Irish to play for Ice Breaker Tournament title

ERIE, Pa. — Second-ranked Notre Dame advanced to Saturday night’s championship game of the Ice Breaker Tournament by winning a shootout Friday after a wild 6-6 overtime tie with tourney host Mercyhurst.

 Senior defenseman Bobby Nardella, who had three assists in regulation, scored the only goal in a shootout after the teams played a scoreless five-minute overtime to send Notre Dame into the championship game. Notre Dame All-America goalie Cale Morris stopped a pair of shots by the Lakers in the shootout.

Cal Burke had a third-period hat trick and an assist for the Irish, who rallied from early deficits to lead 6-5 in the third period until Mercyhurst’s Stephen Ipri scored with 4:01 left in regulation to send the game into overtime.

 Dylan Malmquist had a goal and three assists, Joe Wegwerth had a goal and two assists and junior defenseman and captain Andrew Peeke had a pair of assists for Notre Dame.

 Coach Jeff Jackson’s Irish (0-0-1), who lost the NCAA game to Minnesota Duluth last April after winning the regular-season and postseason Big Ten championships, will play old Hockey East rival Providence in the championship game at 7:30 in the Erie Insurance Arena.

 The No. 4 Friars (2-0) advanced with a 4-0 victory over Miami (Ohio) in the tournament opener, getting 22 saves from goalie Hayden Hawkey and a pair of goals from defenseman Spenser Young. Providence and Notre Dame met last March in Bridgeport, Conn., for the NCAA East Regional title and trip to the Frozen Four in Saint Paul, Minn. The Irish advanced with a 2-1 victory on Malmquist’s goal with 27 seconds left in the third period.