Notre Dame, Ind. — Noah Hackett scored on a power play late in the second period, but Niagara couldn't find an equalizer and fell 3-1 to Notre Dame on Thursday night.
The Purple Eagles fell to 1-2-0, while the Fighting Irish opened their season 1-0-0.
First period
Notre Dame's Henry Nelson scored at 6:02, nine seconds after Adam Gionta blocked an earlier Nelson attempt. Ross Roloson forced a save at 8:35, and Mitchell Young hit the post at 8:44. Niagara was outshot 16-8 and trailed 1-0 at the break, but Gravel kept it close.
Niagara blocked seven shots in the period. Dante Josefsson-Westling had three attempts in 11 seconds around the 14-minute mark, two of them saved. When Danny Nelson went off for roughing at 14:38, Niagara got its first power play. It put three shots toward the net, but Spencer Young and Davis Codd missed wide and Notre Dame goalie Nicholas Kempf stopped Hackett.
Second period
Niagara and Notre Dame each had nine shots, and Gravel faced a heavy early push as Notre Dame fired 10 attempts before the midpoint. Theo Lemieux and Maxim Muranov both got shots off at 7:23, with Muranov's blocked and Lemieux's saved.
The period turned on penalties. Marshall Finnie (Niagara) and Henry Nelson drew coincident roughing minors at 11:20. Young was sent off for hooking at 11:45, and Notre Dame's Sammy Nelson scored on the resulting 4-on-3 at 12:52. It stood as the game-winner.
After William Belle was called for interference at 18:24, Niagara needed only 28 seconds to score. Hackett finished the power play at 18:52 on assists from Codd and Lemieux.
Niagara kept pressing, with Hunter Wallace, Lemieux and Ray Murakami all testing Kempf before the horn.
Third period
Gravel stopped all seven shots he faced before the empty-net goal. Niagara matched Notre Dame with eight shots but couldn't get another by Kempf. Finnie and Murakami threatened within eight seconds of each other at 5:04 and 5:12. Coincident minors at 5:54 led to two minutes of four-on-four with no scoring.
Niagara pulled Gravel with 1:59 left. Fischer sealed the win into the empty net at 19:18, with assists from Jayden Davis and Carter Slaggert. Codd had two more attempts after that, and Hackett's shot at the horn was saved.
Niagara Notes
Niagara is now 1-4-1 all-time against Notre Dame
Lemieux tallied his first collegiate assist
Hackett led all players with five shots
Niagara blocked 12 shots, including two each by Lemieux and Codd
Codd earned an assist in his first game this season
Up Next
Niagara wraps up the weekend at Notre Dame Friday October 9 at 7:00 pm at Notre Dame Compton Family Ice Arena
