Irish Basketball and Hockey Teams are Polar Opposites

It's hard to believe how drastically different Notre Dame's men's basketball and hockey programs have performed relative to preseason expectations

Hockey was supposed to be a lock as a national title contender. In fact, in some polls they were ranked #1 entering the season.

Basketball, on the other hand, was left for dead entering the year with the graduation of Ben Hansbrough and Ty Nash and early departure of Carleton Scott as he (unsuccessfully) tested the NBA waters. For these reasons, the Irish were picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big East conference and nowhere near the top 25. Tim Abromaitis, seemingly the lone reason for hope, tore his ACL early in the season and it appeared the Irish wouldn't even have a shot at the NIT.

Both teams are more than halfway through their respective seasons and it is abundantly clear that games are not played on paper.

Hockey's Shortcomings
Starting with the hockey program, after starting out the year strong with series splits against Minnesota-Duluth and Ohio State the Irish appeared to be gaining momentum with a 3-2 OT win against Boston College that extending their unbeaten streak to 9 games. Shortly thereafter, though, they would fall in 4 straight contests.

With a couple wins around New Year's hope still remained for a competitive Irish squad. But a falling in a weekend sweep to Western Michigan in mid-January was a reminder that this team is far from complete. Most recently, back-to-back series losses against Ferris State (#1) and Miami (OH) helped the Irish to its current five game losing streak.

Two games remain against Michigan State before CCHA playoffs begin. It will take a small miracle, such as splitting against the Spartans and at least making it to the CCHA conference finals, for Notre Dame to earn an NCAA Tournament bid. Needless to say, head coach Jeff Jackson won't be up for any awards this year after unless he has some magic left up his sleeves.

Basketball Boon
Mike Brey has probably gotten more out of his group of players than any other NCAA Men's Basketball coach this season. After the aforementioned circumstances losing four of his top players from last season's team, there was virtually no possible way the Irish could earn an NIT bid, let alone an NCAA Tournament bid.

On the heels of an eight-game winning streak, though, Brey has his club primed for a mid-level seed in the NCAA Tournament. As of this post, Joe Lunardi's Bracketology has the Irish as a 6 seed.

The improbable streak started with an upset of then #1 Syracuse and includes home victories against Marquette, Depaul and Rutgers and road triumphs at Seton Hall, Connecticut, West Virginia and Villanova. Last Saturday, it appeared the streak would end at 7 games as the Irish trailed by 20 at the half at Villanova. Resilient as they've been throughout the season, though, they clawed back and emerged victorious in an overtime thriller.

Next up for Mike Brey's squad is Bob Huggins' West Virginia squad, who narrowly lost to the Irish two weeks ago.

Work Left To Do
I actually was hesitant to even post about the basketball team as I am quite superstitious, but they have been truly too remarkable to ignore any longer. Perhaps I've paid too much attention to hockey this year, but with so much anticipation and with the added bonus of breaking in a new facility how could they be left in the dark?

Suffice it to say, both teams have cannot lose focus during this critical stretch in their seasons. For basketball, they need to keep winning games and make a run in the Big East tournament to secure a strong seed in the NCAA Tournament. Hockey has much more work cut out if it hopes to attain its lofty pre-season goals, but if any team can do it it is one led by Jeff Jackson. After all, it was an improbable late season burst in 2008 the led Notre Dame to its first ever Frozen Four appearance.

Good luck to both squads as they look to put strong finishing touches on very divergent seasons.

Oh, and good luck to the Women's Basketball team as they look to secure their first Big East regular season title since 2001, when they shared with the Connecticut Huskies en route to the school's first ever Women's Basketball National Championship. Two words: Skylar Diggins.

Notre Dame Hockey: First Irish Win Against Gophers Since 1980

For the first time since November 8, 1980 the Notre Dame Men's Hockey team defeated the Minnesota Gophers. Junior center Riley Sheehan led the way with two goals and on assist as #5/6 Notre Dame toppled #3/3 Minnesota 4-3 on its home ice at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, MN.

Sophomore center TJ Tynan was welcomed back to the lineup with a goal of his own on a power play in the first period. Tynan had missed the prior week while playing for the US in the World Junior Championships.

Irish goalkeeper Steven Summerhays tallied 31 saves on the night as he outmatched the Gophers' Kent Patterson. If it weren't for Patterson, the final score could have been 10-3 but the Gophers' net minder came up with a few point blank saves to help keep his team in contention until the end.

Notre Dame dominated play throughout much of the contest, keeping the puck in their zone and killing three of Minnesota's five power play opportunities.

The win marked the third in a row - fourth if you count an exhibition match over the Russian Red Stars - for the Irish. Notre Dame, now ranked #3, hosts #10 Western Michigan on Friday, January 13 at 7:35p EST from Compton Family Ice Arena in a game televised by CBS Sports Network. On Saturday the 14th they travel to Kalamazoo to complete the home-and-home series with the Broncos.

One week later, Jeff Jackson's squad hosts #15 Michigan for two games at Compton Family Ice Arena. Friday January, 20 the puck drops at 7:35p EST with national TV coverage by the newly minted NBC Sports Network. The puck drops at the same time the next evening but will this time be televised on CBS Sports Network.

Touching Tributes
Before the opening face-off against the Gophers, a moment of silence was held for Charles "Lefty" Smith, Jr, who passed away several days before on January 4. Born in St. Paul, MN, Lefty literally is the father of Notre Dame Hockey, leading Notre Dame's first varsity team in 1968 and spending a total of 19 seasons as the head coach of the Irish. He was 81.

Another fallen member was honored during the game. Jack Jablonski, a local hockey player for Benilde-St. Margaret's, suffered a life threatening injury after an accidental check from behind caused a severe spinal cord injury. He miraculously was able to move his arms eight days after accident, much to the surprise of his doctors. It is believed he will never walk again.

Proceeds from the Gopher's 'Chuck-a-Puck' contest went towards The Jack Jablonski Fund. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Jablonski family and BSM community.

Irish Hockey Eastward Bound

After several months spent patiently waiting for an announcment, Fighting Irish Hockey fans were pleasantly rewarded with official news yesterday that Notre Dame will depart the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in favor of Hockey East starting with the 2013-2014 season.

From the confines of a brand new hockey facility, Compton Family Ice Arena, Irish Athletic's Director Jack Swarbrick said the decision over the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and Hockey East happened within the past two weeks.

We are excited to be joining Hockey East beginning in the 2013-14 season. Many factors played a role in our decision, but three were of special importance to us. The first two were the critical issues of the student-athlete experience and Notre Dame's fit with the other schools in the conference.

Hockey East presents a collection of schools with similar values and committment to academics, including fellow Catholic universities Boston College and Merrimack. The remaining list of Hockey East members includes Boston University, Maine, Massachussetts, Northeastern, Providence, UMass-Lowell, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Swarbrick also revealed what is widely viewed as the deal breaker between Notre Dame's choice of Hockey East over NCHC: television rights.

But of special importance in this instance, was our goal of giving our hockey program an unprecedented level of national exposure through our expanded partnership with the NBC Sports Group. Athletics at Notre Dame has always served as a platform for promoting the University

Those familiar with the school know that the Irish also have a deal with NBC for broadcasts of Notre Dame Football home games, so the partnership with NBC Sports Group is not completely from left field.

Like it or not, Notre Dame is now going to be on a premier stage in the world of collegiate hockey. As Head Coach Jeff Jackson pointed out, the television deal and new conference will permit the Irish to maximize their exposure.

We are honored and pleased to join Hockey East for the 2013-14 season. The conference is an established league with a great tradition and outstanding programs that share Notre Dame's values. The exposure for our players and team in a major media and NHL market will be second to none. Hockey East's commitment to playing a smaller league schedule will allow us to enhance our home and non-conference schedule with traditional western and Big Ten rivals. This will allow us to bring great games to the Compton Family Ice Arena and create a more diverse, nationally-televised schedule.

The wheels were set in motion in September 2010 when Penn State announced its plans to move from the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) to Division 1. After the 2011-2012 season is finished the Nittany Lions will spend one season as an independent before joining the newly formed Big Ten conference.

Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State announced they would leave the CCHA and, along with Minnesota and Wisconsin who left the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), ultimately join with Penn State as the founding members of the Big Ten hockey conference.

While Notre Dame was interested in maintaining its midwestern presence, there are more compelling reasons why this move will be a boon for Irish hockey.

1. Competition - The CCHA is no slouch by any means, but the it is safe to say the Irish are joining a far more competitive conference in Hockey East. Its conference members have won five national championships since 1999 and over that same period they have placed 18 teams in the Frozen Four. Sure, Notre Dame faced stiff competition in Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and even Miami (OH), but Hockey East is an entirely different animal. Moreover, as Jackson pointed, the smaller league schedule allows Notre Dame to play more non-conference games (i.e. against defected CCHA members such as Michigan and Michigan State) and home games, which ultimately bring in more revenue for the University. Speaking of money...
2. Revenue - Football and Men's Basketball and generally referred to as the only 'revenue generating' sports in collegiate athletics. While this is true, it is a sentiment only held in regard for schools that do not field talent hockey teams. Boston College, Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota are all prime examples of schools that manage to make money off of their hockey programs. The relative profit compared to more high profile American sports such as football and basketball is lower but, nonetheless, still present. Details of Notre Dame's TV deal are yet to be released but it is rumored that all Irish home games will be broadcast on NBC Sports Group (formerly known as Versus).
3. Recruiting - Over the past decade Notre Dame hockey has risen in relevance in collegiate hockey. From relative obscure as a club sport, the Irish have soared to new heights under Head Coach Jeff Jackson. Since his hiring in 2005, Jackson has led the Irish to their first ever national championship and Frozen Four games. A national title remains elusive for Jackson's Irish squads, but he has managed to take them to events and venues never before seen by Notre Dame's icers. Moreover, he almost singlehandedly brought the Compton Family Ice Arena to life by his insistence that a new arena be built or else he would resign. Now, with national TV exposure and an east coast footprint the Irish will expand upon their fertile recruiting grounds in the midwest.

This move makes sense for all the right reasons for Notre Dame and, quite frankly, Hockey East. Terms of the TV contract have yet to be released but remarks from Jon Miller, president for programming of NBC Sports and Versus, indicated there would be opportunities for other Hockey East programs to be nationally broadcast.

Furthermore, since the league itself agree to a shorter conference schedule prior to Notre Dame's announcement to join it is clear the conference had exposure on its mind. Shorter conference schedules equate to expanded non-conference games against other competitive opponents. The notion of Vermont or Boston College playing against teams like Michigan or Minnesota in the regular season is sure to bring smiles to collegiate hockey fans everywhere.

All in all, it was a momentous day not only for Notre Dame, but also for Hockey East and its members.

It's Been Awhile

No, I'm not referring to the once popular song by Staind. It's been awhile since I've posted and, therefore, awhile since we've had some ND coverage on the blog. The following will serve as a download of happenings since my last post.

Notre Dame Men's Basketball Wonders What Could Have Been
As Justin had mentioned, the Irish men's basketball season came to a screeching halt on the heels of a flat performance against Florida State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Expectations were high on Mike Brey's squad after a tremendous regular season found the Irish ranked in the top 10.

A disappointing early loss in the Big East Tournament apparently did not leave as bitter a taste as one would have expected in the player's mouths. They looked relatively unimpressive against their first round NCAA opponent Akron and then struggled out of the gate against the Seminoles. As much as the pro-Irish crowd in Chicago was supposed to help the Irish it wound up being a non-factor thanks to the slow start.

Accolades continued to roll in for the Irish though even in defeat. Head Coach Mike Brey added to his Big East Coach of the Year award by being named AP Coach of the Year, beating out San Diego State's Steve Fisher. It marks the first such award for an Irish skipper. Notre Dame finished the season ranked No. 5 in the final poll, it's highest ranking under Brey.

Ben Hansbrough added to his Big East Player of the Year honors when he was named a second team All-American by Sporting News and third team All-American by Basketball Times. It capped a tremendous season for the veteran leader and heart of the Irish squad. Hansbrough now looks to earn a spot on an NBA roster as he prepares for the NBA draft.


Sky(lar) Was The Limit For Women's Basketball Program
Switching to the women's side of hoops, Notre Dame advanced to the NCAA championship game where the lady Irish fell to Texas A&M in a game that many, including yours truly, found more entertaining than the men's national championship game between Butler and Connecticut.

Skylar Diggins led the charge for the Irish throughout the entire tournament, putting up 20+ points during four out of the six tournament games and each of the final three.

En route to the title Notre Dame ended a 20-game losing streak to Pat Summitt's Tennessee Volunteers squad. It was Notre Dame's first ever win against the Volunteers. Perhaps more impressive than that feat was the Final Four victory over expected champion Connecticut. Maya Moore was the force behind the Huskies and took the game over late in the fourth, but Notre Dame's defense held strong in the waning minutes of the game to secure the Irish's second title game appearance in program history.

The pro-Irish crowd at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN certainly helped will the Irish against the Huskies but could not stop the force of Danielle Adams from Texas A&M in the title game.


Irish Iced Over At Frozen Four In St. Paul, MN

Notre Dame's hockey team reached the Frozen Four for the second time in school history this season after defeating Merrimack College 4-3 in OT in the Elite Eight. Unfortunately the Irish did not fair as well in St. Paul as they did in Denver during the 2008 Frozen Four, where they advanced to the championship game before falling to Boston College.

Eventual champion Minnesota-Duluth held off the Irish in what started out as target practice during the first semifinal of the tournament. Five total goals in the first period saw the Bulldogs head to the locker room with a 3-2 lead.

Notre Dame rallied in the third period after entering down 4-2 with a short-handed goal from Calle Ridderwall, who was the hero in the 2008 Frozen Four that netted the game-winner against Michigan. The Irish could not sneak another past the Bulldogs' goalie and wound up a goal short with a 4-3 final score.

At least Irish fans can take solace in the fact that Minnesota-Duluth went on to defeat Michigan in the title game.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the first set of games (Notre Dame vs. Minnesota-Duluth and Michigan vs. North Dakota) thanks in part to the Notre Dame Club of Minnesota and to fellow Dillonite Jamie R for winning a lottery opportunity for tickets. Our view was great (see picture above) and even though the result was an Irish defeat it was still an amazing experience to be part of an NCAA championship event. The Excel Energy Center was a great venue to host the event.

Head Coach Jeff Jackson has clearly built the Irish into a perennial powerhouse and hopefully it will eventually lead to the first of many national titles for the Irish icers. What better way to christen the beautiful Compton Family Center opening next fall than by winning a national title? Seeing as the Irish were young this season (12 underclassmen saw significant ice time) they should make a run within the next few years.

Post season awards trickled in for the Irish as freshman T.J. Tynan was named National College Hockey Rookie of the Year by the Hockey Commissioners' Association. Tynan became the first player from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) conference to earn the honor. He led his fellow classmates across the nation in scoring with 23 goals and 21 assists for 54 points.


All in all it was a strong winter season for the Irish. Stay tuned in the coming days for a few updates on how the spring sports are faring.

Until then, Go Irish!

Irish Hockey Reaches 2011 Frozen Four

In front of a partisan crowd in Manchester, NH the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Hockey team defeated the New Hampshire Wildcats 2-1 to earn their second Frozen Four bid in four years. With five seconds remaining in the second period Billy Maday scored what would be the eventual game-winning goal.

Goalie Mike Johnson, a sophomore, was the real story of the day though as he turned away 37 of the Wildcats' 38 shots.

AP Photo / Josh Gibney

One day earlier Johnson made 32 saves on 35 shots to help the Irish earn a thrilling come from behind 4-3 OT victory against Merrimack College. Anders Lee led the way against the Warriors with two goals including the game-winner roughly five minutes into the overtime period.

Notre Dame will play Minnesota-Duluth (UMD) on Thursday, April 7 at 5pm EST in the Frozen Four in St. Paul, MN. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 and will also be available on ESPN3.com. Should the Irish defeat the UMD Bulldogs they would advance to the NCAA title game on Sunday, April 9 at 7pm EST against the winner of Michigan and North Dakota. The championship game will be televised on ESPN.

This marks only the second time in school history the Irish have advanced to the Frozen Four. In 2008 the Irish advanced to Denver for the Frozen Four where they defeated rival Michigan in an overtime thriller. Boston College defeated the Irish in the championship game.

Head coach Jeff Jackson enters his fifth Frozen Four in his coaching career. He won two national championships (1992 and 1994) while at Lake Superior State. In between the two titles Jackson's squad lost the 1993 title game to Maine.

If Jackson's title game history has any sense of repeating itself it could develop into Notre Dame's first hockey championship in school history.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, though, the Irish must beat Minnesota-Duluth. From there, the Irish would take on the Wolverines of Michigan or Fighting Sioux of North Dakota, two schools that hold winning records against the Irish this season.

Irish Hockey Picking Up Steam As Regular Season Nears Its End

After splitting its previous three series against Alaska, Ohio State, and Miami (OH) the Fighting Irish earned a much needed weekend sweep for the first time since early January this past weekend.

Playing against CCHA bottom-feeder Bowling Green certainly helped matters, but the Falcons nearly fought their way to a tie on Friday night. Notre Dame prevailed on a late goal by standout freshman left wing Anders Lee. With 3:14 left in the game Lee lit the lamp inside a packed house at the Joyce Center to give the Irish a 2-1 lead and eventual final score. Lee added two more assists on Saturday as the Irish icers cruised to a 5-1 victory to complete the series sweep over the Falcons.

Thanks in part to his four points over the series Lee earned CCHA Rookie of the week honors for the third time this season. On the year his 19 goals and 18 assists put him at second in the nation and CCHA in points by a rookie. Additionally, with the game-winner on Friday night he now has five game-winning goals on the year, good for first place in the CCHA.

Speaking of first place in the CCHA, Notre Dame is now all alone atop its conference as a result of its weekend sweep and some help by Western Michigan who beat Miami (OH) in overtime Friday night to help give the Irish an edge over the Red Hawks.

For head coach Jeff Jackson, first place is somewhat insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

For me, it's more about how well you are playing going into the playoffs. It doesn't matter if you finish first or fifth, you're going to play a tough opponent in the second round.

Four regular season games remain for the Irish as they head to Big Rapids, MI this weekend to take on Ferris State before finishing up with a home and home series against Western Michigan.

A first round bye is already guaranteed in the CCHA playoffs but the Irish could go a long way toward earning a top seed with a pair of weekend sweeps in the coming weeks.

But, as Jackson alluded to it does not matter what place the Irish finish in during the regular season. There are more direct goals set for this team as Jackson and the Irish have their sights set on a CCHA championship and, more importantly, an elusive NCAA championship.

Irish Face Wolverines in CCHA Title Game Tonight

Tonight at 7:35pm EST the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Hockey squad take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Championship.

Last night the Irish beat the Northern Michigan Wildcats 2-1 to advance to tonight's title game against the Wolverines, who handled the Alaska Nanooks 3-1.

With 1:00 left in the game and the score tied 1-1, Notre Dame sophomore Ben Ryan scored off a rebound shot to propel (Irish head coach) Jeff Jackson's squad to the championship game.

The Irish and Wolverines played twice during the regular season with each squad winning on the opponent's home ice. Michigan took the first game 2-1 to end Notre Dame's 20-game unbeaten streak. One night later the Irish redeemed themselves with a 3-2 victory in Ann Arbor.

A win for the #1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (30-5-3) against the #3 Michigan Wolverines (29-10-0) would likely mean the overall #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, while a loss would still earn the Irish a subsequent #1 seed with no guarantee for the overall #1.

Here's a flashback of the classic Frozen Four bout between these two rivals last year, which ended in dramatic fashion...

Go Irish, Beat Wolverines!