Overtime hero Drew Bavaro leads Irish into postseason

Ten tournament. b y the end of regulation, the score was tied at one, giving the Irish at least one point. h ome ice advantage hung in the balance of overtime.

“It kinda developed into a slow two-on-two, and [Irish senior forward Trevor Janicke] did a great job getting to the net,” b avaro remembered of the moments just before his game-winning overtime goal in the 2-1 Irish win. “I think that took out the defender, he thought it was kinda like a two-onone, so I think he left his feet a little early. I just tried to get it on goal, and luckily it went in … on the third whack.” b avaro’s hack-and-whack heroics silenced a stunned m ichigan crowd and set up a date with m ichigan s tate in the first round of the b ig Ten tournament this weekend. For b arvaro, the goal was a milestone moment both in this rollercoaster season and in his hockey career.

“It’s definitely the top hockey moment I’ve had, especially just because of how much that meant for our team. We wanted to clinch home ice so bad, we knew it was kinda in our hands. I was just happy that I could contribute to that and get us this advantage this weekend,” b avaro said. “I actually called my mom right after the game, and she was kinda in shock, just as I was — kinda, ‘what just happened?’” b avaro, who transferred from b entley University over the summer, said.

“If you would’ve told me last year that I woulda’ been able to be in this position, I woulda’ told you you’re crazy,” he added.

That b avaro would score the seminal goal of n otre d ame’s season to date indeed would have seemed a bit unlikely at this point last year, to say the least. After all, he wasn’t even on the Irish roster 365 days ago. Instead, b avaro was playing with the Falcons of the Atlantic h ockey Association. h e put up nine goals and 18 assists in his second season with b entley last year.

“I couldn’t have been more happy with my time at b entley. I think they gave me an opportunity when not many people did,” b avaro said. “I wasn’t a very highly recruited kid. I was on a good high school team with a lot of the b U, bc , n ortheastern commits. I always thought I was a pretty good player, but maybe I was a little overshadowed in that aspect.”

“Part of the reason he came here is for the opportunity to play in a b ig Ten environment and develop here,” n otre d ame head coach Jeff Jackson said of b avaro. “I think he’s been committed to that. h e’s grown.” b ig life changes often come with difficulties, but b avaro says that the n otre d ame program made him feel at home right away. s oon after joining n otre d ame, he knew playing for the Irish was special.

“It was hard at the beginning, just because [it’s a] new place, new facility, you’re kinda in awe, honestly, because we have it so good here — we have probably the best, one of the best, facilities in the country, one of the best fan atmospheres in the country,” b avaro said. “o bviously, the first few games, I’m kind of starstruck, looking around, not really believing this is happening … I don’t take it for granted.”

With six goals and 12 assists for 18 points this year, b avaro has contributed on both sides of the puck. In the eyes of his head coach, the defenseman is a growing player with pro-hockey upside.

“At his size and his skating ability, he could be an elite level defender, let alone contribute offensively,” Jackson said. “It’s not like he’s a pure offensive defenseman, so for him and his career I think it’s going to be critical that he really develops that part of his game without the puck.” b avaro and his teammates now turn their attention to this weekend’s playoff series against m ichigan s tate, which begins Friday. Fresh on the Irish minds is a recent series in e ast Lansing, during which the s partans swept n otre d ame.

“[We’re] feeling pretty good going into m ichigan s tate, where we feel we didn’t play our best there a few weeks ago,” b avaro said. “That could’ve been our season, honestly, if we didn’t turn it around, so we feel like we owe these guys, and we’re excited to have them back at c ompton.”

A new season begins for b avaro and the Irish against the s partans this weekend. The puck drops on game one Friday night at 7 p.m. s aturday’s game two will begin at 4:30 p.m. If necessary, the best-of-three series rubber game will be played at 6 p.m. s unday.

Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu