Notre Dame loses, ties Ohio State in weekend series
By MATT ORENCHUK
Sports Writer
The hockey team proved it was going to fight its way out of the CCHA cellar on Saturday night, coming out of its game with a 2-2 tie against Ohio State.
The Irish had their backs up against the wall after dropping the Friday game 5-3. They responded on Saturday, battling for a late goal that sent to the game to overtime and an eventual 2-2 final.
Friday night's game showed how talented Ohio State's freshman class is. All five goals put on the board by the Buckeyes were scored by freshmen.
Notre Dame got the scoring going on a power play with five minutes left in the first period. The puck bounced off of Ohio State goalie Mike Betz right to the stick of Aaron Gill, who put it away. The lead didn't last long, though. One minute, 27 seconds later, the Buckeyes tied it up when Paul Caponigri fired past ND goalie Tony Zasowski.
The teams entered the first intermission knotted at one.
In the second period Ohio State's freshman class took over. Buckeye freshmen Dave Steckel and Scott May each put up a goal in a 57-second span that gave Ohio State a 3-1 lead.
The two-goal lead gave Ohio State a chance to play the kind of hockey it likes to play. The Buckeyes clamped down defensively, frustrating the Notre Dame lines and giving them few chances.
In the third period, Ohio State continued to frustrate the Irish. With a little over five minutes left in the game, Notre Dame senior Dan Carlson was able to slip the puck past Betz on the power play, and the Irish pulled within one goal of the Buckeyes.
Unfortunately that didn't last long. One minute later, a defensive breakdown gave Ohio State a one-on-one break, and Caponigri capitalized for his second goal of the night.
The Irish again pulled to within a goal late when they pulled their goalie and Ryan Dolder was able to score against Betz.
But just like after the last Irish goal, Ohio State found the Notre Dame defenders napping. Dave Steckel finished the scoring when he went high on Zasowski for the Buckeyes fifth goal of the night. The game ended 5-3 in favor of the Buckeyes.
"(Friday) was a frustrating night for us," said Irish head coach Dave Poulin. "We didn't play 60 minutes against (Ohio State) and it killed us."
Saturday night was "Rock the Rink" night at the Joyce Center. The pre-game ceremonies included introductions of all the parents of the Notre Dame team members.
Once the game started, it was a defensive battle, and the teams went into the first intermission tied 0-0.
In the second period, back-to-back Notre Dame penalties eight minutes into the period gave Ohio State a five-on-three opportunity, and the Buckeye power play got the first goal of the game. Ohio State captain Jean-Francois Dufour fired a shot from 15 feet out that glanced off Notre Dame goalie Kyle Kolquist's stick and into the back of the net.
The teams went into the second intermission with Ohio State nursing a one-goal lead. In the third period, it took a Notre Dame penalty to wake up the offense. Irish freshman Aaron Gill was called for hooking 5:27 into the period.
But instead of Ohio State scoring, it was the Irish.
Senior Dan Carlson stole the puck behind the Ohio State net and placed a perfect pass to linemate Ryan Dolder. Dolder skated around OSU goalie Mike Betz, and fired the puck home to tie the game.
The tie only lasted five minutes until the Buckeyes scored a controversial goal. Ohio State freshman R.J. Umberger took the puck up the right side and towards the Notre Dame net.
As he approached the goal, he lost both his balance and the puck and Umberger flew at Irish goalie Kolquist. The goal came off the pegs and the puck crossed the line. The referees decided that the puck crossed first and Ohio State took a 2-1 lead with just nine minutes left in the game.
"Whoever scored that second goal (for Ohio State) must have made a fantastic play," said Kolquist. "I didn't see it at all, I just saw the guy coming at me."
Notre Dame was able to come back thanks to a scuffle after the whistle. With 4:55 left in the game Notre Dame's Dan Carlson and Ohio State's Jaisen Freeman were each given a two-minute penalty for hitting after the whistle.
On the ensuing four-on-four situation, a tieup occurred in front of the Buckeye goal. The puck bounced out to David Inman, who put it away to tie the game.
"It's been awhile," said Inman about finally scoring a goal. "It wasn't pretty, I was just glad to be in the right place at the right time."
The game ended in a tie after a back and forth overtime that saw each team take one shot.
"We thought we played well (on Saturday)," Inman said. "We were disappointed; we would like to have a win."
The loss and tie keep the Irish in the CCHA basement, but leave them within striking distance of 10th place Lake Superior State. Notre Dame has 10 points and is still just two points out of the last CCHA playoff spot.
Coach Poulin feels his team is playing well, staying scrappy and refusing to quit when the puck doesn't bounce its way.
"We don't feel like we have a last place hockey team," Poulin said. "We want to see things bounce our way. I am a firm believer that those bounces all work out in the end."
Things don't get any easier for the Irish as they travel to Ann Arbor on Tuesday for a rare mid-week game against No. 9 Michigan. The Wolverines currently sit in second place in the CCHA, five points behind top-ranked Michigan State.
All Sports Stories for Monday, January 22, 2001
