Herr Goal Lifts Notre Dame To 2-1 Win At UConn
Senior forward Sam Herr scores game-winning goal for Fighting Irish

Senior forward Sam Herr scored the game-winning goal for the Fighting Irish
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
2nd 0:16  NDM1-0 PP Jordan Gross (1)Mario Lucia/3, Dennis Gilbert/2
2nd 5:05  CON1-1 EV EA Miles Gendron (2)Shawn Pauly/2, Patrick Kirtland/2
3rd 12:36  NDM2-1 EV GW Sam Herr (2)Steven Fogarty/4, Mario Lucia/4
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Notre Dame  0112
Connecticut  0101
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Notre Dame  1181130
Connecticut  66315
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Notre Dame (2-1-2)  1/5 5/10 0
Connecticut (3-3-0)  0/5 5/13 0
Notre Dame Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Cal Petersen (W, 2-1-2)60:001 65314
Connecticut Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Rob Nichols (L, 3-2-0)59:412 1171028
Empty Net0:190     

HARTFORD, Conn. - The UConn men's hockey team got 28 saves from junior Rob Nichols (Dallas, Texas) but a third period goal from Sam Herr sent Notre Dame home with a 2-1 win over the Huskies in game one of a Hockey East weekend series in front of 5,190 at the XL Center Saturday afternoon.

Notre Dame held the Huskies to a season-low 15 shots with just three in the third period. Irish goaltender Cal Petersen stopped 14 shots and came up with a big save late on an UConn third period power play to get the win.

After a scoreless first period, the Fighting Irish jumped out to a 1-0 lead to start the second period and need just 16 seconds to score. A late first period penalty on UConn gave Notre Dame a power play to open the second. The Huskies took the opening period face off and looked headed for an offensive rush but a turnover led to a 4-on-2 breakout for Notre Dame.

Mario Lucia carried up the left wing and dropped a pass to Jordan Gross in the slot who buried one stick side, top-shelf for a 1-0 lead. UConn pulled the game even at 5:05 taking advantage of an extra skater opportunity on a delayed penalty. Senior Patrick Kirtland (Rocky Hill, Conn.) fired on net from just inside the blue line on the right wing where Petersen made the pad save.

Senior Shawn Pauly (Bellingham, Wash.) chopped at the puck before freshman Miles Gendron (Shrewsbury, Mass.) crashed the net to chip it past Petersen for his second of the year and a 1-1 game.

The Husky defense and penalty kill had their hands full to end the period, killing off a five minute major as well as a 5-on-3. Sophomore Derek Pratt (Mount Hermon, Mass.) was called for kneeing at mid ice and given a five minute major. Midway through the penalty, the Huskies were called for too many on the ice setting up a five-on-three for Notre Dame. UConn went to work blocking shots and Nichols came up with a pair of big stops to keep the game tied at 1-1. Senior Sam Herr made his way to the right post while Fogarty circled the net to find him cross-ice for a one-timer and a 2-1 lead.

UConn got a power play at 14:43 and got a great look late in the extra man chance as Pauly centered a puck back to Kirtland in front who just got a stick on it but couldn't sneak it past Petersen who got his pads down. The Huskies pulled Nichols in the closing seconds for the extra skater and almost capitalized on an empty net but freshman Joseph Masonius (Spring Lake, N.J.) couldn't get a shot away.

The Fighting Irish held a 30-15 edge on shots and finished 1-for-5 on the power play while killing off all five of UConn's chances with the extra skater.

The Huskies and Fighting Irish will close out their weekend series tomorrow afternoon from Brooklyn, N.Y. Opening face-off is scheduled for 2:35 pm at the Barclays Center.