NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 12/12 Irish hockey program upended storied foe Michigan State 5-0 Friday night in game one of their series inside Compton Family Ice Arena. The shutout improves the Irish to 4-2-1 on the season and a 4-0-0 record on home ice.
Notre Dame opened the scoring at 8:28 of the first period, picking up a pass from Ryder Rolston for a shot at the wide open net.
Rolston continued his hot start to the season with a goal of his own, and team-leading eighth point, at 17:35 of the opening frame to lift the Irish to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.
Shots were fairly even through the first period of play with Ryan Bischel stopping all 11 pucks faced.
The two teams came out battling in the second stanza with the Spartans looking to cut the Irish lead in half, and the home team adamant to keep the opposition off the board.
Nick Leivermann extended the Irish lead just two and a half minutes into the period with a rocket shot to the top shelf, beating former teammate Dylan St. Cyr glove side.
Minutes later the Irish were called for a major penalty following a review and found themselves deep in their own defensive end.
Bischel repeated with 11 saves in the second stanza to keep the Spartans off the scoresheet and his shutout bid alive at the end of 40 minutes.
Chayse Primeau kept his career night going early in the third with a goal off the rush, his second of the year. Sophomore Hunter Strand concluded the scoring Friday night with his first of the season to round out the 5-0 win for the blue and gold.
Standing tall in net, Bischel picked up his second consecutive home shutout and fourth blanking of his career in the win, stopping 30 shots faced in 59:52 of playing time.
GOALS
- Ryder Rolston set Justin Janicke up for the backdoor goal at 8:28 of the opening period. After Chayse Primeau beat a Spartan defenseman in the slot, Rolston gathered the pass and faked St. Cyr out in net for the wide-open tally by J. Janicke.
- Rolston kept the score line going late in the first period, creating an odd-man rush with the help of Primeau and Bischel for his team-leading fourth of the season.
- Nick Leivermann net his second of the season, firing a shot into the high right corner of the net to make it 3-0 at 2:27 of the second. Chase Blackmun found a winding Hunter Strand in the near circle. The captain fired a wristshot above the glove of St. Cyr to extend the Irish lead.
- At 3:29 of the third period, Leivermann picked up the puck along the…