Notre Dame rebounds once again on second night to hold off Badgers

As much as Notre Dame can’t figure out how to consistently win the first game of series this hockey season, its opposition probably has no explanation how the Irish are so dominant in second games.

That was the case again for the Fighting Irish on a crazy Saturday night against host Wisconsin in Madison, Wis. Coach Jeff Jackson’s No. 18 Fighting Irish scored the game’s first five goals but then withstood a furious third-period comeback fueled by four Wisconsin power-play goals before recording a 6-4 Big Ten hockey victory in front of 9,167 fans at the Kohl Center.

Men's basketball:Noie: Notre Dame left singing ACC blues in Blue Heaven

Game 1:Notre Dame suffers another first-night loss as Wisconsin wins 2-0

The Irish, who fell to 3-8 in first games with their 2-0 loss to Wisconsin Friday night, improved to 7-2-2 in second games this season. The six-goal outburst was the best of the season for Notre Dame, which entered the game with just 49 goals in 21 games.

It is the sixth straight two-game set which has seen Notre Dame follow a loss with a victory, allowing the 10-10-2 Irish to improve to 5-6-1 in the Big Ten and to move into solo fourth place with 15 points. 

Coach Tony Granato’s Badgers fell to 9-13-0 overall and remained in last place in the Big Ten with their 2-10-0 mark for six points.

The victory came in a game which the Irish, outshot 37-27 Friday, knocked out Wisconsin goalie Jared Moe, who recorded the Friday shutout, with four first-period goals and led 5-0 heading into the third period. The final result probably left Jackson shaking his head but his team joyous on their four-hour-plus bus ride home to prepare for next weekend’s Big Ten visit by No. 1 Minnesota.

“We just played good team hockey,” said junior defenseman Drew Bavaro, a transfer from Bentley who sandwiched two goals (at 5:32 and 14:31) around the first of two goals by right wing Trevor Janicke (at 8:52). Left wing Jesse Lansdell added another at 18:26 to make it 4-0 after a first period in which the Irish outshot the Badgers 17-7. “We got a few good bounces, but our players did a good job getting to the net and making it hard for the goaltenders to see.”

Bavaro and Janicke each had two goals and an assist for the Irish, while Lansdell and Jack Adams had a goal and two assists each. Center Hunter Strand added a pair of assists, while goaltender Ryan Bischel survived a busy third period to finish with 20 saves. 

Mathieu De St. Phalle had two goals and an assist, 6-foot-5 left wing Carson Bantle had two goals and Cruz Lucius had four assists for Wisconsin.

“We had a pretty good third period Friday night,” Janicke said. “We were just trying to continue (Saturday) doing what we did in (Friday’s) third period, getting the puck behind their defense and getting pucks to the net.”

Granato pulled Moe in the intermission for junior Kyle McClellan but the Irish kept up their momentum. Adams’ tip-in goal at 19:04 of the second period, off an assist from Lansdell, put the Irish seemingly in cruise control with a 5-0 lead and 31-13 shot advantage after two periods.

But Janicke’s interference penalty just 49 seconds into the final period began an Irish parade to the penalty box (four penalties for 11 minutes) that allowed Wisconsin to get back into the game with four power play goals against Bischel, the first two by De St. Phalle at 1:13 and 9:28. 

Then with Irish defensemen Jake Boltmann off for five minutes for high sticking at 14:43, the Badgers drew within 5-3 at 15:37 on the first of two power-play goals by Bantle.

But with the Irish still killing off Boltmann’s major, Janicke took a pass from Lansdell on a breakaway, missed his first attempt at McClellan but not his second at 17:08 to give the Irish breathing room at 6-3. 

“I was actually going five-hole but fanned on it,” said Janicke, who earlier missed on a penalty shot in the first period against Moe. “I was lucky enough to get the rebound. That (goal) gave us a little more of a cushion.”

Bantle’s second goal of the game at 18:39 came after Granato pulled McClellan for a sixth attacker made it 6-4 but the Irish held on.

NOTRE DAME 6, WISCONSIN 4

At Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.

 First Period—Scoring: 1. Notre Dame, Drew Bavaro 3 (Jack Adams, Hunter Strand) EV 5:32. 2. Notre Dame, Trevor Janicke 5 (Drew Bavaro, Grant Silianoff) EV 8:52. 3. Notre Dame, Drew Bavaro 4 (Ben Brinkman) EV 14:30. 4. Notre Dame, Jesse Lansdell 4 (Trevor Janicke, Hunter Strand) PP 18:26. Penalties: Notre Dame 1-2, Wisconsin 2-4.

Second Period—Scoring: 5. Notre Dame, Jack Adams 3 (Jesse Lansdell, Fin Williams) EV 19:04. Penalties (total): Notre Dame 0-0 (1-2), Wisconsin 1-2 (3-6).

Third Period—Scoring: 6. Wisconsin, Mathieu De St. Phalle 3 (Cruz Lucius, Brock Caufield) PP 1:13. 7. Mathieu De St. Phalle 4 (Tyson Jugnauth, Cruz Lucius) PP 9:28. 8. Wisconsin, Carson Bantle 5 (Cruz Lucius, Mathieu De St. Phalle) PP 15:37. 9. Notre Dame, Trevor Janicke 6 (Jesse Lansdell) SH 17:08. 10. Wisconsin, Carson Bantle 6 (Cruz Lucius, Brock Caufield) PP 18:39. Penalties (total): Notre Dame 4-11 (5-13), Wisconsin 1-2 (4-8).

Shots on goal: Notre Dame 40 (17-14-9), Wisconsin 24 (7-6-11). Goalie saves: Notre Dame (20), Ryan Bischel 20 (7-6-7); Wisconsin (34), Jared Moe 13 (13-0-0) and Kyle McClellan 21 (0-13-8).

Power-play opportunities: Notre Dame 1 of 4, Wisconsin 4 of 5. Faceoffs won: Notre Dame 29 (7-11-11), Wisconsin 28 (11-8-9). Blocked shots: Notre Dame 14 (3-9-2), Wisconsin 11 (5-2-4). 

Referees: Andrew Bruggerman and Kenny Anderson. Linesmen: Dan Cohen and Mike Daltry. Attendance: 9,167 (15,359). Records: Notre Dame 10-10-2, 5-6-1 Big Ten for 15 points; Wisconsin 9-13-0, 2-10-0 Big Ten for 6 points.