Trevor Janicke keeps Notre Dame hockey alive in Big Ten quarterfinals
Graham Slaggert won the faceoff. Spencer Stastney sprinted with the puck behind the net. Then Trevor Janicke finished the job.
Notre Dame hockey head coach Jeff Jackson couldn't have asked for better execution of the game-winning play. Janicke's goal with 20 seconds remaining in regulation broke the tie in No. 7 Notre Dame's 3-2 victory over Wisconsin in game two of the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal series.
The win allows the third-seeded Irish (26-10-0) to return to Compton Family Ice Arena on Sunday at 6 p.m. EST for the decide game of a three-game series with sixth-seeded Wisconsin (10-23-3).
A night after Wisconsin goaltender Jared Moe saved 49 shots in a 3-1 victory for the Badgers, Janicke beat Moe while surrounded by Wisconsin defenders. Janicke, a junior forward, carved out a spot in front of Moe while Stastney, a senior defensemen, commanded the attention of Wisconsin.
After Stastney hit the brakes behind Moe, he hesitated and found an opportunity to slide the puck to Janicke, who gathered it with a defender on his backside and put it past Moe.
“A lot of guys stepped up and did some good things for us but Spencer, he’s the guy in game-winning situations you want on the ice,” Jackson said of Stastney’s assist. “You hope that happens with seniors, they rise to the moment.”
The Irish hadn't scored on Moe since 16:07 in the first period. Notre Dame jumped ahead 2-0 with goals by Slaggert and Zach Plucinski, which provided a much-needed boost after Moe's superb goaltending Friday night.
The first goal from Slaggert came just 1:41 into the game on an Irish power play. Slaggert slung it by Moe with the help of a screen by younger brother, Landon Slaggert. The younger Slaggert and fellow sophomore forward Ryder Rolston were credited with assists on the power-play goal.
Plucinski, a sophomore defenseman, gave the Irish their second goal with at 16:07 in the first period. Plucinski's third career goal came was created by a Jake Pivonka feed on a three-on-two break. Pivonka, a senior forward, and senior defenseman Nick Leivermann earned assists on the play.
Wisconsin fought back with a pair of power-play goals. Roman Ahcan cut the deficit to one when a redirected puck bounced his way and allowed him to push a one-time past Notre Dame goalie Matthew Galajda at 9:53 into the second period.
The Badgers tied the game with 14 seconds left on a five-minute major in the third period. A scramble in front of the net ended with a Carson Bantle goal at 3:23 into the period. The power play was the result of a Landon Slaggert penalty for hitting Wisconsin's Corson Ceulemans in the the head. Slaggert was ejected from the game for the hit.
His older brother helped bail him out by winning the late faceoff with 30 seconds remaining to set up the game-winning goal.
The game ended with some pushing and shoving between both sides. The two teams combined for 13 penalties. The Badgers, who tallied 36 shots, converted seven power plays into two goals. The Irish, who totaled 33 shots, managed one goal on five power plays.
The two teams will meet Sunday night with a trip to a one-game semifinal in the Big Ten Tournament next Saturday on the line. If Notre Dame wins, it will play at second-seeded Michigan. If Wisconsin wins, it will play at first-seeded Minnesota.
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