Notre Dame 5, Penn State 3

Notre Dame 1, Penn State 0

Aside from the series with Denver, the Irish weren't exactly stellar at home during the first month of the season.  After dropping a couple games they really shouldn't have, things seemed to get back on track with the road sweep of Ohio State to open the conference slate.  Back at Compton for the weekend, Notre Dame was looking to avoid a letdown against the Nittany Lions and keep pace in a wide open Big Ten.

Penn State has been a Cinderella story ever since Fairy Godfather Terry Pegula waived his magic wand over the program.  Yet the clock very well may have struck midnight on these Nittany Lions.  Ranked tenth in the USA Today preseason poll, PSU has taken a tumble (#17 USA Today / #19 USCHO.com) due to their inability to keep the puck out of the net.  This worked in the Irish's favor on Friday, battling back from two first-period deficits before pulling away in the third.  Bo Brauer recorded his first goal of the season to tie the game up 1-1 in the first.  After surrendering a late goal just before the break, Notre Dame evened things up on Bobby Nardella's rocket from behind the blueline.  Jake Evans picked up his 15th assist of the season, pitching in on Andrew Oglevie's tally to put the Irish ahead for the first time of the night.  Penn State found an answer just 88 seconds later, and the two teams headed to the locker rooms knotted at three.  Dawson Cook's deflection in the slot put the Irish back on top with a little more than eight minutes to play, and Jack Jenkins would seal the deal with his empty net goal in the final seconds of the game.

One of the issues looming over Notre Dame at the start of the season was who would seize contol of the starting goaltender position.  That question was emphatically answered this weekend, as Cale Morris picked up two more conference wins and his first collegiate shutout against the high-powered Penn State offense.  As good as Morris was Friday (43 shots, 40 saves), he was absolutely brilliant Saturday.  While the defense performed exceptionally well, blocking numerous shots and providing the sophomore netminder with good looks at the puck, Morris made some outstanding saves to keep the Nittany Lions off the board.  Bo Brauer had nearly as good a weekend, picking up his second goal in as many games and his first career game winner.  Brauer lifted the feed from Mike O'Leary over Penn State goaltender Peyton Jones - whose performance rivaled Morris' - to account for the only goal of the game.

The Irish take a break from conference play as they head to the Empire State for a series with the RPI Engineers.

Indiana 6, Vanderbilt 1

Indiana 3, Ole Miss 2 (OT)

When the first ACHA D3 poll was released on Wednesday, the Hoosiers found themselves sitting at #6 in the North, bouyed by a strong goal differential.  With a couple weeks off coming up, Indiana looked to solidify their standing with a pair of contests down in Music City.  The Hoosiers took care of business Friday night, thumping Vanderbilt by a score of 6-1.  Kevin Wagner got things rolling early with his tally just 2:17 into the action.  Ryan Ward and Sam Rascia chimed in as well, giving Indiana a 3-0 lead at the first intermission.  Bryan Mooney netted a shorty early in the second to push the advantage to four, and Sam Markwood finished off a nice feed from Devan Mackellar to make it 5-0.  Mooney added one more for the Hoosiers to finish off the frame. Matthew Turner nearly held Vandy off the board, but the Commodores managed to slip one past him with 33 ticks left on the clock to break up the shutout bid.  Turner finished the night with 21 saves

Saturday's neutral ice tilt pitted the Hoosiers against the #14 team from the South Region in Ole Miss.  Both goaltenders started the game strong, turning away some good looks in a back and forth first.  Lost in the fray near the end of the period, George McMahon somehow managed to get his stick on the puck and slide it past the Rebels netminder to put Indiana up 1-0 at the break.  Markwood's second goal of the weekend doubled the Hoosiers lead in the second, but Mississippi would get one back before heading to the locker room for the second intermission.  The Rebels struck again in the fifth minute of the final frame to tie things up at 2-2, but Connor Minnick bounced back strong to send the game into overtime.  Those few extra minutes would be all the Hoosiers needed to pick up their eighth win of the season, as McMahon's second goal would be the game winner and complete the southern sweep.  Minnick finished with 32 saves to earn his third win of the season.

Conference play resumes in early December as the Hoosiers host IPFW Mastadons at Frank Southern Arena on Dec. 1 & 2 and Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 3. 

Indiana Tech 3, Adrian 7

Adrian 1, Indiana Tech 5

Despite a recent three-game slide, the Warriors found themselves ranked #10 in the North when the first ACHA poll was released this past Wednesday.  A strong showing against #3 Adrian College would help Indiana Tech solidify their spot in the division, but the Bulldogs would come to Fort Wayne with other intentions.  The Warriors took an early 1-0 as Anthony Passarelli netted the only goal of the opening frame.  Tech would stretch the lead to 3-0 on Hudson Sabin's second goal of the season and Ryan Krolikowski's first tally in nearly a month.  But the wheels would soon fall off as Tech surrended two power play goals in second to take a slim 3-2 lead into the break.  Things got even uglier in the third as the Bulldogs overwhelmed the Warriors defense and scored five straight to run away with the win.  Despite a solid first half, netminder Christopher Boyd would finish the night with 21 saves on 28 shots.

The road would prove to be a welcome relief as Tech put forth their best performance in recent weeks.  Connor Barney's tally just 24 seconds in set the tone, and even with the Bulldogs tying the game at 1-1 near the end of the first would not deter the Warriors.  Barney kicked off the second period in much the same way as the first, pushing Tech back in front at the one minute mark.  Having picked up the assist's on Barney's first goal, Passarelli and Krolikowski woud team up once again, this time helping Tyler Lantzsch add to the advantage.  Tech would score early once more with Passarelli adding a goal at 2:32 into the third period to go with his two assists.  Mike Cruse's unassisted goal at 18:04 would seal the deal for the Warriors.  Boyd's night between the pipes was equally as impressive, stopping 31 of 32 shots to pick up his sixth win of the season.

Indiana Tech looks to gain a little ground in the rankings with a two-game home set against winless Calvin College.

Trine 4, Michigan State 2
Trine 8, Michigan State 2

Ranked third in the Central division in this past week's ACHA poll, the Thunder continued their amazing run by sweeping the home-and-home series with the Michigan State Spartans.  Trine used a balance of potent offense and solid defense to knock off the #13 team, following up a 4-2 in East Lansing with an 8-2 thumping at Thunder Ice Arena.

Four different skaters would score for the Thunder on Friday, with Freshman forward Austin Christie getting Trine on the board in the waning minutes of the second period.  Christie would add an assist to share the points lead with Brandon Bornkamp and Spencer Johnson, who each pitched in two assists on the night.  Bornkamp's two assists pushed him past the 30 point mark in Trine's first season of record.  Tyler Hough would pick up the win in net for the Thunder.

Saturday would see the Thunder would double up the Spartans in both the first and second period, taking a 4-2 lead into the final frame.  Trine would pull away in the third, tallying four goals on their way to the 8-2 victory.  Defenseman Adam Schaffer led the team with three goals and an assist, while Sean Schirripa would finish the night with two goals of his own.  Freshman netminder Adam Conkling would get his team-leading fifth win on Saturday.

The battle for state bragging rights begins this weekend as the Thunder host the Indiana Hoosiers in the first half of the inaugural I69 challenge.

Indiana 3, Adrian 7
Indiana 0, Adrian 4

2017 has been a tumultuous year thus far for the Hoosiers.  After finally snapping their 10-game losing streak last weekend, the team relieved Clint Hagmaier of his head coaching responsibilities.  Hoping a change in leadership would lead to a change in fortune, Indiana played host to Adrian College - the Central division's 11th-ranked team.  Things didn't work out quite as hoped for as the Hoosiers dropped both games of the series, losing by four goals in each.

Everhett Grimes turned in a first-rate performance on an otherwise forgettable night Friday, scoring two of the Hoosiers' goals and assisting on the third.  Grimes' three points pulled him into a three-way tie for the team lead with Christian Schurmann-Colicchio and Austin Eng, who each picked up an assist on the night.  Jonathn Cuthbert would get credit for the final tally.  Joseph Stebbins would have a busy night in net, facing 52 shots from the Bulldogs offense.  Freshman goaltender Stephen Gasior took heavy fire in Saturday's rematch as well, turning away 51 of 55 in the shutout loss.

The Hoosiers face their toughest challenge of the season as they kick off the inaugural I69 challenge on the road against the surprising Trine Thunder.  

Trine 1, Adrian 5

Trine 1, Adrian 8

Fresh off their first win in program history, the Trine Women's team faced a significantly bigger challenge against the third-ranked Adrian Bulldogs.  The Thunder would fall behind early on a power play goal less than two minutes in, and trail 2-0 by the end of the first period.  Kailey Cameron cut the deficit in half on her first goal of the season at 8:19 in the second, but the Bulldogs would score 20 seconds apart to push the lead to 4-1.  Adrian added another tally in the third to account for the final.  Earning the victory in her debut last week, Molly Scarborough got the nod in net and finished with 53 saves in the contest.

Saturday's rematch was nearly all Bulldogs, as Trine would fall behind 7-0 before finally getting on the scoreboard in the third.  Sierra Westner would score the lone goal for the Thunder, picking up her third tally of the season at the 6:14 mark.  Scarborough started the game in net for the Thunder, but was pulled after surrendering five goals in just over 40 minutes.  Ryan Harth would fare no better, giving up three goals on 22 shots to close out the loss.

The Thunder have a better chance to earn their first road victory of the young season as they travel to Wisconsin to face 0-4 Marion University.

Purdue 8, IPFW 3

Purdue 10, IPFW 0

Last season, IPFW scored with reckless abandon, recording the third-highest goal total in ACHA Division 3.  Hampered by a paper-thin bench, this year's version is struggling to find consistency in their game.  A week after walloping Robert Morris on the road, the Mastadons were solidly drubbed by ICHC foe Eastern Kentucky.  Their struggles continued in a two-game set against conference rival Purdue.

The Boilermakers have had an up & down start to the season, but they rebounded from last weekend's disheartening series with Indiana to put together their most solid showing to date.  Andy Pietraniec opened the scoring Friday to put Purdue up early, but Cory Mitchell would answer for the 'Dons to tie the score 1-1.  James Hickey's feed to the slot would somehow find its way past IPFW goaltender Taylor Amborn to push the Boilermakers back in front to end the first period of play.  John Vanvliet - Purdue's leading scorer with 22 points in 12 games - started things off in the second, while Will Anderson's back to back goals would stretch the lead to 5-1 after two periods.  The final frame would swing back and forth between the two teams, with the 'Dons scoring twice and the Boilermakers adding three.  Matthew Eagon picked up the victory in the 8-3 final.

Game two was all Purdue as seven different skaters found the back of the net in the 10-0 rout, capped off with a hat trick from Alex Markovich and two goals from Eric Menzel.  Vanvliet picked up a goal and an assist to add to his team points lead.

Purdue hopes their offensive mojo holds up on the road against the North's #4 team in Grand Valley State.  IPFW looks to rebound at home against the Ball State Cardinals, who were idle this past weekend.

Trine 0, St. Norbert 3

Trine 2, Finlandia 2 (OT)

The Thunder hit the road this weekend still in search of their first win.  Not an easy task to be sure, as Friday's game would pit them against top-ranked St. Norbert.  Brett Young got the nod in game one, and he rewarded Head Coach Alex Todd with two scoreless periods.  It wouldn't stay that way though, as the Green Knights started the third on the power play and would capitalize just 56 seconds in.  The Knights would strike again a couple minutes later, and add another power play goal with 1:29 left to play to shut the door on the Thunder.  Young would finish with 36 saves in the losing effort.

Saturday saw the Thunder earn their first point of the season, as they rallied to tie Finlandia 2-2.  Carmine Taffo picked up his first goal of the season halfway through the opening period, giving Trine a 1-0 lead at the break.  The Lions would come roaring back in the second, scoring twice to swing the advantage in their favor.  The Thunder clawed their way back as Lucas Bombardier netted his third goal of the season at 12:05 into the final frame.  Young would make it stand up, fighting off the Lions the rest of the way and stopping 27 of 29 shots to preserve the point.

Trine faces another tough test as the take on the second-ranked Adrian Bulldogs in a home-and-home series.  The puck drops Friday 7pm at Thunder Ice Arena to kick things off.

Notre Dame 0, Xavier 1 (OT)
Notre Dame 7, Xavier 1

Both goaltenders filled up the highlight reel Friday night, as the Xavier Musketeers outlasted the Fighting Irish in a 1-0 overtime thriller.  Charles-Alexandre Rioux put forth an outstanding effort in game one, stopping 27 of 28 shots in over 63 minutes of action.  Unfortunately, Xavier's Stevie Erwin did him one better, finishing the night a perfect 44 of 44 to pick up the win in the bonus frame.  Brian Hack would net the game winner for the Musketeers.

Hack would strike again Saturday, but Erwin would fail to duplicate his brillant performance from the previous night.  John Welsch tallied twice for the Irish and David Wendel added a goal of his own before Hack would get Xavier on the board in the latter half of the second period.  Notre Dame tore away in the third, netting four goals from four different players to account for the 7-1 final.  David Troyer picked up the win with 22 saves on the night.

The Irish take an extended leave of absence through the holidays, resuming their season on Jan 19 & 20 against the North Region's #8-ranked Hope College.

E. Kentucky 1, Augustana 5
E. Kentucky 9, Augustana 4

Picking up a couple of much needed conference wins last weekend against IPFW, the Colonels came home with a four-game streak in hand and looking to add more against an Augustana College team that had been severely abused thus far.  Depsite giving up 126 goals in 14 games, Eastern Kentucky managed just a single score in Friday's matchup.  Gabriel Bahn provided the lone bright spot for the Colonels, cutting a two-goal lead in half at the 7:00 mark of the second period.  The Vikings relieved a lot of pent-up frustration in this one, picking up three misconduct violations to account for 30 of their 46 penalty minutes.

Riding the momentum from the previous nights' win, Augustana took an early lead in game two on Saturday.  The Colonels fought back though, tying the game up at 1-1 on Alex Anderson's tally before giving up a last minute goal to end the first.  The Vikings would open the second with another score, stretching their advantage to two, but Timothy Muhsman would answer four minutes into the frame.   Augustana regained their two-goal lead a short while later, but it would be all Colonels from that point on.  Bahn tallied his second of the weekend to cut the lead to one, and Corey Jenks would slip one through just before time expired to lock things up at four apiece going into the third.  Bahn would complete his hat trick as part of a five-goal period for a convincing EKU victory.  Johnathan Johnson started both games in net for the Colonels.

E. Kentucky hosts Middle Tennessee State for one next weekend before resuming ICHC play against Butler in early December.

Butler 3, Denison 3 (OT)

The Bulldogs hosted Big Red on Friday night in a one-game tilt at Pop Weaver Pavilion.  Denison held on to an early 1-0 lead throughout the first period and beyond, but four goals in just under a two-minute span would result in a 3-2 Bulldog lead after two.  Ben Otto struck first at 16:07, followed by Brady Murphy slightly more than a minute later.  Big Red would answer 18 short seconds later, but Eric Gentry pushed the Bulldogs back ahead with less than two minutes to play in the period.  Denison would tie the game at 8:47 left in the third, but both goaltenders held their ground thorugh the remainder of regulation and overtime.

Butler picks up after the Thanksgiving holiday with a pair of ICHC games against visiting Eastern Kentucky on Dec 1 & 2.

UIndy 4, Davenport 11
UIndy 4, Davenport 3

**Game details unavailable at time of publication