No. 12 Notre Dame split its last regular season series two weekends ago with Western Michigan and after sitting out the first round of the CCHA playoffs with a bye, the Irish will play Ferris State in the second round.
The Irish (22-12-4) will play the fifth-seeded Bulldogs in a best-of-three game series this weekend at home starting Friday night and running through Sunday, if necessary. Ferris State (17-15-5) was one of four higher-seeded teams to win its first-round series last weekend as the fifth-through-eighth place squads advanced, while first-through-fourth place teams sat out.
The Bulldogs swept their first-round opponent, Western Michigan, by scores of 4-3 in overtime and 6-3. Those wins came a weekend after the Irish were shut out 3-0 on the road to Western Michigan before winning at home on senior night, 3-1.
Notre Dame and Ferris State were cluster-mates this season, playing each other four times - two at home and two on the road. The Bulldogs frustrated the Irish, gaining a 2-1-1 edge. The two teams last played in a two-game set at the Joyce Center, where Ferris State won 5-3 before they tied 2-2 on Feb. 8-9.
In other parts of the CCHA, first-place Michigan takes on Nebraska-Omaha while second-place Miami faces Bowling Green. Third-place Michigan State and Northern Michigan complete the second-round matchups. The winners will meet at Joe Louis Arena next weekend for the semifinals and finals.
Notre Dame's 3-0 loss to Western Michigan on the first weekend of spring break continued a long scoring drought for the Irish when they fired 40 shots on net without hitting the twine. But during the season finale, the Irish found a way to light the lamp three times for the 3-1 win on senior night.
All three goals came on the power play and were scored by consistent, but snake-bitten, Irish snipers Ryan Thang, Erik Condra and Mark Van Guilder.
The second-round series against Ferris State will begin Friday night at 7:35 p.m. at the Joyce Center, while Saturday's game will begin at 7:05 p.m. Sunday's game, if necessary, will begin at 7:05 p.m.
