Notre Dame’s first shot on goal in 15½ minutes going back into the second period. The Irish finished with 10 shots in the final period, all of them in the final 6:02.
Notre Dame’s only goal of the game was scored at 3:05 of the first period on the power play when freshman center Danny Nelson beat Barczewski from the left faceoff dot after being set up by Cole Knuble and Ryan Siedem. It came with Michigan skating short a man after receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at 1:34 when Irish defenseman Jack Boltman, checked into the Wolverine bench, was restrained from getting back into the action.
Nelson later was assisted off the ice at 8:32 of the third period after colliding with Michigan’s Mark Estapa, who later received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for sending ice shavings up into Bischel at 11:12 after the Irish goalie made a save just before the media timeout. There was no word to the extent of Nelson’s injury.
Related:Notre Dame goaltender Bischel named Big Ten First Star of Week
Like the Irish in the third period, Michigan started slowly on their Senior Night, not getting off its first shot at Bischel until Rutger McGroarty’s effort was turned aside at 8:56 of the first period. Twenty seconds later, it appeared the Wolverines had tied it at 1-1 on a goal by defenseman Seamus Casey. But Jackson challenged the possession, believing Michigan had entered the Irish zone offsides, and a review showed that T.J. Hughes of Michigan indeed had, wiping out the goal.
But Michigan’s tenacity continued, and speedy Gavin Brindley tied the game with his 20th goal of the season, beating Bischel high over his gloved (left) hand at 10:40. Warren and Ethan Edwards received assists.
The Irish later killed off a tripping penalty to Grand Silianoff, and the teams would skate four aside for two minutes beginning at 15:06 with no further scoring.
Late in the period, McGroarty hit Carter Slaggert from behind at the Irish bench, and after a review, the Michigan player went off for boarding at 18:35. Barczewski made four saves until the period ended, allowing the Irish to outshoot the Wolverines 8-7 in the period. Notre Dame’s defense, meanwhile, blocked 11 other Michigan shots from getting to Bischel.
Barczewski had the first four saves of the second period and finished with 11 as neither team scored in the middle session. Bischel turned away eight shots in the period and again got help from his teammates, who had another 11 blocked shots on his way to 27 for the night.
MICHIGAN 2, NOTRE DAME 1
At Red Berenson Rink in Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Notre Dame | 1 | 0 | 0—1
Michigan | 1 | 0 | 1—2
First Period—Scoring: 1. Notre Dame, Danny Nelson 9 (Cole Knuble, Ryan Siedem) PP 3:05; 2. Michigan, Gavin Brindley 20 (Marshall Warren, Ethan Edwards) EV 10:40. Penalties: Notre Dame 2-4, Michigan 3-6.
Second Period—Scoring: None. Penalties: Notre Dame 0-0 (2-4), Michigan 0-0 (3-6).
Third Period—Scoring: 3. Michigan, Marshall Warren 2 (Gavin Brindley, Rutger McGroarty) EV 17:03. Penalties: Notre Dame 2-4 (4-8), Michigan 2-4 (5-10).
Shots on goal: Notre Dame 29 (8-11-10), Michigan 30 (7-8-15). Goalie saves: Notre Dame, Ryan Bischel 28 (6-8-14); Michigan, Jake Barczewski 28 (7-11-10).
Power-play opportunities: Notre Dame 1 of 3, Michigan 0 of 2. Faceoffs won: Notre Dame 34 (13-13-8), Michigan 22 (7-8-7). Blocked shots: Notre Dame 27 (11-11-5), Michigan 18 (5-7-6).
Referees: Barry Pochmara and Tony Czech. Linesmen: Pat Richardson and Samuel Shikowsky. A: 5,800 (5,800).
Big Ten standings: 1. Michigan State 15-5-2, 49 points (21-8-3 overall); 2. Wisconsin 15-6-1, 47 points (24-8-2 overall); 3. Minnesota 12-6-4, 37 points (19-8-5 overall); 4. Michigan 10-10-2, 34 points (17-12-3 overall); 5. Notre Dame 9-13-2, 31 points (15-17-2 overall); 6. Penn State 5-14-3, 21 points (13-16-3 overall); 7. Ohio State 4-16-2, 15 points (12-16-4 overall).
Saturday’s games: Michigan 2, Notre Dame 1; Michigan State 5, Ohio State 2; Wisconsin 3, Penn State 2 (OT).
Friday’s results: Michigan 4, Notre Dame 0; Ohio State 6, Michigan State 2; Wisconsin 6, Penn State 0.
March 1-2 series: Michigan at Minnesota; Penn State at Ohio State; Michigan State at Wisconsin; Notre Dame-idle.