It took 59 minutes and 29 seconds of play until Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey fans could breathe a sigh of relief on Saturday, but Jack Jenkins’s goal just before the end of regulation secured Notre Dame’s spot in the Big Ten Tournament final. By winning the conference regular season championship, the Irish will host the two-seed Ohio State Buckeyes on Sat. Mar. 17th at 8:00 PM ET.
Jeff Jackson’s squad will look to win their first conference championship since 2013, when they won the now-defunct Central Collegiate Hockey Association championship. The 2013 victory was an historic one for the Irish, as it marked the final season for the CCHA, which included their opponents on Saturday as well as other Big Ten rivals, Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans.