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Rise of Irish shakes up conference

Matt Sohn

Nobody saw this coming. It's so outlandish that the mere thought of it makes you want to laugh, but then the realization of the joke's actuality forces you to think. From the snow-covered ruggedness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula to the corn fields of Omaha, Neb. to the last frontier in Fairbanks, Alaska, every player, coach and fan of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association is asking himself the same question: How in the name of Touchdown Jesus did Notre Dame hockey get so good?

Anyone who claims they foresaw the Fighting Irish's No. 3 national ranking is either lying or has a severe speech impediment that forces the sound "MICH-i-gan" or "MICH-i-gan STATE" to be pronounced "NOTE-er DAME." At this same time a year ago, Notre Dame was trudging through another middling season, going through the motions in finishing the year 13-19-4. Not surprisingly, their 2006-07 season forecast was about bleak as a northern Indiana winter.

But here we are, just five weeks away from the conclusion of the regular season, and Notre Dame's ice hockey team is doing the one thing its football team couldn't: Proving doubters wrong. While Michigan and Michigan State were ordained by the coaches and media in the preseason as the conference's elites, it's been those feisty Irishmen that have shed their underdog stigma to emerge as undisputed top dog. CCHA teams rooted in the time-honored tradition of hailing the victors have been bullied into shaking down thunder instead.

Through 18 games, the Irish have treated their CCHA brethren as their personal chew toy. They've succumbed in three games, tied once and have devoured and spit out their opposition in the other 14. But this weekend, Notre Dame faces its toughest piece of meat yet as Enrico Blasi's RedHawks roll into town, still high off their 2-1 slugfest victory over Ohio State.

For all the premature banter about how the winner of the games between the Wolverines and Spartans will reign supreme, it's the RedHawks and Fighting Irish perched atop the conference standings. Subsequently, this weekend's two-game series between MU and ND represents the most anticipated series in the CCHA this season. Basically, it's crossroads time in South Bend.

For as difficult as it is to heap praise onto a single player, the Irish's senior goaltender David Brown has unquestionably been the catalyst for his team's rapid ascension and therefore holds the key to the series outcome. Just as nobody could've predicted Notre Dame emerging from the shadow of Michigan and Michigan State, nobody could've envisioned Brown becoming this season's most dominant netminder, stealing that title from the more nationally heralded names of Boston College's Cory Schneider and Wisconsin's Brian Elliot.

But as the Wolverines proved earlier this season, Brown isn't as dominant when going against elite offensive firepower. Although ND won both games, Brown did allow six goals against Michigan, a figure that has Miami's duo of Ryan Jones and Nate Davis salivating.

While Notre Dame's offense and Miami's defense are nothing to scoff at, the matchup between the brutal efficiency of each team's counterparts is the one to watch.

It's been more than the luck of the Irish that have gotten them this far, but don't be surprised if some overzealous Notre Dame fans light up the Grotto even more in search of some extra help. God might not care about hockey, but as evidenced by Notre Dame's befuddling success this season, it's tough to doubt anything anymore.


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