Tag: Frozen Four

Notre Dame hockey joins in remembering Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau

A terrible tragedy.

Hockey is a very tight-knit community, and Notre Dame is part of that community. So when tragedy strikes it, the Irish feel the rightful need to know that they’re mourning as much as those the tragedy directly impacts. Unfortunately, that time has come once again.

Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed Thursday night when they struck while riding their bicycles by an alleged drunk driver near their hometown in New Jersey. They were anticipating their sister’s wedding this weekend.

The Irish took to social media in light of this horrible news to express their condolences:

The Gaudreau brothers’ time at Boston College spanned from 2011 to 2017. The Irish went 7-6 against the Eagles during that time with most games coming when the Irish were a member of Hockey East. But the Eagles went to three Frozen Fours and won the 2012 national championship. Johnny Gaudreau also won the Hobey Baker Award to cap his collegiate career in 2014.

We at Fighting Irish Wire extended our deepest condolences to the Gaudreau family during this difficult time.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Jeff Jackson to retire from Notre Dame after 2024-25; Sheahan is next

One more for the coaching legend.

[autotag]Jeff Jackson[/autotag] built Notre Dame into a respectable program and even came within a game of winning the national championship twice. That accounts for half of the four Frozen Fours he has taken the Irish to. But all good things must come to an end, and that time has come for Jackson.

Jackson has announced that the 2024-25 season will be his last with the Irish. That means he’ll have one more chance to add to the eight conference championships, 12 NCAA Tournaments, two Spencer Penrose Awards and over 400 wins. He seems to be looking forward to that chance per this message he wrote on social media:

Former Irish defenseman and current associate head coach [autotag]Brock Sheahan[/autotag] already has been tapped as Jackson’s successor. When he rejoined the staff shortly before the start of last season, we speculated on here that it might be an indication that he eventually would take over the program. That speculation turned out to be correct.

Best of luck to Jackson in his final season, and here’s hoping that before too long, there’s a status of him outside Compton Family Ice Arena.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Watch: Jake Evans’ game-winning goal in 2018 Frozen Four

Remember this?

Not long ago, Notre Dame was a regular contender for national championships. Perhaps that’s why quite a few NHL players today once played in South Bend. Among those is [autotag]Jake Evans[/autotag], who has done pretty well for himself with the Montreal Canadiens. But whatever he does the rest of his career, few feelings will compare to the game-winning goal in the 2018 Frozen Four against Michigan:

As of this writing, it’s been six years and one day since Evans etched himself into Irish lore forever. The Irish ended up losing to Minnesota-Duluth in the national championship game, but Evans contributed to the Irish’s cause in that game with the secondary assist on their lone goal by [autotag]Andrew Oglevie[/autotag].

Perhaps someday, there will be a moment that surpasses this one and ends with the Irish as the last team standing. For the moment though, there is an established precedent that they can get as close as possible without actually winning it all. Most programs would take that in a heartbeat.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Michigan State hockey vs. Michigan: Time, TV Channel for NCAA Tournament match-up announced

Michigan State hockey vs. Michigan: Time, TV Channel for NCAA Tournament match-up announced

Michigan State hockey was able to just edge out Western Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and now they will face their biggest rival, Michigan, with a chance to go to the Frozen Four on the line.

You can find all the TV information below.

1-seed Michigan State (25-9-3) vs. 3-seed Michigan (22-14-3)

What: NCAA tournament quarterfinal.

When: 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday.

Where: Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

TV channel: ESPN2.

∎ BOX SCORE

On the line: Winner moves onto the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minnesota, April 11-13.

 

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Michigan State hockey wins overtime thriller over Western Michigan in NCAA Tournament

MSU is moving on, defeating Western Michigan in an overtime thriller!

The Michigan State Spartans have won their first NCAA Tournament game since 2008 in thrilling fashion, defeating Western Michigan, 5-4, in overtime.

The Spartans overcame a two goal deficit in the third period to force overtime, getting a goal from Karsen Dorwart with 55 seconds left in the third period to tie up the game.

It was at the 11:13 mark in the overtime period when Jeremy Davidson found the game winner, with a goal assisted by Nash Nienhuis and goaltender Trey Augustine.

Michigan State will now move on to the regional final, to play for a spot in the Frozen Four, against the winner of North Dakota against Michigan.

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Wisconsin women’s hockey back in the national championship

The Wisconsin women’s hockey team will face off with Ohio State in the National Championship on Sunday

The Wisconsin women’s hockey team will face off with Ohio State in the National Championship on Sunday in Durham, New Hampshire. The Badgers defeated Colgate 3-1 in the semifinals Friday, setting up a rematch with the Buckeyes.

Mark Johnson’s squad is the reigning national champions, taking down Ohio State 1-0 in the title game last March, securing their seventh championship in program history.

In five contests against the Buckeyes this season, Wisconsin has gone 2-3, but they have won the last two matchups, including a 6-3 victory in the WCHA Final Faceoff title game on March 9.

The Badgers come into Sunday’s contest red-hot, winners of seven games in a row, while the Buckeyes took down Clarkson 4-1 in the semifinals Friday.

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Michigan falls to Quinnipiac in Frozen Four, season over

Sad ending, but a heckuva season! #GoBlue

Once Michigan and Quinnipiac took the ice at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, the two teams knew that the winner would face Minnesota in the national championship game two days later.

The Wolverines entered the contest as the top-scoring offense in hockey against the top-rated defense, but it was the Bobcats who struck first at 5:18 in the first period coming off of a power play that had just expired, with the shot ricocheting off goalie Rick Portillo’s back. But Michigan struck right back, tying the game, with an impressive stick-handling by Seamus Casey at 6:49, where he streaked down the ice, crossed the face of the Quinnipiac goalie, and diverted the puck right past him.

But at 11:21, Quinnipiac’s Jacob Quillan got a breakaway and scored his second goal of the game, putting one past Portillo.

Both teams couldn’t convert on the power play, and though Adam Fantilli thought he had the tying score in the second period, it hit off the top crossbar. However, he wouldn’t have to wait too long, as he had a slapshot off the right side at the 10:15 mark in the second to knot the game at 2-all.

But at 1:24 in the third period, a shot saved by Portillo bounced behind the net, and in the clear out, it bounced off his skate and went backward into the goal, 3-2 Quinnipiac. Four minutes later, due to a Bobcat slashing, Michigan would have another opportunity to tie on a power play. Yet another shot hit off the top crossbar, and Quinnipiac killed the extra-man situation.

Then the really bad news. Metsa put one past Portillo to give the Bobcats a 4-2 lead at the 13-minute mark. With just under three minutes, the Wolverines pulled Portillo, needing two goals just to send it into overtime.

It wasn’t to be. Quinnipiac scored on the empty net at the 18:15 mark to push the lead to 5-2. The Wolverines will go home to Ann Arbor while the Bobcats will remain in Tampa to face Minnesota in the national championship game.

Regardless of the outcome that no one in maize and blue wanted, it was an impressive year given the turmoil that surrounded the program. Mel Pearson was let go in the offseason and Brandon Naurato was a late hire, bearing the interim tag until after the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

The Wolverines went 26-12-3 and won the Big Ten Tournament for the second-straight year.

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Penn State hockey one win away from Frozen Four. How to watch Penn State-Michigan on Sunday

Penn State hockey looks for a historic victory on Sunday with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line against Michigan.

After a dominant victory in round one of the NCAA Hockey Tournament in Allentown on Friday, Penn State looks to advance to its first Frozen Four on Sunday. To do that, Penn State will have to top the region’s top seed and Big Ten champion Michigan.

Michigan leads the all-time series with Penn State by a 25-15-1 margin. That includes a 3-1 record against the Nittany Lions this season, but the games played this year have generally been close decisions. So Penn State knows it can play with one of the top hockey programs in the country this season, and it hopes to have enough of a home-ice advantage in the PPL Center in Allentown to fuel a major upset for the biggest win in the history of the program.

Both Big Ten programs are coming off blowout victories in the first round. Penn State scored the NCAA’s most lopsided victory in tournament history with an 8-0 victory over Michigan Tech. But that record stood for just a few hours as Michigan followed with an 11-1 victory over Colgate. So it may be safe to say the offenses are clicking and the goalies will be challenged with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line.

Penn State and Michigan are playing for one spot in the Frozen Four, but as many as three Big Ten teams could fill the Frozen Four in Tampa. Ohio State dominated Harvard in their first-round matchup, 8-1, and faces Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon in Bridgeport, CT. Minnesota, the top seed in the tournament, has already clinched a spot in the Frozen Four with a second-round victory over St. Cloud State. The Gophers are set to face Boston in a Frozen Four matchup on Monday, April 6.

If you want to watch Penn State hockey go for a historic win, here’s how to catch all of the action with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line.

  • Date: Sunday, March 26, 2023
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN2
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

Penn State hockey returns to NCAA tournament, will face Michigan Tech

Penn State’s hockey team will play in this year’s NCAA tournament and will get a nice home-ice advantage

The tournament madness may have come to an end for the men’s basketball team, but Penn State’s March mayhem is just about to begin. Penn State’s ice hockey team was selected to participate in this year’s Division 1 men’s ice hockey championship tournament with hopes of playing in its first Frozen Four after finishing its season with a record of 21-15-1. That postseason run will begin on Friday with a matchup against Michigan Tech (24-10-4) in Allentown.

This is the third NCAA tournament berth for Penn State. It is Penn State’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2018 after making back-to-back appearances in 2017 and 2018. Penn State is serving as the host institution in Allentown, and the Nittany Lions figure to have a bit of a home-ice advantage in the PPL Center this weekend.

The matchup with Michigan Tech marks the first meeting between the two programs. If Penn State can get by Michigan Tech, a possible showdown with Big Ten champion Michigan could come next. Michigan will face Colgate in the other regional semifinal on Friday evening in Allentown. The winners of Friday night’s game will play each other on Sunday with a trip to the Frozen Four in Tampa on the line.

Penn State was 10-0 this season in non-conference play and was 1-3 against Michigan during the regular season. Two of those losses were decided by one goal, including an overtime loss at home earlier in the Big Ten schedule.

Minnesota and Ohio State also made the NCAA tournament, giving the Big Ten four spots in the field. Minnesota is the top seed in the Fargo regional and will face Canisius in the first round, with a possible matchup with Minnesota State or St. Cloud State to follow. Ohio State will take on Harvard in the Bridgeport regional in Connecticut. The Buckeyes hope to face either Quinnipiac or Merrimack in the following round.

Penn State lost its only game played in the 2018 NCAA hockey tournament, losing 5-1 to Denver in Allentown. Denver also eliminated Penn State the previous season in the second round, after Penn State blasted Union 10-3 in the first round in Cincinnati.

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Ohio State men’s hockey gets into NCAA Frozen Four field

The Ohio State men are in and bound for the Northeast. #GoBucks

Despite coming up short in the Men’s Hockey Big Ten Tournament, the Ohio State men’s hockey team isn’t done.

The men’s NCAA Frozen Four was announced on Sunday just after the OSU women fell to Wisconsin in the women’s national title game, and the Buckeyes — as expected — made the field.

Ohio State didn’t get a high seed but will be playing Harvard in the first round in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for the 16-team tournament. Faceoff is set for 2 p.m. on Friday with the Buckeyes playing the winner of No. 2 seed Quinnipiac and Merrimack.

The top four seeds for the tournament are Minnesota (1), Quinnipiac (2), Michigan (3), and Denver (4). Four Big Ten teams made the field with Penn State joining the Buckeyes, Wolverines, and Golden Gophers.

The first two rounds of the Frozen Four will take place at four regional sites from March 23 through the 26th, with the winner of each region advancing to the Frozen Four in Tampa, Florida, on April 6 and 8.

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