Hockey: What to know about Notre Dame vs. Boston College
Who: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (16-7-0) vs. Boston College Eagles (10-8-3)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Lefty Smith Rink in Compton Family Ice Arena (5,022), South Bend
TV/Streaming: Peacock
Radio: WZOC-FM (94.3) and UND.com
Tickets: Mobile single-game tickets and plans available through UND.com/BuyTickets. … Face masks must be worn in Compton except when eating and drinking.
► More hockey:No. 15 Ohio State’s Dobeš and Preston shut down No. 13 Irish, 4-1
Rankings: Notre Dame No. 13 in USCHO.com (media) and No. 14 in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine (coaches) polls. … Boston College is receiving votes in USCHO.com poll.
Recaps: Notre Dame split two-game Big Ten Conference series at No. 15 Ohio State, winning 3-2 in overtime Friday and losing 4-1 Saturday. … Boston College was swept by New Hampshire in home-and-home Hockey East Association series, losing 3-2 Friday on road and 5-2 Saturday at home.
Rivalry: Boston College holds a 23-20-3 edge in the series which began with a 7-3 Eagles victory at McHugh Forum in Chestnut Hill on Dec. 20, 1969. … Eagles have a two-game winning streak after victories in the 2019-20 season at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill (4-0 Dec. 6) and at Smith/Compton (6-1 Dec. 8). … Notre Dame’s last victory was 4-0 at Smith/Compton on Dec. 31, 2018. … Teams met in 2008 NCAA championship game at Pepsi Center in Denver and Boston College prevailed 4-1.
Coaches: Jerry York of Boston College (1,118-672-126) and Jeff Jackson of Notre Dame (546-278-92) stand 1-2 among active coaches in victories. … A Boston College graduate, York is in his 50th season as a head college coach and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. … He became a head coach in 1972-73 at Clarkson before moving to Bowling Green in 1979-80 and then returning to his alma mater for the 1994-95 season where he is 651-337-92. … York has coached teams to five NCAA titles – one at Bowling Green (1984) and four at Boston College (2001, 2008, 2010, 2012). … Jackson, who has a pair of degrees from Michigan State, is in his 23rd season as a head coach at Lake Superior State (where his teams won NCAA titles in 1992 and 1994) and Notre Dame. … In 17 seasons at Notre Dame starting with the 2005-06 season, Jackson’s teams are 364-226-66 with four trips to the Frozen Four and 2008 and 2018 runner-up finishes.
Scouting Fighting Irish: Notre Dame saw a four-game winning streak ended by 4-1 loss Saturday at Ohio State and are fourth in the Big Ten Conference with 24 points, five behind league-leader Michigan. … Notre Dame’s only goal Saturday was shorthanded tally by senior center Cam Burke (8-8-16), his second of the season tying him with junior right wing Max Ellis (14-10-24) for the national lead. … Sophomore left wing Landon Slaggert (7-8-15) had goal and two assists in Friday victory, setting up defenseman Spencer Stastney (4-10-14) with game-winner in overtime. … Sophomore right wing Ryder Rolston (6-12-18) and senior defenseman Nick Leivermann (6-11-17) trail Ellis in scoring. … Grad-transfer Matthew Galajda (9-3 record, 1.92 goals-against average, .926 saves percentage, two shutouts) and junior Ryan Bischel (7-4 record, 2.05 goals-against average, .923 saves percentage, one shutout) have split the goaltending duties. … NCAA team statistics (out of 59 teams): Scoring offense, 3.35 goals per game (16th); scoring defense, 2.09 goals per game (7th); scoring margin, 1.26 goals per game (9th); faceoff-win percentage, 0.527 (705-634) (11th); power-play percentage, 0.178 (13 of 73) (37th); power-play goals, 13 (35th); penalty-kill percentage, 0.920 (81 of 88) (2nd); shorthanded goals, 5 (2nd); penalty minutes per game, 10.70 (35th).
► More hockey:Stastney’s OT goal lifts No. 13 Irish past No. 15 Buckeyes, 3-2
Scouting Eagles: This is the 100th season of Boston College men’s hockey program. … Eagles are tied for fourth in the Hockey East Association with Providence and Boston University with 19 points (12 behind league-leader UMass Lowell) and enter game on three-game losing streak. … Two Eagles will participate in the Winter Olympics for Team USA – senior center Marc McLaughlin (16-6-22) and junior defenseman Drew Helleson (2-15-17). … Senior center Jack McBain (13-11-24), the team’s leading scorer, has missed last three games with an injury. … Senior Eric Dop (7-6-3 record, 2.82 goals-against average, .896 saves percentage) and sophomore Henry Wilder (3-2-0 record, 2.36 goals-against average, .912 saves percentage) have shared the goaltending chores. … NCAA team statistics (out of 59 teams): Scoring offense, 3.52 goals per game (9th); scoring defense, 2.86 goals per game (30th); scoring margin, 0.67 goals per game (18th); faceoff-win percentage, 0.491 (636-658) (35th); power-play percentage, 0.222 (12 of 54) (16th); power-play goals, 12 (40th); penalty-kill percentage, 0.800 (47 of 59) (34th); shorthanded goals, 3 (9th); penalty minutes per game, 9.62 (46th).
– John Fineran, Tribune Correspondent