The snow has taken ahold of Notre Dame’s campus, and the winter sports are in full swing. But among them all, hockey has fallen into a rut, and subsequently cratered to the bottom of the Big Ten standings.
In their six games since the World Junior Championships break began in late December, the Irish have not recorded a win, with two of the losses being shutouts. And as fans continue to flock to Compton Family Ice Arena weekend after weekend to support their team, there is undoubtedly frustration that the Irish remain mired in a losing streak.
Goaltending
Of the 26 players on the Notre Dame roster, only sophomore goaltender Nicholas Kempf was chosen to play in the World Juniors, being named as the second goaltender for Team USA. The Irish heavily depend on Kempf in net, as he started all 16 games prior to his international duty. In his absence, the Irish played graduate goaltender Luke Pearson and senior goaltender Jack Williams in net. Williams started against the No. 3 Western Michigan Broncos on Jan. 2 and Pearson started the following night, with both contests ending in a 4-0 loss for the Irish. Kempf played in the Michigan series following the semifinal elimination for Team USA in the World Juniors, but consistently facing some of the nation's most potent offenses has slowed Notre Dame’s progress.
The goaltending trio for the Irish is not to blame for the losses, however the heavy reliance on Kempf hindered the defensive chemistry in the catastrophic series against the defending champions. It is vital for a strong team to not only have a steady rotation of goaltenders, but also to establish confidence along the bench.
Suspensions
Some irritation has made its way onto the ice, resulting in suspensions when the Irish traveled to face No. 1 Michigan on Jan. 9 and 10. In the second game of the series, Notre Dame junior defenseman Paul Fischer and freshman defenseman Caeden Carlisle were each given a game misconduct and ejected from the game. Tensions were high and despite trailing 5-4 with 14 minutes left in the third period, the Irish ended up falling short 7-4.
After the game, the NCAA gave Carlisle a one-game suspension for his hit to the head and gave Fischer a two-game suspension following a questionable cross-checking call. The suspensions affected the games against No. 5 Wisconsin the following weekend, with one of their strongest defensemen out the first game and one of the best playmakers for the Irish offense out for both games.
Power plays
On the ice, the Irish struggle to capitalize on the power play. Even with the one-man advantage, the Irish scored on only one of their 20 power plays in the past six games. Junior forward Evan Werner scored the lone star against Penn State on Jan. 16. Notre Dame cannot afford not scoring when its opponents are down a player, and must utilize its collection of strong forwards to score when on the advantage.
Playmaking
One of the team’s greatest strengths is their creativity on playmaking, yet they seem to have lost their spark since mid-December. Recently, creativity is lacking, and it seems like the Irish are playing the same game each time they take the ice. When the season started, they were scoring creative goals and taking their time to find the right shots to take, and their artistry was paying off on the scoreboard.
As the end of the season approaches, the Notre Dame attack seems to be lacking that same chemistry. The frustration is palpable, but there is still time to turn the season around and prove the Irish belong among the best in the Big Ten.
It is easy to focus on the team’s record and losing streak. However, Notre Dame plays Division I hockey in the Big Ten, arguably the most difficult conference in collegiate puck. When facing ranked teams every other weekend, Notre Dame sharpens itself against iron-clad teams, and its dedication and determination to improve will manifest into success as long as the Irish remain steadfast in their pursuit.
