Notre Dame’s Sammy Nelson scored 21 seconds into 3-on-3 overtime to give the Fighting Irish a 3-2 win over No. 4 Michigan State on Thursday night at Compton Family Ice Arena in Notre Dame, Ind. Junior forward Shane Vansaghi scored both Spartan goals in their Big Ten opener. Michigan State fell to 6-3-0 (0-1-0 Big Ten) but picks up one point in the conference standings, with Notre Dame (5-6-0, 3-2-0) earning the extra point for the overtime win.
How it happened
Vansaghi thought he had opened the scoring 9:30 into the first period when freshman defenseman Chase Reid’s shot struck his stick in front, but a video review waved it off for a high stick. He got it back 1:56 into the second, driving to the net after a feed from Eric Nilson and flipping the puck over the Notre Dame goaltender.
Notre Dame tied it less than two minutes later on a back-post goal. Michigan State controlled the rest of the period, outshooting the Irish 16-7, including 13 shots over a four-minute stretch late in the frame. Anthony Romani had two breakaway chances in the period, one of them shorthanded, but couldn’t convert.
Vansaghi put the Spartans back in front at 7:43 of the third. Nilson absorbed a hit behind the net and slipped a pass between his own legs to Vansaghi for a one-timer.
Notre Dame answered about three minutes later. After a shot rang off the post and the puck was cleared, a point shot on the restart deflected off an Irish skater in front and was put home to make it 2-2. Michigan State pressed in the final minute of regulation, and Vansaghi narrowly missed a hat trick when a rebound slid through the crease, before Nelson ended it early in overtime for his second goal of the night.
Notes
- Vansaghi’s two goals matched his career high, which he also set at Notre Dame, on March 1, 2025. Nilson and freshman forward Jack Hextall assisted on both, and all three finished plus-2.
- Freshman goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen made 30 saves on 33 shots.
- Michigan State outshot Notre Dame 35-33 and won 29 of 55 faceoffs, with Cayden Lindstrom taking nine draws. Neither team scored on the power play.
- Head coach Adam Nightingale was unhappy with his team’s first period, saying, “we’re not a good enough team where we can do whatever we want.” He added that the Spartans were much better in the second.
The teams finish the series Friday at 7 p.m. at Compton Family Ice Arena, streaming on Peacock.
Sources
- Vansaghi’s Two Goals Lead No. 4 Hockey in B1G Opener at Notre Dame (MSUSpartans.com)
- Box score: Michigan State at Notre Dame (College Hockey News)
- No. 4 Hockey Opens B1G Action at Notre Dame Thursday (MSUSpartans.com)
- Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) on X, Nov. 12 (two posts)
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