Hockey qualifies for Frozen Four-in Chicago!

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Windy City Bound: Irish Bounce UMass Lowell, 3-2, In Overtime
Notre Dame reaches the Frozen Four for the third time in school history

March 26, 2017
Box Score | Box Score | Photo Gallery | Irish NCAA Tournament Central
By Dan Colleran
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Sophomore Andrew Oglevie will be hard-pressed to ever score a more important goal. The forward's blast from just outside the crease at 2:44 of the first overtime gave fourth-seeded and 12th-ranked Notre Dame a 3-2 victory over second-seeded and fourth-ranked UMass Lowell in the Northeast Regional Final on Sunday afternoon at the SNHU Center (4,635).
The Fighting Irish (23-11-5) advance to the 2017 Frozen Four, which will begin on Thursday, April 6, at the United Center in Chicago. Notre Dame will face the winner of Sunday's Midwest Regional Final between Denver and Penn State.
The Irish have now reached the Frozen Four three times in school history (2008, 2011 and 2017).
Freshman forward Cam Morrison scored a pair of goals and junior forward Anders Bjork assisted on all three Notre Dame goals. Junior goalie Cam Petersen registered 27 saves.

How It Happened

Just two minutes into the first period, Petersen made back-to-back saves, including the second one on Michael Kapla from the low slot, to stem off an early push by the River Hawks.Nine minutes into the opening frame, Mike O'Leary created a turnover and Dawson Cook ended up with a point blank chance but UMass Lowell goaltender Tyler Wall made the save.
Bjork helped create a turnover at the defensive blue line and then fed the puck to a streaking Morrison, who knocked in his own rebound on a breakaway chance to give the Irish a 1-0 lead at 11:49 of the first period.
UMass Lowell was able to tie it up, 1-1, when Ryan Collins scored his first of the season -- with just 1:02 to play in the first. Ryan Lohin and Tyler Mueller had the assists.
The teams traded chances as the second period wore on. With three minutes remaining, a quick tip in front by Evans forced Wall into one of his best saves of the game.

Notre Dame's penalty kill was a key to keeping the game tied through 40 minutes of play as the Irish blanked the River Hawks on the three power-play chances they had in the second.
UMass Lowell came out of the second intermission on the attack. The River Hawks peppered Petersen and Irish netminder with 13 shots over the opening eight minutes of the third period. UMass Lowell was finally rewarded for its work. John Edwardh deflected a shot high past Petersen to give the River Hawks a 2-1 lead at 11:38 of the third.
With its season on the line, Notre Dame responded and its speed was the difference. After the UMass Lowell goal, the Irish created multiple scoring chances and fired seven shots in Wall's direction, but the River Hawks goalie was up to the task.
The speed and work rate of Evans and Bjork got the Irish even. Evans skated down a loose puck behind the UMass Lowell net and Bjork slipped it to a hard-charging Morrison, who beat Wall to tie the game, 2-2, at 14:43 of the third.
Notre Dame did not have to wait long in overtime.
Bjork spotted Oglevie alone in front of the net, and Oglevie did not waste the chance. He buried over Wall's right shoulder to give the Irish the victory.

Notre Dame NCAA Notes

Junior goaltender Cal Petersen made his 89th-consecutive start in the Notre Dame net, which is the fourth-longest streak in the NCAA Div. I records book.
Petersen has also appeared in 90 consecutive games, which is the fifth-longest mark in the NCAA Div. I records book.
Jordan Gross skated in his 118th straight game.
Junior forward Anders Bjork has six points in three career NCAA Tournament games on three goals and three assists.
Bjork's three assists are a career-high. He's recorded two assists in a game on 14 different occasions over his career.
Cam Morrison notched his second and third goal of the 2016-17 playoffs and his first and second of the NCAA Tournament (had an assist in the win over Minnesota).
Morrison became Notre Dame's sixth player to reach 10 goals on the season.
Notre Dame is now 3-1 in NCAA Regional Finals and the Irish are now 5-2 as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
This season marks the eighth NCAA Tournament appearance by the Irish under head coach Jeff Jackson, dating back to 2006, and he led Notre Dame to the Frozen Four in 2008, 2011 and 2017. Notre Dame's 3-2 win over Minnesota on Saturday marked the third time this season the Irish rallied from two goals down to win (Dec. 10 vs. Boston College and at Maine on Feb. 11).
Prior to Saturday's 3-2 win against the Gophers, Notre Dame's two most recent NCAA Tournament wins also came at the SNHU Arena in the 2011 Northeast Regional (it was called the Verizon Wireless Arena). In the opening round in 2011, the Irish defeated Merrimack in overtime, 3-2, and then downed New Hampshire, 2-1, to advance to the 2011 Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minnesota.

[IrishDodger]

ND scores with 3 seconds left to beat scUM in the Frozen Four. They advance to the Natty vs Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday.

[LOVEMYIRISH]

ND scores with 3 seconds left to beat scUM in the Frozen Four. They advance to the Natty vs Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday.

I live in MN...this would be a big win for me...LOL

[IrishDodger]

I live in MN...this would be a big win for me...LOL

I know very little about college hockey but know Duluth has a helluva program. It should be a hard fought game.

[lowayne]

I live in MN...this would be a big win for me...LOL

The state of hockey has 0 Stanley Cups.

[LOVEMYIRISH]

The state of hockey has 0 Stanley Cups.

Yup. Hockey is all about $$$... Minnesota teams will never pay the money it takes to go big like that. Pro-sports are not that big here. We are happy when they do well, but good luck getting butts in seats.

One of my daughter's hockey coaches a few years back played in the NHL for a decade or so...he played out of state.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_McAlpine

[IrishDodger]

Duluth already up 2-0

[IrishDodger]

ND scores in the 2nd period to make it 2-1.

Irish being outshot 2-1

[eric_navy]

Trailed UM (sucks) 2-0 as well. Got them right where they want them.

[IrishDodger]

Duluth’s defense was just inpenetrable