Penn State edges Alaska Fairbanks, 2-1, earning sweep
The No. 7-ranked Penn State men’s hockey program completed a sweep over Alaska Fairbanks with a 2-1 win at Pegula Ice Arena on Wednesday night. It followed a 3-2 win for Penn State on Tuesday night in the opener.
The Nittany Lions’ power play unit was a big reason why.
Moving to 13-3 on the year, and undefeated in non-conference play this season, this is a look at what led Penn State to its latest win:
How it happened
The Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks got off to a fast start. For the first 10 minutes of the game, they stood in stark contrast to Penn State.
Anton Rubstov put the Nanooks on the board with a first goal, assisted by Brady Risk and Payton Matsui, with 7:19 left to play in the first period. The Nittany Lions regained some focus in its wake, but it was all Nanooks to that point in the game.
A Risk slashing penalty with 3:52 left in the period, however, sparked some life for the Nittany Lions. Ryan Kirwan scored a powerplay goal with 3:19 to play in the first period, with the assist coming from Connor McMenamin and Jimmy Dowd Jr.
The teams took the tie game into the first intermission.
The second period was Penn State’s, the Nittany Lions firing on all cylinders. The defense looked ready for everything the Nanooks had to offer. The offense was controlling the puck, putting up quality shots, and getting rebounds.
The Nittany Lions just could not find the back of the net in the period. But, neither could the Nanooks.
The Penn State penalty kill unit was featured, on the ice for a five-minute major for a high hit by Ashton Calder. After a review, it was deemed not a game misconduct penalty. And, Penn State had a successful kill on the penalty.
Going into the third period all square after a blank second period for both sides, the Nittany Lions finally found separation. While both sides played great defense in the third period, neither initially gave much.
Still, Penn State took command of the period as time went on. The fourth game in six days for each team, though, fatigue became apparent throughout.
Counteracting it with short shifts, Penn State’s players came out attacking late in the game.
A.J. Macauley of the Nanooks was called for a hook with 11:21 to play in the third, opening Penn State’s second powerplay goal of the night. This time coming from Ben Schoen with 10:48 left in the game, the assist came from Christian Sarlo and Ture Linden.
Still, the Nittany Lion defense held its ground against a strong push from the Nanooks with the extra attacker, as they pulled their goalie with 2:15 to play in the game, to seal off the win.
Penn State takeaways
Ryan Kirwan is getting back to his old form. After some early season struggles, the sophomore forward looks like the player the team expects on the ice. He scored again tonight, and when on the ice, he was all over the puck, taking shots, making great passes, and giving his teammates good opportunities.
The Nanook goaltender, Matt Radomsky, had a career night in goal, tallying 33 saves on the night. The Nittany Lion defense and goalie Liam Souliere stepped up as well.
Penn State finally got a series sweep with its win Wednesday. It was its first since an October 29th win over the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, Wis. A potential confidence boost, the Nittany Lions will next face likely back-to-back series against ranked Big Ten opponents.
What is next for Penn State
Next, Penn State takes on the Ohio State Buckeyes on December 2nd at 7 p.m. at Pegula Ice Arena.
