Notre Dame 2, New Hampshire 1 | Box Score

MANCHESTER, N.H. – With the way Notre Dame had locked down its zone, it was readily apparent Sunday night that a two-goal lead would appear insurmountable.

And after the Fighting Irish exchanged a series of rushes with the Wildcats, they finally broke through for that decisive goal, and it lifted Notre Dame to a 2-1 victory in the Northeast Regional Final at Verizon Wireless Arena.

Just a few seconds after Notre Dame goalie Mike Johnson made his second big glove save of the second period, the Irish worked the puck deep into the UNH zone. Sophomore forward Riley Sheahan won a battle in the corner and shuffled the puck into the slot, where it found Billy Maday, who made a quick deke before backhanding the puck past UNH junior goalie Matt DiGirolamo’s blocker to stake the Irish to a 2-0 lead with five seconds remaining in the period.

“Playing up 1-0 against a UNH team who can turn it on quickly, we knew that wouldn’t be enough,” Maday said. “We were able to capitalize on a very timely goal, and I think that really set the tone for the excitement in the third period.”

“It brought us into the room with some momentum,” Sheahan echoed. “We took it up to the third. I thought we had a strong start to the third.”

Notre Dame created a handful of strong scoring chances in the second period, and as the time evaporated, it became evident that UNH probably didn’t have the offensive game plan to cut through Notre Dame’s stifling defense. Sure, the Wildcats peppered Johnson with 38 shots, but the majority of those were from the outside, and their rebound opportunities were nonexistent.

The Irish blocked 13 shots and neutralized UNH’s transition game. The Wildcats had to work hard just to sustain pressure in the zone, but they couldn’t get enough point-blank opportunities, especially on second and third chances, that appeared necessary to beat a rock-solid Johnson.

Therefore, the second goal looked like a killer, and the timing of it made it exponentially worse for UNH, which only managed nine shots in the third period.

“The big thing we focused on was back pressure,” Sheahan said. “We had to come back really hard, keep them to the outside. They were taking a lot of shots that were tipping off sticks, going wide or up into the mesh. We were focusing on getting back hard and having good coverage in our own end.”

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

UNH senior captain Mike Sislo was the best offensive player on the ice throughout the duration of the Northeast Regional, but he was shaken by the memories of his missed chances during the Wildcats’ loss to Notre Dame.

Sislo scored UNH’s lone goal in the final – a day after burying the game-winner against Miami – so his performance was validated by some etchings in the stat sheet. But as Sislo addressed the media after the game, he rattled off a handful of plays he’d like to have back, including a couple of shots from the slot and another bid on the power play.

As he got deeper into thought, he broke down at the podium while UNH coach Dick Umile gave him a consoling pat on the back.

“Looking back, I maybe could have caught it or go around him,” Sislo said about a one-timer that couldn’t find a home in the Irish net. “It was kind of a bang-bang play. It was easier said than done, I guess, but there were a couple chances I wish I could take back. On the power play, I had the open net and put it on the high end. In the third, on the last power play, I missed the net.”

The Wildcats played well, but they were doomed by their missed chances. They can tip their cap to Notre Dame’s defensive effort, but that will still be blurred by what could have been.

“They were great all through the game,” Sislo said of Notre Dame’s defensive effort. “Their whole team made it tough to get it on net, and when we did, [Johnson] did a great job of putting it in the corner or sucking it up, not giving up rebounds. He made it real tough for us.”

SEEN AND HEARD AT VERIZON WIRELESS ARENA

• UNH goalie Matt DiGirolamo made 36 saves, including 30 in the second and third periods, and he kept the Wildcats within striking distance during some turbulent stretches in the latter 40 minutes. “When we got to the tournament, they were asking if he would be able to handle the NCAA playoffs,” UNH coach Dick Umile said. “He answered that one. He’s been terrific all season. He was terrific again tonight.”

• Notre Dame senior captain Joe Lavin hails from Shrewsbury, Mass., so he relished in the opportunity to knock out two Hockey East schools and hang out with his family this week, particularly since he said they don’t get to see him play all the time.

• Not that it’s surprising, but UNH had a huge advantage in crowd support. When the UNH faithful roared in unison, it felt like a home game in Durham, but those moments were oh so few and far between.

With very few exceptions, this was a silent barn throughout the game. The Wildcats faced a consistent uphill battle, but it’s not like they didn’t play well.

• Notre Dame forward Billy Maday said the team might have gotten a little too high on itself during the second intermission, particularly with the 2-0 lead. “We have a young team,” the junior said. “I think a lot of guys started flashing right to Minnesota. The older guys were able to keep the younger guys under control.”

That’s surprising to us because Notre Dame really played well at the start of the third.

PLUSSES AND MINUSES

Great job by the tournament committee to fix the wireless internet issues that plagued the media covering this same regional site two years ago.

This building has been notorious for its crazy bounces off the boards, and that element created some exciting action during the weekend. But thankfully, the boards didn’t determine the outcome of any games.

INCH’s THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT

3. Riley Sheahan, Notre Dame: He had two assists, and he won a key battle in the corner before delivering a feed to set up the team’s game-winning goal.

2. Mike Sislo, New Hampshire: The senior captain couldn’t convert on every opportunity, but he was UNH’s best offensive player all weekend, and it wasn’t even close.

1. Mike Johnson, Notre Dame: He made 37 saves and was rock solid throughout the night. Johnson’s play made Notre Dame’s two-goal lead look mountainous.

WHAT’S NEXT

Notre Dame has advanced to its second Frozen Four in school history and its first in three years. The Fighting Irish will play Minnesota Duluth for a chance to get back to the national championship.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for all of us,” said coach Jeff Jackson, who has guided the Irish to all six NCAA tournament victories in program history. “We’re very much looking forward to it.”