It was a weekend of highs and lows for Notre Dame hockey, which split its first series of the season with the Ohio State Buckeyes 4-2 and 6-1. With another heartbreaking loss on Friday, the Irish returned Saturday with a vengeance to earn their first conference win of the season and end their 10-game losing streak.
Game 1
On a rare Friday night where the inside of Compton Family Ice Arena was warmer than the outside, the Buckeyes jumped on the Irish early. The Irish would fight back though, before Ohio State put them away late in yet another heartbreaker. The 4-2 loss saw Notre Dame surrender two power-play goals, including the game winner and an empty netter to seal the deal.
Just 52 seconds into the game, forward Adam Eisele put one away to give the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead before the entire crowd was even seated. Ohio State remained on the offensive for most of the first period, with Notre Dame unable to get any momentum. Just over 10 minutes later, forward Riley Thompson doubled the Buckeye lead with a power-play goal with Notre Dame’s sophomore defenseman Jimmy Jurcev in the box for boarding.
As the first period came to a close, momentum began to shift Notre Dame’s way. The fans wouldn’t have to wait long in the second period before that momentum showed itself. With Buckeye defenseman Nathan McBrayer in the box for interference, freshman forward Pano Fimis scored at the tail end of the power play to cut Ohio State’s lead in half. The Irish would carry that momentum through the rest of the second period but were unable to tie the game just yet.
The second period came and went and the third period began with each team gaining some momentum. Ohio State forward Jake Dunlap headed to the box for holding just one minute into the final period but the Irish were unable to capitalize. Eventually, the Irish broke the deadlock as freshman forward Cole Brown’s goal knotted things up at 2-2.
But with Compton Family Ice Arena as loud as it had ever been, the Irish had the wind taken from their sails when Jurcev headed back to the box for high sticking with 3:18 left to play. The following minute and a half was full of anticipation on both sides as the Buckeyes rattled off shot after shot that felt as if one eventually had to go in. And one did.
With 1:57 left on the clock, forward Jake Karabela regained the lead for Ohio State as his goal put them up 3-2 and silenced the Irish faithful. Twenty seconds later, junior forward Max Montes put the Buckeyes up 4-2 on a clearance that found itself in the Irish’s empty net.
The night ended with Ohio State victorious 4-2. The Irish skated with the Buckeyes all night, tallying just one shot fewer than their foes at 34-33. Their lack of discipline was their downfall once again, with their five penalties turning into two of Ohio State’s four goals.
Game 2
After a hard-fought game against the Buckeyes the day before, the Irish came into Saturday’s rematch with a tactical game plan to emerge victorious. Friday’s game was a close battle, but controversial penalty calls in the third period gave Ohio State the advantage.
Notre Dame played visibly tighter, more cohesive defense to reduce the potential for unnecessary penalties. The same could not be said for Ohio State, with forward Davis Burnside earning a penalty for boarding four minutes into the first period. The one-man advantage for the Irish proved successful with junior forward Evan Werner scoring a tip-in goal on the right side of goaltender Kristoffer Eberly. His early goal was assisted by junior forward Danny Nelson and graduate student forward Sutter Muzzatti, putting the Irish ahead as the first period ended.
The Irish managed to halt Ohio State’s offensive progression in the first period, and skated into the second period energized and hungry for the win. Notre Dame scored two goals in the second, both at even strength. The Irish won the opening faceoff and maintained possession of the puck for two minutes until Fimis scored a beauty from the left side of Eberly’s net, with assists by junior forward Carter Slaggert and sophomore defenseman Jaedon Kerr. Thirty-nine seconds later, Werner set Muzzatti up with a stunning pass, allowing the Irish to score their third goal to secure an early lead.
Just under five minutes into the second period, Ohio State scored their first and only goal of the game on a power play after Notre Dame’s Kerr was sent to the penalty box for boarding. The Buckeyes played 5-on-3 hockey, and after impressive passing from the Buckeyes, Thompson scored from the right side as forward Jake Karabela and defenseman Broten Sabo were credited with the assist on the two-man advantage.
Halfway through the second, the Irish were back on the power play after Karabela received a two-minute minor for cross-checking. The Irish wanted to deepen their lead, and Nelson sank the puck into the back of the net with a beautiful goal from distance to put the Irish up 4-1. Forty seconds later, Notre Dame’s younger core won a scrappy battle at the goal line and junior forward Maddox Fleming beat Eberly clean as the puck sailed past the crease.
Both teams remained scoreless in the latter half of the second period, and after one goal for the Buckeyes and four goals for the Irish, both teams left the ice after an intense battle in the sold-out Compton Family Ice Arena.
With a comfortable lead, the Irish focused on playing clean hockey and not risking giving the Buckeyes many opportunities to score with a one-man advantage. The Buckeyes did not want to be counted out early and continued to fight well into the third period, but after Muzzatti scored on the power play with six minutes left, the Buckeyes finally ran out of steam.
The Irish emerged with the victory after playing one of their best games of the season, earning their first conference win of the year and ending their 10-game losing streak. As the end of the 2025-26 season is in sight, the Irish finally seem to have found the cohesion and balance they have been lacking this year. But more importantly, the Irish proved their diligence paid off after months of giving it their all on the ice.
Having another tally in the win column is a great moment for the team and fans alike. Notre Dame must not lose sight of the 12 games remaining in the season, with five of the six opponents left all heavy hitters in the Big Ten. Next Friday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m., the Irish host Bowling Green at Compton Family Ice Arena as they search for a consecutive win.
