Just days after the Notre Dame women’s basketball team fell short to Texas A&M in the NCAA championship, the hockey team also suffered a tough loss in the Frozen Four to the University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD), 4-3. Over the weekend UMD won the national championship, beating Michigan 3-2 in a tight overtime game.
The Irish started the game strong with freshman Jeff Costello’s goal 49 seconds after the opening face-off. Following an exciting first period, which included another goal by freshman T.J. Tynan, Notre Dame was behind 3-2. Unfortunately, Notre Dame never recovered. Despite Senior Calle Ridderwall’s shorthanded goal with two minutes left in the third period, Jeff Jackson’s squad fell to the Bulldogs 4-3. In the end, special teams play did the Irish in, as 3 of the UMD’s 4 goals came on the power-play, while Notre Dame went 0-5 when they had the numbers advantage.
After the game, Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson remarked that the team knew special teams would be important, but that they did not play as well as they had to. “It was exactly what we saw on film,” he said.
“They have an exceptional power play and we couldn’t generate any offense on our power play. I thought we played a good game five-on-five. Other than that the game was completely determined by special teams,” he stated.
Jackson continued to comment on what many thought would be a problem for Notre Dame going into the postseason – their youth. “I thought after Duluth scored the third goal, we dipped a little bit emotionally and that our youth showed up a little,” said Jackson.
He added, however, “I’m proud of what these kids did. They played a great team tonight for this team with that many young kids. It’s a credit to the seniors specifically, but the entire team for doing a great job all season long.”
Though the youth of the team may have contributed to the semi-final loss, it will definitely be an advantage in future seasons. The team exceeded expectations this season, and with an extra year of maturity, the team should come out even stronger next year.
Ridderwall, a part of two Frozen Four teams, commented on his optimism about the Notre Dame hockey program. “I’m extremely proud of the team we have,” he said. “(We) weren’t expected to do much, and then guys showed up day in and day out. They’re great hockey players, and that started from the freshmen [who] stepped in right away.”
That strong freshman class includes T.J. Tynan, who was named Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Division I Rookie of the Year on Friday afternoon. Tynan led the CCHA in scoring, as well as the freshmen class nationwide, with 23 goals and 31 assists, for 54 points. The team’s second-highest point scorer was freshman Anders Lee with 44 points.
Last year, concerned fans worried about team chemistry. This year, we are left anticipating a cohesive group continuing to grow closer and more comfortable with each other. Senior Ben Ryan commented that there were cliques within the team last year, but this year they played as one group.
With a core of young players, Jeff Jackson’s squad should continue as an elite program in NCAA Hockey. After a Frozen Four appearance this year, the sky is the limit for our squad as it grows in both maturity and cohesiveness.
Look for the Notre Dame hockey team to build on their success this season as they open in the brand new Compton Family Center next year.
Mike Johnson feels bad for Rory McIlroy, but would have felt even worse about himself if a guy the same age as him had won the Masters. He can be contacted at mjohns32@nd.edu