Petersen dazzles in marathon match for Notre Dame hockey
SOUTH BEND — What early on looked like a promising start Friday night for Notre Dame turned into the longest hockey game in school history, and among the three longest in NCAA Division I history.
Freshman goaltender Cal Petersen had a school record number of saves by the end of the fourth overtime against a determined, if not talented Massachusetts team, which battled hard as late Friday bled into early Saturday morning.
And still they played on.
Neither teas was whistled for a penalty after the second period, and neither team scored in that time, either. Despite six full periods — two full hockey games — and nearly five hours, the score remained tied, 3-3 in the fourth overtime when the Tribune went to press.
For a team that hasn't won a Hockey East playoff game since 2009, it was easy to see why Massachusetts fought so hard.
After falling behind 2-0 to Notre Dame in the second period, Steven Iacobellis scored a hat trick in an 8:16 stretch of the second period to wipe out a two-goal Notre Dame lead in an epic first-round Hockey East tournament contest that stretched into quadruple overtime, and often resembled more of a wrestling match than a hockey game.
Following up a career-best 55 saves last Saturday against Boston College, Petersen turned back 78 of 81 UMass shots to tie the NCAA record in a game of 78 by RPI's Dick Greenlaw against Boston University in 1965.
It was also the most shots on goal in UMass history, but not the most in Irish history. That would be 78 in the Kronholm game back in '73.
Robbie Russo had three assists for the Irish to give him 33 points on the season, third most in the country by a defenseman.
After amassing a season-low 14 shots on goal in a 4-0 shutout at the hands of the Irish back in December, the Minutemen recorded a season high Friday, outshooting the Irish 72-56 through regulation and three overtimes.
Notre Dame was looking to improve to .500 at home this season (8-9-3 before Friday), with game two against the Minutemen on tap tonight at 7:05.
Sam Herr got things going for the Irish halfway through the first period when Jake Evans' low shot caromed off UMass goalie Steve Mastalerz's right pad, right to Herr in the left circle. Herr buried the rebound high over a sliding Mastalerz on Notre Dame's third shot of the game.
The Irish added two more goals in the second period from Hinostroza and Fogarty to twice take a two-goal lead, but Iacobellis got hot to knot the score.
Iacobellis scored all three of his goals, with two coming on the power play, including the equalizer with two seconds left, to tie the game 3-3 heading into the final period.
After a scoreless third frame that featured more icings and questionable haul-downs that actual scoring chances, Thomas DiPauli nearly ended it for the Irish when his backhander rang off a post with just under nine minutes left in OT.
DiPauli had another look with three minutes left in overtime, but Mastalerz managed a left pad save to keep UMass alive for a second extra period. As fatigue set in, neither team mustered much offense in the second OT, despite 16 UMass shots on goal.
At Compton Family Ice Arena
FIRST PERIOD
ND - Sam Herr 11 (Jake Evans, Robbie Russo) 9:37. Shots on goal: UM 16, ND 7; Penalties: ND 1-2, UM 0-0.
SECOND PERIOD
ND - Vince Hinostroza 7 (Russo) 9:19; UM - Steven Iacobellis 7 (Brandon Montour, Patrick Lee) PP, 11:42; ND - Steven Fogarty 7 (Russo, Anders Bjork) PP, 14:24; UM - Iacobellis 8 (Shane Walsh, Ray Pigozzi) 15: 39; UM - Iacobellis 9 (Troy Power, Frank Vatrano) PP, 19:58. Shots: UM 13, ND 7; Penalties: ND 2-4, UM 2-4.
THIRD PERIOD
No scoring. Shots: UM 10, ND 7; Penalties: None.
OVERTIME
No scoring. Shots: ND 11, UM 8; Penalties: None.
SECOND OVERTIME
No scoring. Shots: UM 16, ND 8; Penalties: None.
THIRD OVERTIME
No scoring. Shots: ND 16, UM 9. Penalties: None.
UM 0 3 0 0 0 0 - 3
ND 1 2 0 0 0 0 - 3
Shots: UM 72, ND 56; Saves: ND 69 (Cal Petersen), UM 53 (Steve Mastalerz); Power plays: UM 2-3, ND 1-2; Penalties: ND 3-6, UM 2-4; Attendance: 3,992.
