When Notre Dame hockey breaks out the green jerseys, it’s a telltale sign that spring break is on the horizon.
The Irish only wear their green alternates once annually, when they honor their seniors on the last home game of the season.
That time is now for the 2025-26 Irish, as Notre Dame prepares to host No. 5 Penn State on Friday and Saturday at Compton Family Ice Arena. At the end of a difficult transition season under first-year head coach Brock Sheahan, Notre Dame will recognize its four seniors — defensemen Michael Mastrodomenico and Axel Kumlin, forward Niko Jovanovic and goaltender Jack Williams — in a pregame ceremony before Saturday’s puck drop.
”[The seniors], they’re so important to what we’ve been doing this year. Their buy-in and their ability to show up every day and try to do what we’re asking, it’s been there. If that’s not there, it makes a miserable existence and a disconnected hockey team,” Sheahan told the media Wednesday.
At many points this year, Notre Dame has looked like a disconnected hockey team. The Irish lost 16 of 17 games between October and mid-January, including their first 13 Big 10 conference games.
But they’ve looked anything but disconnected of late, even if the results haven’t followed suit. The Irish went on the road to top-ranked Michigan State last weekend and played arguably their best game of the season. The Irish lost 4-2 anyway and followed up the performance with a lackluster 8-2 loss that saw them start well before falling apart in the second half of the game.
“Thursday night, we probably play our best game, and again unfortunately, we just don’t get over the hump,” Sheahan said. ”[Friday,] the year as a whole plays a role and guys kind of shut down a bit, which is disappointing.”
The Irish will have no easier task this weekend against the Nittany Lions, who will arrive with one of the nation’s hottest power plays. Led by the projected first overall choice in this year’s NHL draft, freshman forward Gavin McKenna, Penn State remains in the mix for a top four seed in the NCAA tournament. After a winless two weeks against No. 1 Michigan State and No. 2 Michigan, the Nittany Lions rebounded with 11-4 and 5-4 wins over Ohio State last weekend.
Penn State brings an especially potent transition game. They’re now scoring the third most goals-per-game in the nation, with 3.9 tallies per contest. McKenna himself leads the team in points with 43, good for fifth nationally. The Nittany Lions also have five players who have scored double-digit goals. Junior forward Matt DiMarsico leads all Nittany Lions with 17 lamp-lighters, while freshman defenseman Jackson Smith leads all defenseman with 10.
“We have to play behind them. We have to play in their end and take away their transition, because that’s where they’re really good,” Sheahan said. “We want to make the game an O-zone game for us so that when they get tired, they’re getting off the ice and not going up the ice on line rush.”
Notre Dame will potentially have to face Penn State’s scoring attack without their go-to starting goaltender, sophomore Nicholas Kempf. In Thursday’s contest, Michigan State senior forward Tiernan Shoudy collided with Kempf, after which the Irish netminder left the game. He did not return, and graduate student goaltender Luke Pearson got the start Friday.
Sheahan said this week that the Irish are still evaluating Kempf but provided no update on his status. The second-round draft choice of the Washington Capitals in 2024 has started every game for which he has been available for Notre Dame, posting a 3.56 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.
“We’re not certain if he’ll be back or not. Hopefully we have him on Friday,” Sheahan said.
As for who might start if Kempf is unable to go, Sheahan said either Pearson or Williams could get the nod. Pearson entered in relief of Kempf on Thursday and made eight saves on nine shots before allowing eight goals Friday. Those eight goals aren’t entirely a reflection of his play. Williams only has six career appearances, including a start at defending national champion Western Michigan in January.
“I think both Jack and Luke give us a chance if they’re in net, so we’re just evaluating in practice how those guys are doing and if Nick can’t go we’ll make that decision closer to game time,” Sheahan said.
Regardless of who starts in goal, the Irish have an opportunity this weekend to end this season on a positive note. In a year where Notre Dame probably has deserved to win more games than it has, it would be somewhat fitting to have it all come together in their final home series. The Irish conclude their regular season on the road at Ohio State next week before the single-elimination Big 10 tournament begins March 11. Notre Dame has hung its hat on being prepared for when that postseason chance arrives.
“Anybody can win a single game, especially in hockey,” Sheahan said. “I think our guys, they know that.”
A positive end to the year could go further than simply making an upset in the first round of the conference tournament, though. Getting over the hump this year could lead to a far sunnier start to next season.
“I do think we’re getting there,” Sheahan said. ”[We’ll] see what we can do, and if that can bleed into what we do in the spring, summer and into next year.”
