Pair of Alaskans wrapping up collegiate hockey careers at Notre Dame

NOTRE DAME, Indiana (KTUU) - Two Alaskans are part of the current chapter of hockey history at the University of Notre Dame.

Defenseman Zach Plucinski and forward Hunter Strand, who both hail from Southcentral Alaska, have been teaming up for the past few years, suiting up for the Fighting Irish.

“I was trying to play hockey as long as I could, and D1 was obviously a goal,” Plucinski said. “Earning a scholarship became my goal to repay [my parents] in some way, for what they sacrificed for me.”

Strand, who did not represent a high school team throughout his secondary school career — focusing instead on club efforts — said he, too, wanted to do something for his family after starting to play hockey at three years old.

“My dad was always my coach,” Strand said. “He invested so much time and money, and I knew I had to make it up to him, so I just grinded every day.

“I ended up here,” he continued. “I’m grateful for that, and grateful for him.”

Ralph M. DiVietro Memorial Associate Hockey Coach Andy Slaggert, who’s been with Notre Dame hockey for more than 30 seasons, said there are similarities but also many differences between the two players.

Strand, for example, was recruited when he was especially young, while Plucinski was picked up much closer to entering college.

“But both, we felt, were high-character people,” Slaggert said, “guys who play the way we want them to play, carry themselves off the ice the way we want our guys to carry themselves, and obviously, were good students. So, we were excited for both of them to join us.

“They’re great teammates,” Slaggert added. “Good in the community, good in the classroom – but their contributions on the ice [make them] lead-by-example kinda guys.”

Recruiting nationwide and in Alaska, he said, is a key part of working to make a hockey team great.

Plucinski and Strand both returned to Alaska multiple times each year while enrolled at Notre Dame and said having a teammate in getting back to the Last Frontier was especially helpful for heading back home.

“I get a bit of time at home over the summer; we get like a month — come down here for six weeks — then I have kind of the back half of summer,” Plucinski said, adding that fishing is a key part of those school breaks.

“I’m sure the coaches here would like me doing a little less of that,” he laughed.

For now, the two are celebrating closing out the regular season at the place they’ve been calling home the last few years, while also keeping their sights set on chances of going pro.

Notre Dame Hockey Senior Night is slated for Friday evening in South Bend. The Irish will put a bow on the current regular season with a series against the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans.

See a spelling or grammatical error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.