SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame hockey team got back in the win column with another convincing 4-1 Friday night victory, this time at home over Long Island University. The Irish and Sharks faced off in just their second-ever tilt Friday evening inside Compton Family Ice Arena with Cole Knuble’s four-point night lifting the Irish to the win.
Brennan Ali had a breakaway chance less than 90 seconds into play but his shot dragged a bit too long and was sent wide by the Sharks’ netminder. Zach Plucinski picked up the rebound attempt from atop the far circle but rang his shot off the pipe as the game remained scoreless early.
The Irish were called for the game’s first infraction, an interference call deep in the defensive zone. Notre Dame successfully killed off the call and returned to full strength in a 0-0 tie.
LIU dumped the puck from deep in their zone and a race to the puck resulted in another interference call against the Irish. Once again, Notre Dame was successful on the kill and returned to five-on-five hockey with the game scoreless.
Axel Kumlin gave the Irish the 1-0 lead in the final minute of the opening period after he fired a shot top shelf for his first in an Irish sweater.
The two teams came out firing in the second period but it was the Irish whistled with the first penalty of the frame, their third interference call against of the night. Again, the Irish were successful on the kill and allowed LIU just two shots on goal during the man-advantage.
Cole Knuble extended the Irish lead with his team-best fifth goal of the season at 6:57 of the second period.
The Sharks were called for their first penalty of the game, holding the stick, at 11:37 of the second stanza and the Irish powerplay unit saw its first opportunity of the night.
LIU killed off their first penalty of the night but were called moments after the kill for roughing and the Irish powerplay unit got right back on the ice. This time they took advantage of the man-up opportunity with Danny Nelson burying his third goal of the season to make it 3-0 Irish. The Sharks challenged the call on the ice but a brief review determined the goal stood, with assists to Knuble and Blake Biondi.
Less than a minute after the team’s third goal of the night, a tussle at the blue line sent an Irish defender to the box for a five-minute major. The Irish killed off the remaining minutes of action in the second to carry the 3-0 lead into the locker room for the second…