Weekend wrap: Penn State still seeking first Big Ten win
The No. 17-ranked Penn State men’s hockey program comes out of their weekend series in East Lansing, Michigan, still in search of their first Big Ten win, however, they avoided the sweep.
After a 2-2 tie in game one, with the Nittany Lions earning the extra point in the shootout, Michigan State came back to win game two, 5-2.
The Nittany Lions move to 5-3-3 on the season after the weekend series, and 0-1-3 in Big Ten play.
Game One
The Spartans got off to a fast start in game one, holding a 3-0 lead with just under eight minutes remaining in the second period, getting scores from Patrick Geary, Daniel Russel, and Isaac Howard.
Geary’s opening score came short-handed as the Spartans were on the first of two penalty kills of the game. Tyler Paquette got the Nittany Lions started with his goal with just under two and a half minutes to play in the second period of his season debut.
That was the first of three unanswered scores for the Nittany Lions, as Xander Lamppa and Matt DiMarsico would score in the third period, to bring the game to a 3-3 tie at the end of regulation.
Nobody would score in overtime, sending the game to a shootout, which was the third straight for Penn State. Lamppa and Kirwan would score in the shootout, giving Penn State a 2-1 win in the fourth frame. It earned the extra Big Ten standings point for the Nittany Lions.
Noah Grannan got the start between the pipes in game one, and after a tough first 30 minutes for the sophomore netminder, he settled in and shut down the Spartans for the rest of the game, including in the shootout.
Game Two
This game got started fast, with three scores in the first 3 and a half minutes of the contest. Tanner Kelly got the scoring started for the Spartans just 30 seconds into the game. Aiden Fink answered just over two and a half minutes later to tie the game up. It was followed by a Chase McLane score just 19 seconds later.
Nicolas Muller and Gavin O’Connell each scored in the second period. The goals gave the Spartans a 3-2 lead. They were followed by a Dylan Lugris goal with just under 2:20 to play in the second period. O’Connell got his second score of the game early in the third. Artyom Levshunov netted the empty net dagger for Michigan State, bringing the game to its 5-3 final score.
Still Searching for Their First Big Ten Win
After three ties and a loss to start league play, the Nittany Lions remain in search of a league win.
Despite not yet earning a win, the Nittany Lions are currently in fifth place in the Big Ten. They have five points, earning four in their two shootout wins, and just one point from their shootout loss against Notre Dame.
What’s Next for Penn State
The Nittany Lions will travel back to the mitten to take on the Michigan Wolverines on Friday at 7:00 p.m. The game will be played from Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor.
