Irish head coach Jeff Jackson was only a spectator the last time he can remember a Notre Dame hockey squad being completely dominated in a game from start to finish.
After Friday night's 4-1 loss at the hands of Ohio State in the Joyce Center, the Irish head coach could only think to compare it to last year's 9-2 loss to Michigan at the War Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind.
"It was the most disappointing thing that I've seen this entire season, and I can't explain it," Jackson said of the Ohio State loss. "So, I have to take credit for it. I told our fans that if we didn't out work people, we didn't out discipline people, then it was my fault."
The Irish icers hung with the Buckeyes for the first period and entered the second stanza with the game tied at 1-1, but the deadlock was short lived.
Ohio State forward Kyle Hood set up just under the top of the faceoff circle and received a crisp pass from center Dave Barton in the midst of a scramble in front of Irish goalie Dave Brown.
The sophomore right wing let off a low blast to the wide-open left side of the net to put the Buckeye's back on top at 2-1, 2:17 into the second frame.
It took less than a minute for Ohio State to pad their lead, as Mathieu Beaudoin picked his corner and sent home his sixth goal of the year - the Buckeyes' third of the game at 3:16. Kevin Bernard assisted the goal.
"Our first couple shifts, all of a sudden we're up by a few goals," Ohio State head coach John Markell said of his team's play in the early second period. "I thought that was the real turning point in the game. Our guys were alert tonight, and that was the big difference."
The Buckeyes' sealed the deal 11:38 into the third with a power play goal to put the game out of reach at 4-1.
Brown made the initial save on a shot from the outside, but a melee ensued for the rebound, and Tom Fritsche roofed the loose puck. A fight broke out after the goal when Irish defenseman Brock Sheahan leveled Fritsche to the ice and several other Buckeyes and Irish squared off before being separated by the referees.
Notre Dame was out shot 34 to 15 and surrendered two power play goals on 10 Ohio State chances on the night, but showed a limited amount of life on the power play after converting for its lone goal.
"They were good, but we made it easy for them," Jackson said. "We turned the puck over, we were soft along the boards. Every pass that we made, it looked like was in somebody's skates. We weren't sharp at all. Everything we did played right into their hand."
Ohio State got to an early start when assistant captain Sean Collins ripped a shot from the point that ricocheted off the crossbar to the right front side of the net. Matt McIlvane corralled the loose puck and roofed it over Dave Brown's pads for the 1-0 lead only 1:57 into the first frame.
Notre Dame countered with a power play goal of its own at 17:20 of the same period to knot the game at one apiece. Tim Wallace was the catalyst for the play after unleashing a rocket on net that Buckeye goalie Dave Caruso deflected towards the middle slot. Matt Amado broke hard into the Ohio State zone to flip the puck over a diving Caruso to the back of the net.
Brown gave a solid performance in net for the Irish, making 30 saves and denying several golden scoring opportunities for the Buckeyes.
"We try to take it upon ourselves to create our own energy and create our own motivation to come out and play strong," Brown said of rebounding from loses. "We have to be able to pick ourselves up and not rely on coach all the time."
Ohio State 5, Notre Dame 2
The outcome did not differ in the second game of Notre Dame's home series against Ohio State on Saturday night as the Irish fell 5-2.
The Buckeyes opened up a 5-0 lead at the beginning of the third period, and despite a late offensive flurry by the Irish, the game was in the books.
Amado got his second goal in two nights to put the game at 5-1 and was assisted by Sheahan and Noah Babin. Captain T.J. Jindra cut the lead to 5-2 with a little over five minutes left when he scored unassisted.
Ohio State's Domenic Maiani tallied both second-period goals for the Buckeyes and Fritsche notched the fifth and final goal. Barton and Rod Pelley lit the lamp once apiece in the first period to open up the Ohio State scoring show.
Dave Caruso got his second win on the weekend in net for the Buckeyes, while Brown (19 saves) split time with Jordan Pearce (7 saves) in between the pipes in the Irish loss.
Notes
u Victor Oreskovich has decided to leave the University of Notre Dame and the Irish hockey program for personal reasons, Jackson announced on Sunday. The sophomore forward will join the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, who obtained the rights to Oreskovich on Nov. 24 from the Windsor Spitfires in a trade.
Oreskovich has three goals and three assists in his 46 games for the Irish and was selected in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round. Jackson stated that he discussed the situation with Oreskovich and the decision was "mutually agreed upon."
