New York State Season Opener Hockey Set – Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Official Athletics Website

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team kicks off the 2024-2025 regular season with a trip to Upstate New York to take on St. Lawrence University (Friday, October 11) and Clarkson University (Saturday, October 12) . The trip marks the first in program history that the Irish will visit the home court of both opponents and Friday's tilt will be the first between Notre Dame and St. Lawrence since the 2000-01 season.

Both games are scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be streamed on ESPN+.

SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: St. Lawrence (free.) | Clarkson (Sat.)
Location: Canton, NY | Potsdam, NY
Schedule: Fri. 7:00 PM | Fed up. 7:00 PM
TV: ESPN+
Live stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame

FAST HITS

• The Irish team returns 19 student-athletes from the 2023-2024 roster, including 11 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders. The forwards include graduated senior Grant Silianoff and seniors Justin Janicke, Hunter Strand and Tyler Carpenter. The returning defensemen include four players who appeared in the final series of the 2023-2024 season: Michael Mastrodomenico, Paul Fischer, Zach Plucinski and Henry Nelson.
• Notre Dame returns two 20-plus point scorers from a season ago as Danny Nelson (14-9-23) and Cole Knuble (11-9-20) enter their second seasons with the Irish.
• A total of eight returners scored double-digit points last season. In addition to Nelson and Knuble, Hunter Strand (15-4-19), Justin Janicke (4-12-16), Paul Fischer (14-2-16), Brennan Ali (10-3-13), Maddox Fleming (3- 9-12) and Grant Silianoff (4-7-11) are looking to improve on their double-digit performances from a season ago.
• On the last line of defense, the Irish bring back Jack Williams in goal and add two new netminders to the mix: Nicholas Kempf (USNTDP) and Owen Say (Mercyhurst)
• The Irish will add ten new faces to the roster in the 2024-2025 season, including five freshmen and five transfers. The ten newcomers consist of five attackers, three defenders and two goalkeepers.
• Graduating senior Blake Biondi immediately made his Irish presence known with a first-period goal against the USNTDP in the team's exhibition game last Friday night. The Hermantown, Minnesota native had two unofficial goals on the night, both scored on the power play. His second of the night sparked a third-period comeback for the Irish, including four unanswered goals to end the match and give the Irish the 5–2 victory.
• Senior Justin Janicke posted four assists against the U18 team on the night, all of which came in the final frame.
• Grant Silianoff and Maddox Fleming also recorded multi-point nights, while Ian Murphy was hit with rope for the first time in an Irish jersey as he closed out the scoring with an empty net on Friday.

NOTRE DAME vs. ST. LAWRENCE

• The Irish and Saints have met three times in program history, with the Irish having a 2-1 all-time record against St. Lawrence.
• The two teams have never hosted each other before, with all three previous meetings taking place in holiday tournaments.
• When Notre Dame and St. Lawrence last met, only three Irish skaters had been born (Ian Murphy, Zach Pluckinski and Tyler Carpenter).
• The most recent meeting between the two teams took place during the 2000-2001 season as part of the RPI/HSBC Holiday Classic in Troy, New York.
• Friday's game marks Notre Dame's first trip to Canton, New York.

NOTRE DAME vs. CLARKSON

• Notre Dame and Clarkson last collided in the 2023-2024 season opener at Compton Family Ice Arena.
• The Golden Knights took game one from the Irish a season ago before Notre Dame bounced back with a convincing 3-0 victory over the visitors to earn the split.
• Five current Irish skaters scored points in the series last season, including Jayden Davis and Danny Nelson who both scored their first career goals, while Maddox Fleming and Paul Fischer scored their first collegiate assists.
• Saturday's game between the Irish and the Golden Knights will mark the first turning point between the two teams in Potsdam, New York.