icehockey-men-d1 flag

Notre Dame Athletics | November 21, 2021

Hat trick lifts No. 14 Notre Dame men's hockey to 5-4 OT win at No. 1 Michigan

The 7 men's ice hockey players to watch in the 2021-22 season

For the second straight night, No. 14 Notre Dame came back to hand top-ranked Michigan an overtime loss as the Fighting Irish posted a 5-4 win at Yost Ice Arena (5,800).

Max Ellis had three goals on the night, including the overtime winner, as he collected his first career hat trick. 

In a game that featured four ties and a frantic pace throughout, Graham Slaggert and Jesse Lansdell also scored for the Irish.

The Notre Dame penalty kill came up big, holding the nation’s top statistical power play to an 0-for-5 mark on the night, including two extended 5-on-3 chances. 

GAME 1 RECAP: Find out how No. 14 Notre Dame came back to beat No. 1 Michigan 

In net, Ryan Bischel made 37 saves including three in overtime to earn the win. Michigan’s Erik Portillo finished with 16 saves for the Wolverines. 

Notre Dame has now won six games in a row on the season to improve to 10-3-0 overall. The Irish have also won seven straight at Yost Ice Arena — including four straight with Bischel in net.

Notre Dame got the game’s first power play just over five minutes into the first and Grant Silianoff and Nick Leivermann had chances before the advantage was negated by an Irish minor.

Michigan struck first at 12:12 of the first when Michael Pastujov put a rebound past Bischel after Mackie Samoskevich’s initial shot bounced back into the slot after hitting the post. 

The Wolverines extended the lead to 2-0 at 15:35 of the first when Thomas Bordeleau finished off a 3-on-1 chance after Bischel made a save on Samoskevich.

RANKINGS: Check out the latest men's hockey Power 10 rankings | Latest USCHO poll 

Graham Slaggert answered for the Irish at 16:01 of the first with his fifth goal of the season. He picked up a loose puck that Trevor Janicke had sent towards the goal, turned and fired low past Erik Portillo. Jake Boltmann had the other assist on the play. 

Just 1:29 into the second, the Irish evened it at 2-2 when Jesse Lansdell tapped in his third goal of the season at the back post. Solag Bakich deflected a Chase Blackmun pass from the point to Lansdell to deposit into a wide open net. 

Ellis gave the Irish their first lead of the night at 4:37 of the second when he forced Portillo into a turnover behind the net and then scored on a wraparound into an empty net.

Leading 3-2, Notre Dame killed off a pair of overlapping penalties midway through the second, including killing off 57 seconds of a 5-on-3 chance.

TOP 10: Check out the best former college hockey players in the NHL right now

But the Wolverines evened it at 3-3 on a Nick Blankenburg goal at 9:48 of the second.

Just after a 5-on-3 advantage expired for the Irish, Ellis netted his second of the night to make it a 4-3 game at the end of the second period. The 5-on-4 power-play goal, which came at 19:02, was assisted by Nick Leivermann and Ryder Rolston.

Michigan tied it up at 4-4 at 13:29 of the third on a Bordeleau wrister from the faceoff dot.

With 1:22 left in the third, Leivermann gloved one out with a hand pass to keep it tied.

Ellis’ overtime winner then came at 3:29 when he tipped in an Adam Karashik feed from just outside the goal crease, with Cam Burke notching the other assist on the play.

Wild Saturday in the Top 10: Upsets, comebacks and statement wins across men’s college basketball

Saturday delivered the kind of chaos usually reserved for the NCAA Tournament. Four Top 10 teams went down, conference races tightened and postseason resumes shifted dramatically in a span of hours. The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball, Arizona Wildcats men's basketball, UCLA Bruins men's basketball and Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball each delivered statement victories that reshaped the national picture.
READ MORE

Michigan, Duke soar into the top 5 of latest women's basketball Power 10 rankings

Duke and Michigan leaped into the top 5 of Autumn Johnson's latest Power 10 rankings after multiple top teams suffer losses.
READ MORE

Big Ten women’s basketball race heats up as UCLA, Michigan score statement wins to open February

UCLA and Michigan delivered statement wins in marquee matchups Sunday, bringing the Big Ten women’s basketball title race in sharp focus as February begins.
READ MORE