COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The echoes have been awoken. But it was not the storied Notre Dame football team, or even the basketball team, that restored glory to Fighting Irish athletics.
The Notre Dame hockey team recorded the biggest win in the program’s history Saturday night, defeating Central Collegiate Hockey Association rival Michigan State 3-1 in the NCAA West Regional final at the World Arena.
One day after becoming just the second No. 4 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA hockey tournament, the Fighting Irish scored two goals in the final six minutes to become the first No. 4 seed to advance to the Frozen Four since the current 16-team format was adopted in 2003. It is the first Frozen Four berth in the history of the Irish program.
Notre Dame, which lost to Michigan State in the final for the Midwest Regional last year, will play another CCHA team, Michigan, in the national semifinals on April 10 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
“When the Notre Dame job became available, it was something I knew if I had the opportunity, that’s where I wanted to go,” Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said. “It was someplace I wanted to go when I was 17 years old and couldn’t afford to. And I probably wasn’t smart enough.
“I just love the storied tradition. I’ve always been a huge Knute Rockne fan and obviously some of the great football coaches. My belief is that Notre Dame can have that same storied tradition in hockey. It will always be a football school. But so is Michigan. So is Minnesota. So is Wisconsin. But they’re also hockey schools, and that’s what I want to see Notre Dame become, and I think we’re moving in that direction.”
The Irish (26-15-4) broke a 1-1 tie on a goal by captain Mark Van Guilder with 5:54 remaining in the third period. Notre Dame received a huge insurance goal 74 seconds later from freshman defenseman Teddy Ruth, whose blast from the top of the right circle gave the Irish a two-goal lead.
Notre Dame struck first early in the second, when Christian Hanson jabbed home a rebound goal at the 2:43 mark, but Michigan State (25-12-5) answered on a goal by Justin Abdelkader at the 9:05 mark.
The Irish’s Evan Rankin appeared to score a go-ahead goal with 5:06 remaining in the second, but the goal was disallowed after a video review because a Notre Dame player was in the crease, leaving the teams tied 1-1 going into the third.
Notre Dame outshot the Spartans 26-21 and received a 20-save effort from goaltender Jordan Pearce.
“Learning from last year, I learned you have to play your best games at the biggest moments,” Pearce said. “I didn’t try to worry myself too much. I just wanted to go out there and play my game, and make save after save and just worry about the next shot.”
Van Guilder, who recorded three assists in Friday’s opening-round win against top-seeded New Hampshire, was named the West Regional Most Outstanding Player.
