Irish Look to Defend Home Ice Against the Buckeyes
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey team returns to home ice this weekend for a two-game series against the #9-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. This marks the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the first series taking place in Columbus last December, where Ohio State swept Notre Dame. While the Buckeyes currently sit third in the Big Ten standings, the Irish have struggled, falling to the bottom of the conference.
Game Details: Where, When, and How to Watch
• Where:Compton Family Ice Arena, Notre Dame, IN
• When:
• Friday, February 7 – 7 PM ET
• Saturday, February 8 – 6 PM ET
• How to Watch:Both games will be streamed live on Peacock
Notre Dame’s Current Form
Since the start of the spring semester, Notre Dame has split its last four series, showing flashes of potential but struggling with consistency. The team’s offensive struggles from the first half of the season have continued, despite strong individual performances.
Sophomore Danny Nelson has been on a hot streak since returning from the World Junior Championships, tying for the team lead in goals. Fellow sophomore Cole Knuble remains the team’s leading scorer and is the only Irish player averaging over a point per game. Senior Justin Janickeand graduate transfer Blake Biondi have also been bright spots, but beyond them, offensive production has been inconsistent.
Between the pipes, goaltending remains a question mark. Owen Say has settled in as a steady but not elite starting goaltender, keeping the Irish competitive when they can generate offense. Freshman Nicholas Kempf showed flashes of brilliance in the middle of the season but has struggled with consistency. He is expected to get more opportunities in net to develop for the future, but for now, Say provides the best chance to win—as long as the offense steps up.
Scouting Ohio State
Despite a rough start to the spring semester—losing five of their last eight games—the #9 Buckeyes remain one of the strongest teams in the country. Their offense outpaces Notre Dame’s, with multiple players surpassing the Irish’s top scorers. Additionally, Ohio State boasts one of the best goaltending tandems in the nation, giving them a solid defensive foundation.
The Buckeyes dominated the Irish in their previous matchup, but those games were in Columbus. Notre Dame will now have the advantage of playing on home ice.
Prediction
Given their home-ice advantage and recent patterns of alternating wins and losses, Notre Dame has a good chance of earning a split this weekend. The Irish have struggled with game-to-game consistency, but they have shown resilience by bouncing back after tough losses. If they can capitalize on strong individual performances and improve offensive output, they should be able to steal one game from the Buckeyes.
Final Prediction: Series split (1-1).
