HOCKEY: Irish freeze Lakers, earn first sweep
MATT ORENCHUK
Sports Writer
For the first 102 minutes and 22 seconds of last weekend's series against the Lake Superior State Lakers, the Notre Dame hockey team dominated. And, despite Lake Superior State's last-ditch attempt to bring home a win, Notre Dame brought home two wins.
The Irish won the first game of the series Saturday evening with a 7-0 drubbing of the Lakers. On Sunday the Irish took a 3-0 lead into the third period. But a couple of defensive lapses allowed the Lakers to get back into the game, cutting the lead to 3-2, before Rob Globke's goal sealed the game for the Irish with a final 5-2 score.
"This game was never easy," said Poulin. "In the third we had a gut check, but we didn't flinch."
Following a 7-0 thrashing of the Lakers, the Irish expected another easy win, but in the final minutes of the game, the Lakers had a different idea.
Notre Dame controlled play in the first two periods, outshooting the Lakers 31-9 in the first two periods of play. But several bounces of the puck kept the Irish from blowing the game wide open.
Rob Globke got the scoring started when he beat Lake Superior State goalie Matt Violin 7:23 into the first period. In the second the Irish continued to dominate. Mike Chin deflected a pass past Violin at 5:39 of the period to extend the Notre Dame lead to 2-0. Then Alex Lalonde put one in the net at 17:34 to make it a 3-0 Irish lead.
In the third the momentum appeared to turn. Just 2:22 into the period the Lakers finally got on the board when defenseman Will Magnuson bounced the puck past Irish goaltender Tony Zasowski. Then, 2:06 later the Lakers struck again when Adam Nightingale shot high past Zasowski. Suddenly the game was 3-2, and the Irish appeared to be on the defensive.
Notre Dame proved its grit with a great individual play. Rob Globke took the face off on the left circle and fired it unassisted past the Laker goalie, sealing the game for the Irish. The scoring was finished when John Wroblewski scored on an empty net to make the final score 5-2.
Saturday's 7-0 win was a record-breaking affair for the Irish as seven different players lit the lamp in the blowout win for Notre Dame. The game was the first shutout in a Notre Dame uniform for freshman goalie Morgan Cey and the largest margin of victory for Notre Dame in CCHA play.
Connor Dunlop got the scoring started for Notre Dame in game one when he beat Lake State goalie Scott Murray 5:33 into the first period. Then Paul Harris added another goal for the Irish at 9:02 of the period. The Irish killed several penalties that could have changed the momentum of the game, and then Rob Globke got a goal at 14:52 of the period to make it 3-0. From that point on the momentum was with the Irish. David Inman finished the scoring in the first when he knocked in a power play goal at the 18:25 mark to make it 4-0.
"We were dominant early," said Irish coach Dave Poulin. "We got four goals and some strong penalty kills that set the tone of the game."
In the second the Irish continued to shine. Freshman Yan Stasny chipped in with a goal at 7:24 of the second, and Evan Nielsen scored three minutes later to make it 6-0.
In the third, the seventh man for the Irish scored when Alex Lalonde beat Murray 59 seconds into the period for the final score.
The weekend was a coming out party for the Irish as the Irish got their first series sweep since the end of last season. Notre Dame is above .500 in the CCHA with a 4-3-3 record and is tied for sixth in the standings. Poulin attributes much of Notre Dame's success to the emergence of Mike Chin.
"The emergence of Chin has given me more flexibility in the lines," said Poulin. "Three goals [in Sunday's game] are as a result of his line tonight."
The Irish travel to Bowling Green next weekend for a two game series with the Falcons next weekend.
All Sports Stories for Monday, December 3, 2001
