Hockey: Irish split weekend series with Miami
By: MATT ORENCHUK
Sports Writer
This past weekend the Notre Dame hockey team continued its trend of playing well on Friday night, and then not playing so well on Saturday. The Irish defeated the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks on Friday 4-3 when Aaron Gill scored with 50 seconds left in overtime. Then Notre Dame came out on Saturday and got pasted 7-2.
However, the split did keep the Irish in the CCHA race. Currently Notre Dame sits in seventh place in the CCHA with 18 points, tied with the Redhawks.
Friday's game was a back-and-forth battle. The Irish started quickly with two first-period goals by Evan Nielsen and Mike Chin.
Miami finally got on the board with nine seconds left in the second when Evan Cheverie put one past Irish goalie Morgan Cey on the powerplay.
In the third period the game opened up. Miami tied the score at two at 12:31 into the period on a goal by Greg Hogeboom. The tie did not stand up long though. Chin put the Irish ahead again just 25 seconds after the Miami score.
The Redhawks weren't done, though. Hogeboom came through again for Miami when he scored at 16:02 to tie the game again.
The 3-3 tie would stand through the rest of regulation and 4:10 of overtime. Then Gill got a pass from Connor Dunlop off the face-off which he promptly put in the net for the game winner.
On Saturday the Irish couldn't continue the momentum they built in Friday's win. Despite out shooting the Redhawks 42-31, Notre Dame only managed two goals and gave up seven. Five of the seven goals came from the Miami line of Mike Kompon, Derek Edwardson and Nick Jardine.
Cey started the game for the Irish, but didn't finish it. Head Coach Dave Poulin pulled Cey after he gave up three first-period goals. Senior Jeremiah Kimento finished the game, but he wasn't much better. Kimento yielded four more goals for the final tally of seven.
Scoring for Notre Dame were Chin and Yan Stastny.
Chin had an excellent weekend, with three goals and an assist to continue his breakout year. He now has career highs in goals, assists and points.
The Irish return home this weekend to take on Alaska-Fairbanks.
All Sports Stories for Monday, January 28, 2002
