Everything seemed to be going great for coach Jeff Jackson and his Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-5-1, 14-2-0-0). Sixteen straight victories was a best for both the university and the legendary coach. Then, they returned to the dreaded United Center, where their Frozen Four run ended last year at the hands of the Denver Pioneers.
After a shocking 5-0 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, followed up five days later by a heartbreaking 1-0 overtime loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Irish suddenly found themselves on a two game losing streak. In those two games, the Irish offense, which has been praised all season, couldn’t find the back of the net once.