Carlson named CCHA player of the week
Special to The Observer
Notre Dame junior left wing Dan Carlson has been named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association player of the week — the first Irish player so honored this season — after factoring in all three Notre Dame goals during the split at Ohio State on Feb. 4-5.
Carlson's power-play goal in the opening game of the series cut OSU's lead to 2-1 early in the third period, before the Buckeyes added an empty-netter for the 3-1 win.
The next night, Carlson assisted on Michael's Chin's power-play goal for an early 1-0 lead before sending home Chin's deflected shot in overtime-giving the Irish a 2-1 victory with 0:55 left to play.
The three-point weekend leaves Carlson atop Notre Dame's season charts in points, goals, power-play goals and game-winning goals. His recent heroics include scoring two huge goals in the 4-3 win over Western Michigan on Jan. 21, as he forced overtime by scoring with 1:23 left in regulation before netting the game-winner in the first minute of overtime.
His recent timely play makes Carlson just the second player in Notre Dame hockey history — and the first in 28 years — to score two overtime goals in the same season. Junior winger Paul Regan scored two overtime goals during the 1971-72 season.
Carlson's goal at OSU held even extra significance, as it marked the first time that the Irish have scored a game-winning goal in the final minute of regulation or overtime in seven years-since Matt Osiecki found the net with 55 seconds left in overtime to give the Irish a 5-4 win at Kent State on Feb. 14, 1992. Since that time, Notre Dane has been on the losing end of 12 last-minute, game-winning goals.
Notre Dame players have been recognized in the weekly CCHA awards four times in 1999-2000, with freshmen center Connor Dunlop (Oct. 18) and freshman goaltender Tony Zasowski (Nov. 1, Jan. 24) both earning rookie-of-the-week honors.
Carlson — who has scored or assisted on five of Notre Dame's 12 winning goals this season — suddenly has moved into a tie for 10th all-time at Notre Dame with seven career game-winning goals (just seven players have totaled 10-plus, with Brian Urick and Dave Poulin sharing the record of 13). Carlson's four game-winning goals this season are tied for eighth in the Irish record book.
Since Dave Bankoske's record seven game-winning goals in 1989-90, only Urick has posted more game-winners in a season that Carlson's current total.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, February 8, 2000
