MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The University of Notre Dame men’s hockey team fell to third-ranked Minnesota Friday night, 5-2, inside a sold out 3M Arena at Mariucci.
The two teams wasted no time getting on the board Friday evening in Minneapolis, with the Irish striking first with a goal from Paul Fischer at 4:02 of the opening frame. The Golden Gophers would answer just 22 seconds later with a goal of their own to even the tally, 1-1.
The Gophers continued to pepper the Irish net through the first 10 minutes, managing to sneak two more shots past Nicholas Kempf in goal to make it a 3-1 game at 9:12 of the first period.
Notre Dame successfully killed off the first penalty of the night, a slash in the offensive end, to keep it a two-goal game.
The Golden Gophers would score twice more in a 14 second span late in the first period to make it a 5-1 game heading into the first intermission.
At the start of the second period it was Owen Say in goal for the Irish.
After a series of penalties against both sides saw the first few minutes of the second frame go without a goal, it was Jimmy Jurcev who scored the first goal of the middle frame to notch his first career tally.
The score remained stagnant through the rest of the period as the Irish kept the Golden Gophers off the scoreboard in the second set of 20.
Perhaps Notre Dame’s best chance of the final frame came off the stick of Cole Knuble which rang off the post and back into play. Despite pressuring the Minnesota end throughout the third period, the Irish were unable to convert and ultimately fell to the Golden Gophers, 5-2.
GOALS
- Paul Fischer scored his second tally in as many games to open the scoring Friday night. His initial shot was stopped by Nathan Airey in the Minnesota net but the loose puck sat tucked on the goal line where the sophomore defenseman raced in to push it over paint for the 1-0 score. Axel Kumlin also registered an assist on the play to extend his point streak to three games.
- Jimmy Jurcev scored his first career goal partway through the second period for the team’s second of the night. The shot from the top of the circle rang off the cross bar and into the back of the net at 6:35 of the second to make it a 5-2 contest. His goal was assisted by Cole Knuble and Justin Janicke.
KEY STATS
- Prior to puck drop Friday night, Catalina Family Head Hockey Coach Jeff Jackson announced that senior forward Justin Janicke would take the title of “captain” for the remainder of the…