The No. 17 Irish split a pair of games in the season-opening Warrior College Hockey Ice Breaker Tournament in St. Louis this weekend. Notre Dame beat Holy Cross, 6-3, Friday before losing a heartbreaker to No. 14 Boston University in the tournament's championship game on Sunday.
Terrier defenseman Sean Escobedo scored with 1:07 left on the clock to win the game for Boston University. Sophomore left wing Nick Larson led the way with two goals for the Irish (1-1-0) in a game in which neither team held more than a one-goal lead.
The Terriers held a 2-1 lead after the first period, but Larson scored both goals in the second stanza and, with another goal from freshman defenseman Shayne Taker, the teams entered the final period tied 4-4. Even though the teams combined for five goals in the second period, the final 20 minutes were a defensive struggle, with neither team lighting the lamp until Escobedo's game-winner.
Freshman goalie Steven Summerhays made his Notre Dame debut against the Terriers, stopping 19 of 24 Boston University shots.
In the opener against Holy Cross, freshman left wing Anders Lee scored a hat trick in his first regular season Division I action. Lee got the Irish off to a hot start, netting his first goal just 1:58 into the game. After Shayne Stockton tied it up for the Crusaders, Lee responded less than five minutes later with his second of the game on a one-timer set up by linemate Ryan Guentzel, who notched three assists in the game.
After that, it was smooth sailing for the Irish. Senior defenseman Joe Lavin lit the lamp to give Notre Dame a 3-1 lead heading into the first intermission, and Larson, Lee and freshman center T.J. Tynan added goals in the second to put the game out of reach.
Sophomore Mike Johnson had 32 saves on 35 Crusader shots to pick up the win in net for Notre Dame.
The Irish return to action next weekend when they host Lake Superior State at the Joyce Center in both teams' CCHA openers. Games are set for Thursday and Friday night at 7:35 p.m.
