Michigan
17-12-3, 10-10-2
Notre Dame
15-17-2, 9-13-2
Warren's Late Tally Leads Michigan to Senior Night Win Over Notre Dame
2/24/2024 10:22:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Defenseman Marshall Warren netted the game-winning goal along with an assist.
» Gavin Brindley scored Michigan's first goal and assisted on Warren's game-winner.
» Jake Barczewski finished the night with 28 saves on 29 shots.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Looking for a win to clinch home ice for the first round of the Big Ten tournament, the 17th-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team delivered on Saturday (Feb. 24) to celebrate Senior Night with a 2-1 victory over Notre Dame at Yost Ice Arena.
With the win, U-M (17-12-3, 10-10-2 Big Ten) picked up three points in the conference standings and slid past the Irish into fourth place, the final slot that earns home ice for the conference quarterfinals.
With just under three minutes remaining in regulation and tied at one, defenseman Marshall Warren skated to the point and sent a shot on goal that ricocheted through traffic to find the back of the net with 2:57 left and give Michigan a 2-1 lead. Gavin Brindley and Rutger McGroarty recorded the assists that pushed Michigan into the lead.
Tyler Duke and the UND captain were each sent off with 1:32 remaining for coincidental roughing penalties. The teams dropped down to 4-on-4, but the Irish called timeout and pulled their netminder for an empty net with less than two minutes remaining.
Notre Dame (15-17-2, 9-13-2 Big Ten) threatened until the very end, but Michigan was able to keep the puck out of its net to put the finishing touches on a 2-1 win and clinch home ice for the first round of the playoffs in two weeks.
Goaltender Jake Barczewski was stellar once again to backstop the Wolverines to the sweep, making 28 saves on 29 shots that he faced to earn his 15th win of the season.
Less than two minutes into the game, Notre Dame embarked on the first power play of the night after Philippe Lapointe was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct between the benches. Late in the advantage, the Irish scored their first goal of the weekend to take a 1-0 lead at 3:05.
Blueliner Seamus Casey got the Wolverines on the board at 9:16 by forcing a shot through the netminder's equipment. Notre Dame challenged the play, and it was ruled to be offside so the goal was rescinded.
Despite the temporary setback, the Wolverines kept chipping away until Brindley dashed across the blue line on the right flank and threaded a wrist shot to the top-right corner of the net at 10:40. Brindley's goal, his 20th of the season, stayed on the board to tie the game at one goal apiece. Warren and Ethan Edwards earned assists on the goal.
The win over Notre Dame marked U-M's first home sweep of the Irish since 2012, and the first sweep in regulation since 1997. Michigan is now 19-6-5 over the past 30 Senior Nights.
Next week, Michigan will travel west to Minneapolis for the final two games of the regular season, Friday and Saturday (March 1-2) against Minnesota. Puck drop for both games is set for 7:30 p.m. CST, and the games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
