Irish face adversity, show toughness during holidays.
By BILL HART
Associate Sports Editor
While most students were thinking of returning home for their semester break, members of the Notre Dame hockey team were preparing for a shot at rising in the collegiate ranks.
The holidays brought an eight-game schedule which finished with the Irish traveling to CCHA leader Northern Michigan for a two-game series on January 14. The Wildcats had an early 1-0 lead in the first game, but needed a power-play goal to force a 2-2 stalemate. In the series finale, the Wildcats scored three first-period goals, en route to a 6-0 rout. Despite earning only one win over the holidays, Poulin sees some positives in the recent play of the Irish.
"Three of the last four games we played very well," he said. "We've won the season series with Miami and Lake Superior. The beauty of it is that we have control of the situation. Now, we've to go out and play."
On January 8, Notre Dame took advantage of the home ice with a 2-1 victory over Lake Superior State. The Lakers drew first blood four minutes into the game, but sophomore David Inman responded with an assist by junior Jay Kopischle. Five minutes later, senior Joe Dusbabek scored the game-winner on a power play, off of passes from junior Dan Carlson and junior right wing Ryan Dolder.
In the second game, Lake Superior jumped out to another early first-period lead, but a goal by Notre Dame's freshman Michael Chin secured a 1-1 stalemate. Things were beginning to look up for the Irish, mostly due to the arrival of the Junior National team members and veterans off the injury list.
"We got all of our bodies back for that series," Poulin remarked. "The second time we played was the first time we'd had our whole team on the ice."
Notre Dame had little success to start off the new year, losing 5-2 to Colorado College. The Tigers opened up a 3-0 lead, but goals by Kopischke and Dusbabek pushed the Irish to within striking distance before another run put the game away.
The Irish finished 1999 with a New Year's Eve game, in Colorado against Denver. While Notre Dame jumped out to a 2-0 lead the game ended up in overtime. After five minutes of scoreless hockey, the Pioneers won, to send them into the title game.
The Irish began when they played host to the Princeton Tigers. Although taking the ice was a welcome reprieve after exams, the Irish were able to field only 17 healthy players. Three Notre Dame forwards played for the U.S. Junior National team, while four others were out with injury.
Despite the injuries and prior commitments, the Irish were able to stay close to the Tigers due to some unlikely sources. In the first game, Chin and senior Sean Molina earned their first career goals in the first and second periods, while a third-period goal by senior center Troy Bagne tied the game at 3-3.
Two Irish penalties with gave the Tigers a 5-on-3 situation, which junior Chris Corrinet used to score the winning goal.
In the second game, the home team got on the board first Carlson. The defense was unable to contain a three-goal second period, however, which led to the 4-2 Tiger victory.
"It was a strange sequence of events," Poulin said. "We've been there, we played well enough to be in those games, and haven't played well enough to win. We simply haven't done it."
All Sports Stories for Thursday, January 20, 2000
