Division I Men :      May 21, 2000 [ The Game Story]
Johns Hopkins 15 Notre Dame 11 Scoring: Scoring: Dan Denihan Adam Doneger Justin Shaberly Bobby Benson Conor Denihan Tim Muir Rob Frattarola (4, 4) (1, 3) (3, 1) (3, 0) (3, 0) (0, 1) (1, 0) Todd Ulrich John Flandina Steve Bishko Tom Glatzel Jon Harvey Chris Young Stedman Oakey David Ulrich (3, 0) (1, 2) (2, 1) (1, 1) (2, 0) (2, 0) (0, 2) (0, 2) Saves: Saves: Brian Carcaterra 12  (0.522) Kirk Howell 11  (0.423) Current Record :     (9-3) Current Record :     (10-4) Team Page For 2000 Team Page For 2000       The Game Story:

Dame came out fired up. Even on their way into the stadium, middie Chad DeBolt led the procession with a pretty impressive display of the bagpipes. The excitement wasn't confined to pre-game pagentries, however, and the Irish drew first blood when the brothers Ulrich connected just a minute in on a nice cross feed from Dave. Hopkins came right back on Conor Denihan's drive across the top for a righty rip to even it up at one a piece. ND took the lead again when Glatzel drove from the left wing into the teeth of the D and fired a lefty jump shot. Hopkins took possession on the face and started challenging the ND long sticks. Freshman Adam Doneger ripped a shot so hard off of Notre goalie Kirk Howell's helmet that it actually almost hit us in this press box. Justin Shaberly would have none of that ricochet stuff, and blew one by Howell from the top right on a delayed penalty. A series of alternating possessions and a host of obscene saves from both Howell and Carcaterra occupied the next several minutes. ND went up again, 3-2, on a laser feed from David Ulrich to Chris Young just five yards out. Young put the ball in the back of the net at almost the same moment he touched it. Hopkins came right back with just 19 seconds left in the quarter when Conor Denihan started a drive at the restraining line and bulled his way down the right side for an inside post tally. The quarter ended 3-3.

The Hop took the opening face and got their first lead of the day when Shaberly caught a cross field pass to the right of the goal 10 yards out, drove right to left with 2 or 3 face dodges, and stuck it low for a 4-3 advantage. Conor D, now officially on fire, gathered a pass in the same spot as Shaberly had, but instead of driving, he just planted and ripped a high bouncer over Howell's left shoulder. Immediately afterwards, that other Denihan (you know, Dan) finished a standard 4-3 break from the faceoff. Hopkins was looking in control at 6-3. Shaberly added to the damage on a dead center crank from 7 yards out. The Irish finally stemmed the tide at 10:30 when Bishko converted a running lefthander from just inside the restraining line (it leaked in off Carc's ankle). Both these teams were putting up some porous defense. Notre dame held the ball for a while, not really doing anything, until Testa was able to cleanly pick pocket a John Harvey outlet pass. The Hop blew their chance when Dan D, from behind, overshot a cutting middie and let ND gain possession. Bisko took advantage on a right to left drive up top which he dumped to Flandina when the close D came up to meet him. Flandina finished, 7-5 Hopkins, and then fed Harvey across the crease on the next play for yet another. 7-6 Hopkins. ND again took the face and threw a bevy of fleet footed moves at Hopkins' long sticks. The Hop stayed strong, took it the other way, and gave Howell another Shaberly rocket from 15 yards out the moment they got within shooting range. After an unnecessary roughness on Hopkins, the Irish managed to rack off several quality chances on David Ulrich's sick change of direction and dump combo, but Carc was really quick on the low shots. Notre dame had a couple of last minute chances off of some great Ulrich riding (David had forced 3 turnovers on rides so far), but couldn't convert. Hopkins left at the half up 8-6.

The Hop started the half quickly, with a Dan Denihan loop out to the sideline and a fifth gear acceleration along the goal line extended for a diving top shelf score. David Ulrich tried to work some lucky charms on the ensuing offensive set, but the Hop's long sticks picked off yet another pass and sent it the other way (with a streaking Carc to help on the clear). Doneger got the ball off the left pipe about 12 yards away and rifled it high. Howell was not having the best of luck with shots that he was able to get a good look at. At 11:00, Harvey scored point blank on Carc when Flandina drew a crowd off the right pipe and fed it across. Hopkins won the face and got off another crank, this time by Benson, to make it 11-7. Dan Denihan followed that up 20 seconds later with a rip off the left side. Howell was really having a rough day now. Notre Dame took a frustration penalty on Coach Corrigan at 8:00 and paid for it. Dan Denihan fed Benson right on the doorstep on the non-releaseable man-up that followed, and Benson, with his defender behind him and boxed out, took a couple of leisurely stick fakes and stuck it by Howell. The Irish were now letting Hopkins have a field day from outside -- they rarely pressured anywhere near the outskirts of the box, and Hopkins, with their stable of big guns, was more than happy to take their time, wind up, and rip 'em.

ND's Bishko did some ripping of his own when he got the ball dead center at the restraining line, stepped up when his man got picked, and blasted one by Carc to the offside hip. Dan Denihan started feelin' it, and reeled off two goals, the first of which he fed Benson on the doorstep (same scenario as before), and the second a righty rip as he was coming from the wing to the top of the box. 15-8 Hopkins with 2:40 in the third. ND got some time to show their stuff on the offensive end, but Hopkins' Brendan Shook and Shawn Nadelen were ice picking and kayaking like crazy, and they were even having no problem keeping with the quickness of Ulrich and Co. The third ended with the Hop up 15-8, and Notre Dame looking like another upset wasn't in the making.

The Irish started the fourth with possession on the carry over from a penalty, but one pipe and one Carc miracle later the man-up was over. On the all even, David Ulrich flew in from the wing and tried to get underneath Brendan Shook, but in a display of raw athleticism, Shook stayed step for step and sandwiched Ulrich into the crease at Carc's ankles. ND got another man-up on a Nadelen slash and this time they converted -- Chris Young took a pass right on the crease from Stedman Oakely, who was up by the restraining line and noticed Hopkins was cheating up and not honoring the thread pass. Notre Dame made it 15-10 at 6:00 when Glatzel circled behind and lofted one over Carc to Todd Ulrich on the other side for a five hole finish. Nothing of note happened for the next 3 minutes -- it was Hopkins taking their time, looking for more outside rips, and making sure they didn't turn it over. Howell was also looking considerably stronger in net. ND made the game interesting with just over 2:00 to go when Todd Ulrich got them to within 4 on a smooth finish to some garbage collection in the crease. Howell started doubling outside of the cage, and actually forced a turnover, but that was it for the Irish. The Hop moves on to yet another installment of the classic Hopkins-Syracuse matchup.