Name: Notre Dame hockey preview: Coach Jeff Jackson has big expectations for 2023-24 season
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Notre Dame hockey preview: Coach Jeff Jackson has big expectations for 2023-24 season

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John FineranTribune CorrespondentSOUTH BEND — When Notre Dame hockey opens its 2023-24 season this weekend against visiting Clarkson, it appears youth is going to be served.Coach Jeff Jackson, the dean of Division I men’s hockey coaches at the youthful age of 68, expects his 19th Fighting Irish could use as many as eight freshmen or newcomers as they try to rebound from a disappointing 16-16-5 record which kept them out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2014-15 season.“We’re going to have seven, potentially eight freshmen in the lineup,” said Jackson, who has taken Notre Dame to four Frozen Fours (with runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2018) after winning a pair of national titles (and finishing runner-up once) in six seasons at Lake Superior State in the early 1990s.Bischel receives Big Ten preseason honors as coaches predict Irish to finish fourthThe games against coach Casey Jones’ Golden Knights, who play in the ECAC Hockey Conference and finished 16-17-4 last season, are the first of seven straight non-conference games for the Irish before they open Big Ten Conference play Nov. 4-5 at Penn State. Saturday, the first puck drops at the Lefty Smith Rink in the Compton Family Ice Arena at 6 p.m. The teams then conclude the series Sunday at 5 p.m. Of those seven non-conference games, six will be in South Bend and include an Oct. 20-21 weekend series with preseason No. 1 Boston University.“We’re going to have our hands full this first month even though we’re at home,” Jackson said. “It’s better to be home especially with a younger group. It’s going to be about those younger guys acclimating.”Two of the most impressive members of the freshmen class have been centers Cole Knuble and Danny Nelson. The 19-year-old Knuble, a 5-foot-11, 185-pounder who was a fourth-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Flyers in last summer’s NHL Draft, is slotted between senior captain and left wing Landon Slaggert and grad-transfer (from Providence) right wing Patrick Moynihan. The 18-year-old Nelson, a 6-foot-3, 203-pounder who was taken in the second round of the NHL Draft by the New York Islanders, has been working with senior left wing Grant Silianoff and graduate right wing Trevor Janicke.“Cole has really good offensive instincts; he’s a smart hockey player and Nelson is as well,” Jackson said. “Danny might not be as much of a goal scorer as Knuble, but he has good instincts, and he can make plays. There are days you can see his pro potential. He’s big, rangy, long, skates well. He has all the tools to be a great, power-type forward.”More:Grad transfer Ryan Siedem brings steadiness to Notre Dame hockey blueline corpsNelson’s brother Henry, who is two years older, and 18-year-old Paul Fischer are two freshman defenders. The other four freshmen are forwards Brennan Ali, Maddox Fleming, Jayden Davis and Carter Slaggert. Jackson likes what he has seen from all of them.“Our young guys have given us more speed and energy early on,” Jackson said. “We look better offensively, which is great, but defensively we haven’t looked as good. We’ve been focusing on that.”The last line of defense for the Irish is a good one – West All-American goalie Ryan Bischel returns for his graduate season, and Jackson made Bischel an alternate captain role along with Trevor Janicke and junior defenseman Jake Boltmann.“Ryan does things the right way,” Jackson said. “He’s very diligent in his approach to preparing to play the game. I still think he has a little rust in his system even though he’s coming off the best year in his career. He’s going to have to get back into that mindset. He’s going to be facing some good offensive teams and we’re still trying to figure out things defensively. He’s going to have to be at his very best for us to have success this first month.”Jackson hopes the rest of his upperclassmen — forwards Hunter Strand, Tyler Carpenter, Nico Jovanovic and Fin Williams and defensemen Drew Bavaro, Michael Mastrodomenico, Ryan Helliwell and Zach Plucinski — will take the next step. Another newcomer, grad-transfer (from Harvard) Ryan Siedem has proven to be a steady defenseman who can handle the puck, carry it out of the defensive zone and get the offense going.The naming of Landon Slaggert as captain was a no-brainer. Though he struggled a year ago offensively, the son of associate head coach Andy Slaggert (and brother of Carter and Irish graduate Graham) is one of the teams’ best two-way players and special team performers.“It’s definitely an honor,” Landon Slaggert said. “It’s something you dream about as a kid. Everyone’s excited because it’s been a long offseason (not making the NCAA tournament). A new group of young guys, a couple of transfers gives you a different perspective and some youthful energy. Here at Notre Dame we hold ourselves to a high standard. We come into this year with a chip on our shoulder. At the end of the day, we’d like to win a national championship.”The possible journey to the Frozen Four in Saint Paul next April begins this weekend.■ When/Where: Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. at Lefty Smith Rink (4,852) in Compton Family Ice Arena, South Bend.■ Radio: WZOC-FM (94.3) and UND.com. TV/Streaming: Peacock.■ Tickets: Available.■ Records: Season-opening series for both. … Notre Dame finished 16-16-5 overall, 10-10-4 in Big Ten during 2022-23 season. … Clarkson finished 16-17-4 overall, 9-10-3 in ECAC Hockey during 2022-23 season.■ Rankings: Notre Dame is No. 19 in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live coaches poll and No. 20 in USCHO.com media poll. … Clarkson is receiving votes in media poll.■ Coaches: Notre Dame, Jeff Jackson (392-246-71 in 19th season at Notre Dame; 574-298-96 in 24th season overall). … Clarkson, Casey Jones (216-169-55 in 13th season at Clarkson and overall).■ Rivalry: Tied 2-2 after Fighting Irish earned 3-2 overtime victory on March 30, 2019 in the first-round NCAA Northeast Regional game at Manchester, N.H. … Irish rallied from 1-0 deficit on goal by Colin Theisen and 2-1 deficit on goal by Bobby Nardella before Cam Morrison’s game-winner at 15:53 in overtime. … Series began with two-game series in upstate New York with Irish winning 4-1 on Oct. 31, 1980 at Syracuse, N.Y., and Clarkson coming back the next night for 5-2 victory at Rochester, N.Y. … Clarkson blanked No. 11 Irish 2-0 on Nov. 26, 2016 in the Shillelagh Tournament championship game at Compton.■ Scouting Golden Knights: Clarkson was picked to finish fourth in the ECAC Hockey preseason poll behind defending national champion Quinnipiac, Cornell and Harvard. … Junior forward Ayrton Marino returns after scoring 38 points (nine goals and 29 assists). … Also returning are senior forward Mathieu Gosselin (14-19-33) and senior defenseman Noah Beck (6-17-23). … Returnees Brady Parker and Austin Roden battling 6-foot-4 freshman Emmett Croteau for goalie duties.— John Fineran, Tribune Correspondent

John FineranTribune CorrespondentSOUTH BEND — When Notre Dame hockey opens its 2023-24 season this weekend against visiting Clarkson, it appears youth is going to be served.Coach Jeff Jackson, the dean of Division I men’s hockey coaches at the youthful age of 68, expects his 19th Fighting Irish could use as many as eight freshmen or newcomers as they try to rebound from a disappointing 16-16-5 record which kept them out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2014-15 season.“We’re going to have seven, potentially eight freshmen in the lineup,” said Jackson, who has taken Notre...

Notre Dame hockey preview: Coach Jeff Jackson has big expectations for 2023-24 season

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