By Jacob Messing

The Big Ten championship game is finally here, and it’s got everything a championship deserves: a newcomer, two national title contenders, and some of the best players in college hockey.

The top-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on second seed Ohio State this weekend for the Big Ten tournament championship.

As the higher seed, the Irish host the single elimination final at the Compton Family Ice Arena, Saturday, March 17 at 8 PM EST. The winner will walk away with an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Given the strong seasons of each team, the runner-up will likely be joining, but must wait for the selection committee to determine the rest of the field.

In their first season with the Big Ten, the Irish went 17-6-1 for 53 points, leading the conference and earning a bye for the newly formatted tournament. Last week, they ousted Penn State to reach the finals.

Ohio State swept Michigan State in the first round’s best-of-three series before overcoming a red-hot Michigan squad in an overtime thriller for their bid to the championship.

Notre Dame, 24-9-2, is ranked No. 3 nationally and went 3-1 against the Buckeyes this season, led by Jake Evans (1 G, 3 A), Dylan Malmquist (2 G, 2A), and Cal Burke (2 G, 2 A)—each of whom had four points in the series.

Evans, a senior from Toronto, Ontario, led the Irish with 38 points (11 G, 27 A) this season and was named to the first-team Big Ten list along with defenseman Jordan Gross and goaltender Cale Morris.

#CaleSavesEverything

Goaltender Cale Morris has been named one of 10 finalists for the @HobeyBakerAward! ☘️ pic.twitter.com/tUwrZ35W9k

— Notre Dame Hockey (@NDHockey) March 14, 2018

Morris went 23-7-1 in his sophomore season with a 1.93 goals against average, .946 save percentage, and four shutouts. He was named Big Ten Player and Goaltender of the Year and is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker this season.

“I think it's deserved,” coach Jeff Jackson told Matt Randall of the ABC 57 News. “He's been the most consistent player on our roster all season long. He had a great stretch in that streak where he was almost untouchable in his game. He's a big reason we are where we are. We wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for him.”

Now one win shy of claiming the regular season and tournament title in his inaugural Big Ten season, Jackson is well aware of the dangerous Ohio State team that awaits.

“I think they're one of the best teams in the country,” Jackson added. “I mean, they're ranked in the top five in the country and I think deservedly so. We earned the opportunity to play in this championship game by winning last Saturday. We're going to have to earn one more to win a championship here.”

The Buckeyes, 24-8-5, are ranked No. 5 themselves as they’ve gotten comparable goaltending and scoring depth as the Irish. Forward Tanner Laczynski joined Notre Dame’s big three on the first-team conference list while forward Mason Jobst, defenseman Sasha Larocque, and goaltender Sean Romeo were named to the second team.

Laczynski led the team with 42 points in 37 games (15 G, 27 A). His 15 goals were second to only Jobst, who took a slight step back from his 55-point season in 2016-17, but led Buckeyes with 19 goals and finished second with 41 points in 36 games.

They’re quick to give credit to their coach and Big Ten Coach of the Year, Steve Rohlik, who is quick to give it right back.

Congrats to Coach @SteveRohlik - Big Ten Coach of the Year!

The No. 5/4-ranked Buckeyes finished second in the Big Ten this season are are 24-8-5 heading into Saturday's Big Ten Tournament championship game. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/O3A70K5BN1

— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) March 13, 2018

“It’s really not my award, I gotta be honest with you,” Rohlik said Thursday. “I’m truly blessed with some amazing people. I’ve got an incredible staff and obviously very good players. This is about the program for me, so it’s truly an honor and very humbling.”

Rohlik said this week has been about fine-tuning some things in practice and preparing his guys to play against the best team in the league on Saturday night, and not looking too far ahead.

“I think all of us would give every one of these awards back to win a few more hockey games,” he added.

Even going 1-3 against the conference-leading Irish, the Buckeyes are holding onto the knowledge that it comes down to one game. Ohio State’s single victory against the Notre Dame came in their last meeting: a 5-1 win at Compton Family Ice Arena.

Don’t miss the St. Patrick’s Day clash this Saturday at 8 PM as the two teams clash for the Big Ten Tournament title.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob? You can find him on Twitter @JMessing23.