ACHA D2: Penn State 8 vs. IUP (D1) 2

Let it be said, first of all, that IUP is not a horrible team. Playing out of ACHA Division 1 and College Hockey Mid-America, the Crimson Hawks were squarely in the middle of the conference pack with an 8-7-1 league record a year ago. And while CHMA is a one-bidder in terms of D1 nationals, IUP played three tight games against the team that took that bid (John Carroll). They initiated 2013-2014 with a split against Penn State Berks.

Yet the Ice Lions made the Hawks look pretty horrible.

Following up on Penn State's season-opening 6-1 win in Indiana on Friday, Danny Matrosic and Creek Lewis scored twice, while Ryan Urban and Tim Acker added a goal and two assists as PSU thrashed IUP for a second time, 8-2 Saturday night, in the first intercollegiate men's hockey game at Pegula Ice Arena.

It wasn't a contest for the faint of heart, as it had that typical second-game-of-the-series crankiness which manifested itself in bone-jarring hits for the first 15 minutes. But what followed was something a bit more sinister in a 49-minute-long second period that contained enough penalties to strain the inventory of available slots on the gamesheet, including a major and a game disqualification to PSU defenseman Chris Dinsmore for a headshot.

That's the bad news. The good news is that Penn State dominated the extended special teams drill. Urban got things going with 1:26 left in the first period by scoring on the advantage while parked just to the left of the net, and thanks to Dinsmore and Acker working it down low to him. Austin Wagoner - the older brother of Women's Ice Hockey Club freshman Geneva - then made it 2-0 just before the period expired when he split the Hawks defensemen and outworked both to the bouncing puck that he deposited.

The aforementioned swamp of a second period also came with benefits. After IUP's Sean Beichner dumped Lewis, but charged him to do so, Dinsmore took Taylor Vincent's pass and stepped into the high slot to fire home another power play goal with 11:10 left. Lewis - who isn't the type of guy that likes being knocked over, even illegally - got revenge for that transgression beginning less than a minute later with PSU's third PPG to make it 4-0. The payback continued with another Lewis goal after that, this time at even strength.

It's important to point out that despite the lopsided score, the plague of penalties affected both sides, making the Ice Lions' penalty killers some of the unsung heroes of the game. Guys like Urban - the epitome of a skill player who also takes care of the little things - Peter Daley, Abe Edson, Rob Fauth, and of course freshman goalie Matthew Erlichman were all essential to PSU's expansion of its lead as things progressed. The PK was finally dented on a pair of 5-on-3 goals by Anthony Venezia late in the second period and Reid Duguid early in the third (with the latter requiring a pretty spectacular effort and shot after barreling in off left wing), but the exchange of time off the ice could have easily turned out much worse for Penn State than it did.

Matrosic and Acker ensured that IUP got no closer than five, as their three goals - as well as noisy singing and chanting from the students in a packed house - closed out the last 22:56 of the game.

Up next for the 2-0-0 Ice Lions: a pair of Mid-Atlantic College Hockey home games against St. Joseph's and Temple on October 4th and 5th respectively. Both games start at 10:15 p.m. in the Pegula Ice Arena Community Rink.

ACHA D3: Penn State Altoona 5 vs. IUP (D2) 4

In Penn State Altoona's season opener Saturday afternoon at Galactic Ice, there were definitive traces of both the familiar and the unfamiliar in the team's 5-4 win over Indiana (PA)'s ACHA Division 2 squad.

The familiar: A wild brand of hockey that has come to characterize the aptly-nicknamed Toontown, where video game-like 8-7 scores aren't uncommon and no lead is safe.

The unfamiliar, a bit more subtle but still there: Head coach Tom Lantz likes his team's speed and depth more than in previous years, and for good reason. The first period was a clinic in vertical hockey, with Altoona pushing the pace and creating chances in transition. The Crimson Hawks occasionally found openings as well, although generally only when PSUA would take itself out of position dogging the puck on the forecheck.

With strength and conditioning coach Derrick Williams - the Penn State football legend - admiring his handiwork and a tightly-packed crowd joining him, Altoona broke the scoreless deadlock halfway though the first when Jeff Nelson charged the middle and deposited a pretty behind-the-back feed from David Bramley. IUP seemed to grow into the game in the aftermath of the goal, but the Lions caught a break five minutes later when Hawks goalie Dante Koeppen was forced to cover up what would have been an icing call had it not been on net. Right off of the ensuing faceoff, won by Bramley, defenseman Jack Lawn punished one to the back of the net for a 2-0 lead that held into intermission.

It's often said that hockey isn't a 60-minute game, it's three 20-minute games. Exhibit A in that argument could be Saturday's match, as after a first 20 minutes of Altoona playing how it wanted, the Crimson Hawks' style and tempo won out over the next 20 resulting in a tie after two "games."

A big reason for that was IUP right wing Bo Ruef. With Altoona still on top by a 4-2 count into the last six minutes of the middle frame, Ruef scored a spectacular goal, splitting the D on the rush, then pushing the puck through Lions goalie Zach Sheriko while being knocked over and after his initial effort was denied. Ruef remained dangerous, forcing Sheriko to make a outstanding save on Bobby Campbell after he started a 2-on-1, then assisting Richard Motto on the game-tying goal immediately after that with 2:35 left.

The Altoona bench intently watches the waning moments of the game

Prior to Ruef's burst, PSUA still seemed in control of the game, even if a bit shaky at times. Some penalty trouble followed, allowing Eric Mueller a power play slot deflection goal to make the score 2-1 with Conlan Sodrosky in the box, and Motto later shaved the lead to one on a net-front scramble with 12:08 remaining. Each time, however, Altoona had an answer - first from Brian Kruser, who answered Mueller on a Luk Devorski-generated rebound, then from Ben Kinch after Nick DeLaurentis circled high on the power play and found the left wing all alone in the slot.

After the free-wheeling first period and the mistake-laden second, the third took on its own form: that of a chess match. Both teams stiffened up defensively, the game slowed down and, although the occasional chance still presented itself, both Sheriko and Koeppen were dialed in.

The game-winning goal from the unsung player is probably a cliche in hockey, but one that proves true time and again. So while conventional wisdom dictated that a tiebreaker come from the Kinch-Bramley-Nelson line, which was dominant all game long, it didn't. Instead, it was Richie Hill, a sophomore who didn't record a single point as a freshman, powering a shot through from the left wing circle after two previous attempts were stopped by Koeppen. From there, it wasn't always smooth sailing - PSUA had to kill a cross checking call to Lawn just 41 seconds after the goal - but the Lions closed strong, keeping Koeppen under intense pressure late, to the point where IUP was never able to get an extra attacker out.

ACHA WD2: Penn State 7 vs. Liberty 0

Head coach Pat Fung and the team observe the early stages of the third period

Following Friday night's dominating 6-0 win over Liberty to open the 2013-14 season, some people may have thought that there was no way a team could issue a more coldly-efficient beating.

Those people, should they exist, were wrong.

Jackie Saideh - while playing forward - and Devon Fisk each recorded hat tricks, and Anna Marcus scored her first Penn State goal as the Women's Ice Hockey Club rolled Liberty 7-0 Saturday evening in Altoona. PSU is now 2-0 on the young season despite the absences of key regulars Allie Rothman and Elizabeth Denis.

Measuring the WIHC's performance may best be done through the shot count: 82-3, a margin that topped even Friday night's 72-4.

Still goals, not just shots, are needed to win games. Fortunately, Penn State got plenty of those too.

Saideh got things going 2:54 into the game by pouncing on a muffed clearing attempt after linemate Lucy Yeatman worked the puck to the front. Her second goal, the 3-0 tally, came from a nice Tara Soukup pinch at the left point that kept the play alive. Yeatman then wound up with the puck on the opposite side and found Saideh in the middle, where a second attempt found twine.

Fisk traded goals with the Massachusetts native in that first period, collecting the game's second score 4:32 in. Mary Kate Tonetti won a battle on the left-wing wall and left it for Fisk, who did the rest by dangling to the front, including around both Flames defenders, and burying. She then made the score 4-0 into the first intermission after Carly Szyszko threw a quick backhanded pass into the slot where both she and Geneva Wagoner were waiting, with the former eventually doing the honors after an earned 50-50 puck.

The only goal of the second period came off the stick of Marcus. She took a feed from Saideh in the neutral zone and swooped in on Liberty goalie Leanne Niemi, faking a shot before shifting to the backhand and sliding it home.

Fisk and Saideh both polished off the win by completing their three-goal outings in the final period. Saideh went first, cashing in yet another loose puck after Kim Badorrek's shot was knocked down in front. Fisk's effort was similar, as she finished a partially deflected Wagoner shot.

Sarah Eisenhut played the entire game in goal and earned her first shutout of the season.

PSU will be off next week before heading to the Rostraver Ice Garden in Belle Vernon, PA on October 11th and 12th to take on 2013 ACHA National Tournament participant California in the first College Hockey East games of the season.

Box Score

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First Period
Scoring
1. Penn State, Jackie Saideh (unassisted), 2:54; 2. Penn State, Devon Fisk (Mary Kate Tonetti), 4:32; 3. Penn State, Jackie Saideh (Lucy Yeatman), 11:17; 4. Penn State, Devon Fisk (Geneva Wagoner, Carly Szyszko), 12:32.
Penalties
None.
Second Period
Scoring
5. Penn State, Anna Marcus (Jackie Saideh), 8:33.
Penalties
None.
Third Period
Scoring
6. Penn State, Jackie Saideh (Anna Marcus), 5:28; 7. Penn State, Devon Fisk (Geneva Wagoner), 10:17.
Penalties
None.
Goaltending
Penn State: Sarah Eisenhut: W, 3 saves/3 shots. Liberty: Leanne Niemi: L, 75 saves/82 shots.

ACHA WD2: Penn State 6 vs. Liberty 0

Geneva Wagoner scored twice in her first game at Penn State

The first college hockey game in the history of Pegula Ice Arena wasn't much of one.

Freshman Geneva Wagoner scored twice, sophomore Devon Fisk added a goal and an assist and senior captain Carly Szyszko set up three goals as Penn State steamrolled Liberty 6-0 in the regular season opener for both teams.

It didn't take those three, PSU's starting line Friday night, very long to get going. Just 29 seconds of game time after Associate Athletic Director Joe Battista's ceremonial puck drop to mark the historic contest, Szyszko motored down left wing and found Wagoner in front, where the Alexandria Bay, NY native was able to chip past Flames goaltender Leanne Niemi.

Fisk did the honors just over two and a half minutes later after a Kim Badorrek shot was knocked down in front. Liberty's Kaitlyn Scales attempted to knock the rebound to safety, but a Fisk stick lift and a couple of hacks later, it was 2-0 Penn State. Allie Rothman's bomb from left point after intercepting a clearing attempt made it 3-0 into the first intermission.

Unfortunately for the Flames, the WIHC wasn't ready to take the foot off the gas just yet. At the 4:17 mark of the second period, Tara Soukup gained the puck near center and took it herself by parting the LU defense before shelving it. Midway through the period, Szyszko found Badorrek all alone up top and the Altoona native became the third blueliner to score in the game. Wagoner's second goal from just outside the blue paint - set up by Szyszko's third assist, a quick backhanded feed - capped the scoring.

Niemi was under siege for the entire game, facing a whopping 72 shots in all, compared to just four the other way as Katie Vaughan and Sarah Eisenhut combined for a shutout.

Penn State and Liberty will meet for the second half of the series on Saturday afternoon at 6:30 p.m. in Altoona's Galactic Ice Rink.

Highlights

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Box Score

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First Period
Scoring
1. Penn State, Geneva Wagoner (Carly Szyszko), 0:31; 2. Penn State, Devon Fisk (unassisted), 3:11; 3. Penn State, Allie Rothman (unassisted), 7:55.
Penalties
1. Penn State, Tara Soukup (2:00 body checking), 3:33.
Second Period
Scoring
4. Penn State, Tara Soukup (unassisted), 4:17; 5. Penn State, Kim Badorrek (Carly Szyszko), 8:40; 6. Penn State, Geneva Wagoner (Carly Szyszko, Devon Fisk), 12:49.
Penalties
2. Penn State, Mary Kate Tonetti (2:00 roughing), 0:31.
Third Period
Scoring
None.
Penalties
None.
Goaltending
Penn State: Katie Vaughan: W, 3 saves/3 shots; Sarah Eisenhut (0:00 3rd): 1 save/1 shot. Liberty: Leanne Niemi: L, 66 saves/72 shots.

ACHA WD2: Penn State 3 vs. North Dakota State 3

Elizabeth Denis tallied twice to help PSU gain seeding position with a tie against North Dakota State

With advancement to the ACHA semifinals already locked up, the Women's Ice Hockey Club ensured at least the third seed in the final four with a wild 3-3 tie against North Dakota State Friday evening in Ashburn, VA. The result wrapped up the preliminary round of the tournament for PSU with a 2-0-1 record, although the WIHC will now have to wait for the last two tournament games of the night to learn their semifinal opponent and the time on Saturday the match will be played.

The Bison got on the board first, just 55 seconds from puck drop, after Jaqueline Johnson slipped an innocent-looking backhand through from the right circle that appeared to change up Katie Vaughan. PSU finally capitalized on their 14-7 shot advantage in the opening 17 minutes late in the period, when Elizabeth Denis scooped up a puck in the neutral zone, powered down left wing all alone, and popped in her own backhander.

NDSU regained the advantage 6:16 into the second period via Kacie Johnson, who tallied in transition on the power play just after a missed shorthanded opportunity, but once again, Penn State had a late-period answer. With 1:11 remaining and just after a long 5-on-3 had expired, Carly Szyszko scored by circling into the middle slot and sniping, with an assist going to Mary Kate Tonetti.

Penn State took its first lead of the game on the power play five minutes into the third period. Following some fantastic in-zone movement, Allie Rothman made a D-to-D pass to Tara Soukup, who fired in to Denis in front of the net, where the grad student earned her Ph.D. in tucking the puck just inside the post to NDSU goalie Hannah Seitz's right. Kacie Johnson added her second just 1:50 later by rifling a shot past Sarah Eisenhut's blocker from the right-wing circle to re-knot the game. However, the last 15:18 of play (including a five-minute overtime) failed to produce a winner despite four NDSU penalties in the late stages of the third period and overtime and a 10-3 shooting advantage for the WIHC during the extra period.

Eisenhut relieved Vaughan at the first intermission and received a baptism by fire through several NDSU flurries, but was spectacular in making 20 often-difficult saves.

Highlights

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Here are Penn State's first and third goals.



Box Score

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First Period
Scoring
1. North Dakota State, Jacqueline Johnson (Breanna Taralson), 0:55; 2. Penn State, Elizabeth Denis (unassisted), 14:51.
Penalties
None.
Second Period
Scoring
3. North Dakota State, Kacie Johnson (unassisted), 6:16 (power play); 4. Penn State, Carly Szyszko (Mary Kate Tonetti), 15:49.
Penalties
1. Penn State, Tara Soukup (2:00 roughing), 0:56; 2. Penn State, Tara Soukup (2:00 body checking), 5:49; 3. North Dakota State, Hannah Pilger (2:00 body checking), 13:06; 4. North Dakota State, Kacie Johnson (2:00 slashing), 13:47.
Third Period
Scoring
5. Penn State, Elizabeth Denis (Tara Soukup, Allie Rothman), 4:52 (power play); 6. North Dakota State, Kacie Johnson (Marisa Holst), 6:42.
Penalties
5. North Dakota State, Ellen Lanman (2:00 roughing), 3:33; 6. North Dakota State, Jacqueline Johnson (2:00 body checking), 12:58; 7. North Dakota State, Sarah Biesterveld (2:00 body checking), 15:31.
Overtime
Scoring
None.
Penalties
8. North Dakota State, Ellie Dahl (2:00 tripping), 0:15; 9. North Dakota State, Ellie Dahl (2:00 interference), 2:56; 10. Penn State, Allie Rothman (2:00 holding), 4:00.
Goaltending
Penn State: Katie Vaughan: 6 saves/7 shots; Sarah Eisenhut (0:00 2nd): T, 20 saves/22 shots. North Dakota State: Hannah Seitz: T, 36 saves/39 shots.

M: Penn State 0 at Wisconsin 5

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // UWBadgers.com recap

Gadowsky postgame video // Eaves postgame video // UW players postgame video

UWBadgers.com photos // Centre Daily Times recap // PennLive recap

Bucky's 5th Quarter recap // Badger Herald recap

Well, that sucked. No point in belaboring it - here's the UWBadgers.com recap:

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One man's continued grind was a microcosm of a team's season-long battle.

"I've had opportunities this season," Tyler Barnes said. "I haven't been able to close on them.

"I knew to just keep working hard, bear down and eventually they'd start coming. We're really getting some quality chances and I think that's where it stems from."

Unable to finish out a number of close games and letting leads slip from them early on in the season, the Badgers--like Barnes-- have since learned to close things out.

Barnes and the Badgers left no doubt on Sunday night inside the Kohl Center, as the Eagan, Minn., native put together a four-point game and led Wisconsin (14-10-7, 11-7-7 WCHA) to a 5-0 shutout win over Penn State (12-14-0).

"I think more than anything if (Barnes) can have that feeling of confidence from the inside out and have that momentum going that could be a real valuable thing for him, and us," Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves said.

The junior forward scored his eighth goal of the season and recorded three assists to bring his point total to 19 on the season. Meanwhile, the Badgers improved their record over the last 20 games to 13-3-4, after they started 1-7-3 through the first two months of the season.

The first period served as a bit of a feeling out period, as the game marked the first-ever meeting between Wisconsin and new NCAA Division I hockey program Penn State.

"You could feel the energy that they were playing with," Barnes said. "You have to give them credit for how they came out. I really could see this developing into something that becomes a good rivalry."

The two teams, each set to join the new Big Ten hockey conference next season, ended the first period recording six shots on goal.

"We just could've been better, just could've been sharper," John Ramage (St. Louis) said of the first period. "It starts with having a week off, but you always want more from yourself and the team and that's what we did in the second and third periods and showed what we are capable of.

"We really took it to them."

Over the final 40 minutes, the Badgers established a pace and tempo that forced the Nittany Lions back into their defensive zone and kept them there, racking up 45 shots and ending the night with a season-high 51 shots.

On senior night, team captain Ramage set the tone, scoring 1:26 into the second period, recording his sixth goal of the season and 12th of his career to give the Badgers a 1-0 lead. Barnes and Mark Zengerle (Rochester, N.Y.) each recorded assists.

Michael Mersch (Park Ridge, Ill.) ended a five-game scoring drought at the 16:05 mark of the second period, as he jabbed at a puck in front of net and that bounced past P.J. Musico in the Penn State net for the score. Barnes earned his second assist of the night, while Jake McCabe (Eau Claire, Wis.) was also credited with an assist.

It was the 17th goal on the season for Mersch, as the junior forward moved into a tie for fourth place in goal scoring in the WCHA. Going 2-for-7 against Penn State, Wisconsin's power play scored its 11th goal on the season, with Mersch accounting for six.

Nic Kerdiles extended Wisconsin's lead to 3-0 at the 10:20 mark of the third period, punching a loose puck past Musico. Barnes recorded his third assist on the night, while Zengerle dished out his second.

Barnes put the finishing touches on his four-point night in the third period at the 15:17 mark of the period. Having just checked out of the penalty box, Barnes was found wide open behind the defensive zone on a long feed from Keegan Meuer (Madison, Wis.). Barnes came down on the breakaway, deked Musico, then scored backhand to give Wisconsin a 4-0 lead.

Less than two minutes later, Brendan Woods (Yorba Linda, Calif.) scored his fourth goal of the season, on the power play, and put the finishing touches on Wisconsin's 5-0 shutout win at the 16:51 mark of the period.

Joel Rumpel (Swift Current, Saskatchewan) earned his seventh-career shutout, as the sophomore recorded 22 saves on the night to mark his eighth win of the season (8-7-4).

"It starts with [Joel Rumpel] on the back end, good goaltending and playing good defense as a whole and you build from there," Eaves said. "Tonight we were able to put together five goals, which we haven't done a lot this season.

"Other teams talk about us and say we're hard to play against. When we get into the playoffs, we play a pretty stingy game. We don't give up a lot and that's to our benefit."

Wisconsin looks to continue in building its postseason resume, finishing the series with Penn State tomorrow at the Kohl Center. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (CT). The game can be viewed live on BTN.

M: Penn State 4 vs. Oklahoma 1

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // USCHO recap

Guy Gadowsky postgame video // Michael Longo postgame video

Here's the GoPSUSports.com recap, as PSU improves to 17-15-0 in all games, while remaining 12-13-0 in NCAA games and 10-11-0 against NCAA DI.

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After falling behind 1-0 in the first period, the Penn State men's hockey team scored four unanswered goals as it skated to a 4-1 exhibition victory against the ACHA's Oklahoma Sooners at Greenberg Ice Pavilion Friday night.

Freshmen Kenny Brooks (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Mark Yanis (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) notched a goal and an assist each, while Michael Longo (Allison Park, Pa.) and Taylor Holstrom (Yorba Linda, Calif.) also scored. Jordan Greenberg tallied for the Sooners.

Penn State outshot Oklahoma by a 41-32 margin and finished 1-for-5 on the power play, while the Sooners were 0-for-5 with the man advantage. Sophomore netminder PJ Musico (Orange, Calif.) turned aside 31 shots, and Oklahoma goaltender Colin Fernandes made 37 saves.

Greenberg gave Oklahoma a 1-0 lead with 51 seconds remaining in the opening frame. Augie Hoffman received Mason Miller's pass at the left point and found Greenberg near the bottom of the right circle for the backdoor goal.

Penn State struck twice in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. With 10:54 left in the second, Longo tied the game following an Oklahoma turnover. Sophomore Jacob Friedman (West Bloomfield, Mich.) intercepted a Sooner outlet pass along the boards and fed Longo in the slot, where his wrister beat Fernandes high.

Yanis put Penn State ahead, 2-1, 5:28 later. Junior Justin Kirchhevel (Brookings, S.D.) stopped an Oklahoma clearing attempt from behind the cage and fed a pass to Yanis above the left circle. The Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., native took a stride toward the net before his shot through traffic beat Fernandes.

In the third period, Brooks made it a two-goal game just 36 seconds into the stanza. After getting the puck from Curtis Loik (North Vancouver, B.C.), Brooks spun around a defenseman and scored on a low shot. Holstrom added a power-play tally with 14:28 left in the game. After receiving a pass from Yanis at the top of the left circle, Holstrom wristed a shot past Fernandes to account for the 4-1 final.Penn State and Oklahoma will conclude their two-game series Saturday, Feb. 16 when the teams play the final Penn State hockey game at Greenberg Ice Pavilion. [Note: Categorically false, so I'm crossing it out. The ACHA D2 women are "Penn State hockey," and have a game remaining at the rink.] Opening faceoff is set at 3:30 p.m.

M: Penn State 3 at Michigan State 5

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // MSUSpartans.com recap
Lansing State Journal recap // Centre Daily Times recap

Guy Gadowsky postgame video // CCHA highlights // MIHockeyNow.com recap

Once again, my sincerest apologies for cancelling the live blog for this game at the last second. Essentially, the story is that I wasn't 100 percent positive that it was going to be streamed via Michigan State's All-Access channel (video wasn't mentioned in MSU's pregame release). There was video as it turned out, but it didn't come on until literally about 10 seconds before puck drop - or five minutes after I decided to switch over to the women's game at Syracuse so as not to be caught empty handed on a full Friday night of hockey. I had to make a quick decision, and given my preference for the men's game this time around, hindsight says it was the wrong one. It happens.

I did manage to catch a good chunk of the men during the women's intermissions and following the conclusion of that game, including the final 10 minutes and the wild second period stretch that saw three goals scored in 1:34. So I don't think I'm completely blind when I say that the Nittany Lions (11-15-0 all games, 9-13-0 NCAA, 7-11-0 NCAA DI) played well enough to win, especially after a tenative first period. Had it not been for Connor Varley's checking from behind major on Anthony Hayes with 8:36 left in a tie game that led to Tanner Sorenson's game-winning one-timer, who knows what would have happened. The good news is that the typical college hockey weekend, and this is one of those, involves a rematch.

I'm going to break from my usual victor-spoils rules and use Stefan Kubus' recap from MIHockeyNow.com instead of the one from MSUSpartans.com, just because I thought Kubus did an exceptional job in describing things. It's still MSU-centric, so I'm counting it.

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A bounce-back game for Michigan State was just what the doctor ordered following their disappointing Tuesday night loss to the NTDP U-18 squad.

The Spartans defeated Penn State, 5-3, on goals by Mike Ferrantino (Plymouth), Kevin Walrod, Greg Wolfe (Canton) and a pair by Tanner Sorenson. Will Yanakeff (Jerome) made 27 saves in the win, as freshman Jake Hildebrand had the night off.

“Well, it’s nice to get a win; I thought the guys played real hard,” MSU head coach Tom Anastos said. “I thought Penn State competed real hard. It’s nice to see the puck go in the net a little bit… It was nice to get a positive result tonight.”

Ferrantino, a freshman forward, got things going in rather slick fashion for the Spartans. Following some great work along the boards in the Penn State zone by linemates Ryan Keller and Anthony Hayes, Ferrantino picked up a loose puck down low on the right side, made a move to the backhand, attacked the slot and put the puck past goaltender Matthew Skoff to make it 1-0 at the 12:42 mark.

“It seems like when we scored the first goal, we really got a boost from that, so it was really nice tonight to get the first one,” Ferrantino said of his goal. “It seemed to really energize us for the rest of the first period.”

Later, with 4:54 to go in the first frame, Penn State captain Tommy Olczyk – son of former NHL’er and current TV analyst Ed Olczyk – broke in on Yanakeff all alone only to get robbed.

The first period – a very strong one for the Green and White – ended with MSU up 1-0, holding a 12-7 shot advantage, as well.

The second period was a wild one for both sides, as five goals were scored, with three of them coming within three minutes of each other.

First, it was Michigan State, as sophomore defenseman RJ Boyd sprung Sorenson with a long stretch pass from blue line to blue line. Sorenson went in and fired a shot off the inside of the crossbar and down for a 2-0 lead 6:55 into the period.

“I was kind of cherry picking, slow to back check because they were all changing,” Sorenson said of his goal. “And then I cut through the middle and yelled, “Boyd,” and Boyd saw me, made a great play to me, and then I just kind of took off and had a breakaway. But no, that was a great play by Boyd.”

Just 1:30 after the Sorenson tally, Olczyk skated behind the MSU defense on the left side and, this time, he capitalized on his chance, pulling the Nittany Lions back within one on a shorthanded marker.

David Glen tucked home a rebound to tie the game at three in the second period.

The game calmed down for about six minutes until Taylor Holstrom broke in on Yanakeff off a pass from Max Gardiner and roofed a backhand past Skoff to make it a 2-2 game at the 14:38 mark.

Next in the parade, it was Walrod who scored a very similar goal to Olczyk’s, letting a far-side wrister go from the top of the right circle that beat Skoff over the blocker to regain the 3-2 lead for his Spartan squad.

And 14 seconds later, Penn State tied it up at three aside on a goal that freshman David Glen found in a crease scramble to tap in the gaping net.

That’s the way the game stood through 40 minutes, with MSU holding a slight, 23-20 shot advantage.

In the third, a huge Connor Varley hit on Hayes from behind resulted in an ejection and five-minute power play for the Spartans.

After some sharp puck movement in the Penn State zone, Walsh walked down the middle from the point, faked a shot and dished a short, nifty backhand pass to Sorenson who unleashed a snap shot from the inside top of the left circle to put MSU up 4-3 with five minutes to go in the game.

“We knew we had a long power play, so we had time to be calm and just work it,” Sorenson said of his second tally. “Wally made a good play to Walsh in the slot, then Walsh faked a shot and gave it to me. I knew I had to get it off quick because the goalie was down and it felt great.”

Wolfe capped things off with 15.9 seconds remaining in the game, depositing the puck into an empty net. Although it wasn’t quite the goal he had been looking to score lately, the MSU captain wasn’t complaining.

“For me, I guess it was more of a sense of relief,” Wolfe said of his empty-netter with a laugh. “Obviously, this year has been kind of up and down so everyone was just working it really hard. It was just a good team building; it just felt good all around. We’ve had so many disappointments lately, it was good to finally just break that streak and feel good for a change going into the locker room.”

The second game between the two schools is set for 6:05 p.m. Saturday evening again at Munn Ice Arena.

Notes: Attendance: 5,605… With David Bondra and Brent Darnell (upper-body) hurt, along with Matt Berry serving a DQ penalty, defenseman Nickolas Gatt saw time on forward for the first time ever in his playing career… In a nice touch, MSU dressed recently-retired defenseman Branden Carney as an honorary captain to sit on the bench with the team.

M: Penn State 2 vs. Neumann (NCAA DIII) 3 (OT)

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // NeumannAthletics.com recap

Guy Gadowsky postgame video // Casey Bailey/David Glen postgame video

USCHO recap // StateCollege.com recap // GoPSUSports.com highlights

A confession: I broke my "don't get mad" rule with this one. Losing to a DIII team at home in a revenge situation? Yeah, I'm going to blow off the blog for the night after that, a 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands of the Neumann Knights that saw Penn State fall to 10-14-0 in all games and 8-12-0 against NCAA teams while staying 6-10-0 vs. NCAA DI.

Shots are nice. I realize that due to the 46-17 shot count, including 21-1 in the third period, history will probably remember this game as "PSU dominated, hot goalie, oh well," but that's an excuse. Even Guy Gadowsky seemed to know that after the game - here's what he said on giving up the first goal of the game just 20 seconds in.

“We were not ready. The hockey gods will never let you get away with that. It’s a mental toughness issue. We have to figure it out.”

It's a season-long problem that seems to always come up against lower-division teams: Buffalo State on October 19th and November 3rd, Arizona State on November 30th and December 1st and now Neumann on January 15th. Penn State actually came back to win two of those games, but lost the other three.

This game, as I'm sure you know by now, followed a familiar upset pattern: underdog gets a quick lead, a heavy barrage from the favorite gets them back in it, but ultimately, the underdog endures, makes the one crucial play and steals it.

Gadowsky emphasizes at every opportunity to not give too much concern to wins and losses. He's absolutely right about that, it shouldn't be the point right now, but it's awfully hard to avoid as the only easy way to measure progress without actually being in the room. So, for most of us, something like 3-3-0 against NCAA Division III and ACHA Division 1 is a little alarming. The team now cannot finish better than 7-3-0 in ten games I think most had penciled as easy wins coming into the season, or 2-2-0 against NCAA DIII and 5-1-0 against ACHA D1.

Just as a point of comparison, the Icers were 1-1-0 against NCAA DIII (with both opponents also on this year's schedule) and 28-3-1 against ACHA D1 last year. Aren't we supposed to be better now?

The highs - Ohio State, RIT, Air Force - have been incredible. But this flip side is also going to be part of the story of this inaugural NCAA season.

The good news? This probably means the Nittany Lions will play well on Saturday against Vermont.

Okay, that's enough from me. Here's the Neumann recap, with the PSU "highlights" embedded to show the Casey Bailey and David Glen goals that don't get tremendous run from the NU people.

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Jon Low scored with 53 seconds left in the overtime session as the Neumann University men's hockey team defeated Division I Penn State University 3-2 on Tuesday evening.

Low netted the goal off a face-off in the Nitany Lions end of the ice. Casey Rogers and Aaron Keaney drew the assists.

Ben Curley made 44 saves in the game. Neumann was outshot 46-17 for the game.

Chris Bournazos kept up his high level of playing with a goal just 20 seconds into the game to give the Knights an early lead and a jump to start the game. Jordan Zalba and Craig Cowie drew the assists. The Knights killed off a 5-on-3 in the period and took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.



The Knights took a 2-0 lead 4:45 into the second period as D'Lane Sather scored after a misplay by the Nitany Lions in their own end. Keaney and Low picked up the assists. Penn State capitalized on the only power play of the period to cut Neumann's lead to 2-1. With five minutes left in the period, the Nitany Lions scored again to tie the game at two. The teams went into the locker rooms with the tied score.

Neither team could score in the third period, despite Penn State having 21 shots on goal. Curley made some outstanding saves to keep the game tied and send it into overtime.

“Ben's play was phenomenal tonight, especially in the third period”, said head coach Dominick Dawes.

Neumann (10-4-2) will put its six game winning streak on the line as it gets back into conference action on Friday when it hosts Manhattanville. The puck is set to drop at 7:00 PM.

ACHA D3: Altoona 3 vs. Behrend 2 (OT)

In a game that had suddenly gained the feeling of a missed opportunity for Penn State Altoona, Brandon Herrman capitalized on his chance to pull back his team's sure win that suddenly wasn't.

Herrman's breakaway goal - following his interception at the defensive blue line - with 3:06 left in overtime propelled Altoona (5-8-1, 2-6-0 CHE) to a stirring win over Behrend (7-10-2, 2-5-1 CHE) Saturday afternoon at Galactic Ice in Altoona to open its spring semester schedule.

For most of regulation, it didn't really look like Herrman's sudden-death heroics would be necessary. Following a back-and-forth first 15 minutes of the game, Altoona's Jeff Nelson buried from the slot on a nice centering feed from Herrman out of the corner with 4:03 left in the opening period to give the home team the lead after 20. However, following the Nelson goal, Altoona failed to capitalize on consecutive Behrend penalties late in the period - perhaps offering some degree of foreshadowing.

Roughly 20 minutes of game time after Nelson's goal, and ten after having an apparent goal cancelled due to the net coming off, Conlan Sodrosky gave Altoona a 2-0 lead on a similar-looking play, this time with sophomore C.J. Dunton serving as the feeder. Sodrosky almost added a second about a minute later on a spectacular end-to-end rush, but Behrend goalie Kevin Smyth was up to the task.

Throughout the second period and much of the third, the relatively small lead appeared safe. Altoona built up a 24-12 shot advantage at the halfway point of the third period and, thanks to outstanding backchecking, was stifling Behrend's transition game. The lead even survived a goal by the Erie campus with 14:36 remaining when, after a lengthy delay, it was determined that Behrend's Jared Bagnato exited the penalty box before his interference call had expired, wiping out the tally.

It didn't turn out to be the backbreaking moment it appeared at the time. Brad Chiffon backhanded a third-chancer past David Winegarden to cut the Altoona lead to 2-1 with 7:29 left. Six minutes later, Behrend pulled Smyth and the increased pressure resulting from the extra skater paid off when star defenseman Robert Banks dribbled an equalizing shot though with just 14 seconds remaining to force an unlikely overtime.

No matter. Banks rapidly went from hero to goat when he turned the puck over to Herrman in the extra period, handing Altoona a key win to jump start its CHE stretch run and its chase for a top-five league finish and the resulting playoff spot.

W: Penn State 1 at Union 2

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // UnionAthletics.com recap
UnionAthletics.com highlights

Nicole Paniccia returned from flu-like symptoms that kept her out of Friday's game with a strong 34-save effort and Jess Desorcie scored a third-period rebound goal, but neither was enough to keep the Nittany Lions from falling to 7-14-1 (1-8-1 CHA). Penn State will now have next weekend off before returning to action January 25th and 26th at Syracuse.

Here are the game's highlights, via Union Athletics...



...and here's the recap from the winning side.

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Bryanne Panchuk and Jessica Kaminsky registered two points each as women's hockey sweeps the two-game set against Penn State with a 2-1 victory at Messa Rink Saturday afternoon.

Penn State came out the starting faceoff raring for the first goal of the game as the Nittany Lions quickly put up four shots. However, Shenae Lundberg came up with the stops. Union slowly regained momentum as the game progressed leveling the shot count. Midway through the first period, Ashley Johnston was sent to the penalty box for hooking as Penn State went on the power play. The penalty kill unit for Union faced four shots on target but did not concede a goal.

Three minutes later, Union won the faceoff in the Penn State third in which Bryanne Panchuk found Jessica Kaminsky open in the slot in which she found the back of the net for the game's first goal. The Dutchwomen were seeking to double their lead in the latter part of the first period on the power play but netminder Nicole Paniccia stopped two shots on net to prevent any further scoring to give Union the 1-0 edge after the first period.

Neither team gave ground in the second as both sides exchanged eight shots each. Penn State had multiple chances for the equalizer as Emily Laurenzi received a pass from Hannah Hoenshell in front of the Union net. Laurenzi was able to get the shot off but Lundberg made the glove save from point-blank range. Katie Zinn had a chance as well as her shot was knocked down by Lundberg and escaped in front of the crease but Kelly McGrath swept the puck away from the Penn State skaters. Hoenshell was also denied a chance in front of the net as Lundberg made a great stick save to prevent the redirect from going in.

Union was able to put some pressure of Paniccia towards the end of the second period as Rhianna Kurio made a diving effort to keep the puck in the offensive third. Thomson was the recipient of the Kurio pass as she found Valente skating towards the net. Valente made a hard shot on the right side but Panccio made the pad save to keep the score at 1-0.

The Dutchwomen were able to extend their lead in the third with Kaminsky dishing out a pass to Panchuk. Bryanne took the puck around the net, as she was able to beat Paniccia on the wrap around to increase the lead to two. The goal was Panchuk's first of the season. Union's two-goal cushion did not last long as Jess Desorcie snuck it by Lundberg to give the Nittany Lions their first goal. Taylor Gross and Shannon Yoxheimer were able to find the center as Desorcie got it by the paddle of Lundberg. Penn State opted for the extra skater as time was expiring but Union buckled down and eventually earned the 2-1 victory.

Lundberg tallied 25 saves in the win while Paniccia notched 34 saves in the loss. Shots were in favor of Union 36-26 and in faceoffs 25-21. Each of the special teams units went 0-1 on the power play.

The Dutchwomen will conclude their season long five-game homestand as New Hampshire will visit this coming Tuesday, January 15 with the puck dropping at 7:00 p.m.

W: Penn State 0 at Union 1

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // UnionAthletics.com recap

Despite a virtually superhuman effort from freshman goaltender Celine Whitlinger, who made a career-high 48 stops while filling in for an ill Nicole Paniccia, Union (6-11-3, 0-7-3 ECAC) scored a rebound goal with exactly four minutes remaining in regulation to escape with a 1-0 win over the Nittany Lions (7-13-1, 1-8-1 CHA).

Here's the recap from the winning side.

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Stefanie Thomson puts away the game-winning goal with four minutes remaining in the third period as the Dutchwomen shutout the Nittany Lions 1-0 at Messa Rink Friday night.

Sheane Lundberg earns her first collegiate shut-out of her career in the win. Head Coach Claudia Asano Barcomb earns her sixth win of the season, a personal best in her six years with the program. Additionally, it is the first shutout since October 15, 2010. Alana Marcinko and Kate Gallagher combined for a shutout in a 3-0 win against Sacred Heart.

The Dutchwomen applied heavy pressure on Penn State's defense throughout the first period as Union tallied 20 shots on goal, a season-high for one period. Union had a great opportunity halfway through the first period as Courtney Turner slapped a pass to Thomson but the forward could not connect. Ashley Johnston also had a great opportunity as she cranked a slap shot towards net. The puck snuck by Celine Whitlinger through traffic but ricocheted off the crossbar. Penn State managed to escape the first period without conceding a goal as Whitlinger blocked all 20 shots.

While Union kept their offense momentum in the second stanza, Penn State nearly was able to get on the board. After a failed clearance, Hannah Hoenshell found herself one-on-one with Lundberg on her stick side but backhanded the puck wide. Once again, Hoenshell freed herself from the defense but then missed glove side of Lundberg. Jenna Welch corralled the puck and made a shot but it was off the mark as well.

The Dutchwomen had their chances on the power play in the third period. Christine Valente redirected a shot from Alex Tancrell-Fontaine that was on target. However, Whitlinger continued to thwart the Union offense. Johnston nearly put the Dutchwomen on top with a slap shot from the point in which the shot was reviewed for a goal but the officials waved it off.

Union continued to seek the go-ahead goal as the Dutchwomen outshot the Nittany Lions in every period. Thomson was able to provide the lone goal in the game as she put away the loose puck in a scrum in front of the Penn State net. Haley Welch flung the puck towards the net as Whitlinger made the initial save. Rhianna Kurio and Valente had shots as well in which the netminder tacked on two more saves. The puck then found Thomson in which the junior was able to slip one by Whitlinger for the win.

Union finished with 49 shots on target, a season-high while Penn State had 14 on net. The last time Union eclipsed the 40-shot mark was October 8, 2011 against Sacred Heart. The Dutchwomen also had the edge in faceoffs with a 25-20 advantage.

Penn State and Union will see each other again in a rematch tomorrow at Messa Rink, as the puck will drop at 4:00 p.m.

M: Penn State 1 at Connecticut 4

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // UConnHuskies.com recap

Guy Gadowsky postgame // UConn assistant coach David Berard postgame

Casey Bailey scored just 13 seconds into Saturday night's game at UConn - but the lead lasted just 1:09 and the Nittany Lions were shut out for the final 59:47, as Connecticut earned a sweep of Penn State. PSU dropped to 9-12-0 in all games, 8-11-0 in NCAA games and 6-10-0 against NCAA Division I.

Guy Gadowsky's charges will return to the Ice Pavilion this coming Friday and Saturday for a pair of games against the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 team.

Here's the UConn recap.

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The University of Connecticut men's hockey team earned a weekend sweep over visiting Penn State with a 4-1 victory at Freitas Ice Forum on Saturday night to improve to 7-8-2 on the season. Sean Ambrosie scored the game-winning goal late in the first and Garrett Bartus stopped 42 shots to earn the victory.

The Huskies allowed a goal just 13 seconds into the game but responded 1:09 later and scored four straight to finish ahead 4-1. Bartus stopped 18 shots in the third period after being pulled in the last two games before break and not appearing in the UConn Hockey Classic.

"I was struggling a bit before the break, I had to get back to basics and focus on my angles," said Bartus. "After having a couple rough ones, a game like this really helps. You have to have a short memory as a goalie and take each night as a separate game and focus on the task at hand."

Penn State dropped to 8-11-0. UConn will be in action next with two games at Robert Morris on Friday and Saturday, January 11-12 in Moon Township, Pa. Both games can be heard at WHUS.org with live video at UConnhuskies.com.

The action in Saturday's contest opened quickly with two goals in the first 1:22. Penn State scored just 13 seconds in with Casey Bailey beating Bartus from the slot on a three-on-two.

The Huskies responded at 1:22 with freshman Shawn Pauly scoring his second of the weekend. Classmate Joe Birmingham put a shot on frame from the slot that was kicked away by Musico. Pauly corralled the puck on the right side of the net and stuffed home his second goal of the year.

"It felt great (to get first two career goals)," said Pauly. "It took a while but I was trying to not let that affect me. The older guys kept saying that it's coming, it's coming and not to worry. It finally happened and it felt great."

Connecticut took the lead at 16:38 with a power-play goal off the stick of senior captain Sean Ambrosie. Brant Harris sent the puck down the left wall to Jordan Sims. Sims found Ambrosie in the slot who slid the puck over to his backhand and over the glove of Musico. The goal was Ambrosie's fifth of the year.

The Huskies made it a two goal lead with Cody Sharib's fifth of the season at 3:59 of the second period. Tom Janosz sent the puck along the left wall down behind the net. Sean Ambrosie collected on the right side and sent a pass through the crease to Sharib. Sharib flicked a backhand in for the 3-1 lead.

Penn State rang one off the post midway through the period and the UConn 17th-ranked penalty kill successfully denied four PSU power-play attempts, allowing just four shots on goal during the four man-advantages.

Connecticut was outshot in the third, 18-6, but Bartus was up to the task as the UConn defense once again kept most of the PSU attempts out wide.

M: Penn State 3 at Connecticut 4

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // UConnHuskies.com recap

UConn assistant coach David Berard postgame

In a back-and-forth game that saw ties 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3, Connecticut's Patrick Kirtland got the last word in a 4-3 victory over Penn State despite a 42-21 shot advantage for PSU. The Nittany Lions are now 9-11-0 in all games, 8-10-0 in NCAA games and 6-9-0 against NCAA Division I, with a shot at redemption against the Huskies (6-8-2, 4-6-1 Atlantic Hockey) coming Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.

True to the victor-spoils rules for games I did not witness, here's the UConn recap.

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Behind a career-high 39 saves from Matt Grogan and a game-winning goal by freshman Patrick Kirtland, the UConn men's hockey team defeated Penn State in Storrs, 4-3. The Huskies improved to 6-8-2. The two teams face off again on Saturday at Freitas Ice Forum in Storrs at 7:05 p.m.

Tonight's game featured two of the top rising programs in NCAA hockey. 2012-13 is Penn States inaugural season as a Division I program and the Nittany Lions will join the newly formed BIG Ten Conference in 2013-14. The Huskies will be a fully funded program and join Hockey East, the nation's premier hockey conference, in 2014-15.

A back-and-forth hockey game saw UConn with leads of 1-0 and 3-2 before pulling out the thrilling 4-3 victory in front of the home fans. The Huskies were outshot 42-21 but kept many of the attempts from distance. The UConn skaters blocked 24 shots on the night.

"That's the team we need to be. We have to be willing to sacrifice to get a win," said Assistant Coach David Berard. "We had some good goals but struggled to get going offensively. The guys have to be willing to lay out and sacrifice sometimes to get a win in a game like this and that's exactly what they did. The coaches were really proud of the effort they gave in that regard."

Senior goaltender Matt Grogan earned his third consecutive start and made a career-high 39 saves, including 15 in the third period.

"They have some big guys in front of the net so it was tough to fight through screens but we did a good job in front and I was able to make some saves," said Grogan.

Kirtland scored the game-winning goal with a turn-around wrist shot at the near post just under the cross bar.

"Originally I was looking for the pass but I just turned around and shot it and it went in," said Kirtland. "I was looking for Smitty (Brad Smith) at first. I've been getting harped on this year to shoot the puck more and I just shot it and it went in. I love these types of up and down games. That's my style, that's how I've always played."

"We expect him to be power forward, drive the net, possess the puck, finish checks and just be a physical presence and he did that tonight," said Berard. "He's done it in stretches the first half but he's been a bit inconsistent. Tonight he scored his goal because he played that way. If he continues to do those little things, he'll be a really important player for us."

UConn opened the scoring just 28 seconds into the game with Jordan Sims wristing a shot into the top-left corner from the slot off a feed from Sean Ambrosie behind the net. Brant Harris started the play along the left wall. The goal was Sims' fourth of the year.

The Nittany Lions evened the score at 5:55 with David Glen tipping a shot in the slot past Grogan on the power play. Luke Juha fired the puck from the right point after a face-off win by Glen. The goal was Glen's ninth of the year.

Penn State took the lead for the first and last time at 2:39 when Taylor Holstrom, a transfer from AHA foe Mercyhurst, had a shot from the left side ricochet off a UConn defenseman and in.

The Huskies regained a 3-2 lead with two goals in a 1:07 span. Brant Harris sent a shot from the left wall towards net that bounced off the skate of a PSU defenseman and past netminder Matthew Skoff.

At 9:29, freshman Shawn Pauly outraced his defender down ice to bury a rebound in front off a shot from Evan Carriere. The goal was Pauly's first as a UConn Husky.

Penn State's Connor Varley evened at 13:46 through traffic with a shot from the right side. After two periods, the score was tied, 3-3, with Penn State ahead on shots 27-17.

Kirtland's game-winning goal was his second tally of the season. Kirtland collected a loose puck on the inside of the right face-off circle at 6:27 and snapped a shot under the cross bar to give UConn the victory.

M: Penn State 2 vs. Robert Morris 3

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // RMUColonials.com recap

TribLive.com recap // USCHO recap

Guy Gadowsky postgame video

Curtis Loik and Tommy Olczyk postgame video

I realize that I've done an atrocious job on this blog over the last two weeks, and I'm truly sorry about that. The good news is that my grad school finals are now all complete, as is my only family Christmas party that will conflict with hockey. So hopefully, this will be my last mailed-in (or skipped altogether) post, as the Nittany Lions fell to 7-8-0 according to the completely substance-free official tabulation, but 8-9-0 in all games and 5-7-0 against NCAA Division I competition.

Victor, meet spoils. Here's the Robert Morris release. Well, mostly. I inserted the PSU goal descriptions from GoPSUSports.com.

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University Park, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's ice hockey team took to the ice for their only contest of the weekend as the Colonials travelled to Penn State for the first-ever meeting between the two teams. In a hard-hitting match that pitted the two newest NCAA Division I programs, RMU would prevail by a score of 3-2.

At 12:07 of the first period, the Colonials would net the first goal of the game. After cycling the puck down low in the offensive zone, sophomore Jeff Jones (Revelstoke, British Columbia / Merritt Centennials) would gather the loose puck behind the net and send a pass to the slot. Waiting in the slot was freshman defenseman Chase Golightly (Temecula, Calif. / Prince George Spruce Kings) would slap home his second goal of the season. Also assisting on the play would be freshman Zac Lynch (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bay State Breakers) who picked up his third assist of the season.

In the second period, the Nittany Lions scored twice in a 1:52 span as they took a 2-1 lead. Olczyk tied the game at 1-1 when he tipped defenseman Luke Juha's (Mississauga, Ont.) point shot at 1:33 of the stanza. Senior defenseman Brian Dolan (Havertown, Pa.) tallied his first point as a Nittany Lion on the play.

With 16:35 left in the frame, Loik scored on the rebound for his fourth goal of the season. Freshman forward David Glen (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.) took a low shot from the left circle that was stopped, but Loik found the loose puck and slipped it through the five-hole.

After killing off a Penn State power play, Robert Morris would go on the offensive and tie the game, 2-2. A pass coming from behind the net by junior Colin South (Sewickley, Pa. / Bay State Breakers) would find the stick of senior captain Brendan Jamison (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Jersey Hitmen) as he would walk in to a wrist shot from the top of the circle. While the initial shot would be saved, Jones would corral the rebound and flick the loose puck past the goaltender for his second goal of the season.

With 8:11 remaining in the third period, Robert Morris would regain the lead as assistant captain Tyler Hinds (Orleans, Ontario / Nepean Raiders) would fire home his first goal of the season. After battling along the boards in the defensive zone, Hinds would pick up the puck after it was chipped out of the zone by Matt Cope (Lakewood, Colo. / Wenatchee Wild) and carried it in to the offensive zone for the game-winning goal. The Colonials would withstand a late Penn State surge as the team held on for the 3-2 victory.

Senior Eric Levine (Wheeling, Ill. / Pembroke Lumber Kings) picked up the win while making 38 saves. Over the past six games in which Levine has started, the goaltender holds a record of 4-0-2 and has made at least 30 saves in five of those six contests. With two points in the game, Jones recorded his fourth multi-point game of his career and second of the season. Hinds’game-winning goal was the first goal for the defenseman since the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals against Niagara on March 10, 2012.

The Colonials will have the next week off before returning to Pittsburgh, Pa. to take part in the first-ever Three Rivers Classic. The two-day event will see RMU take on Penn State for the second-consecutive game at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28. Following that will be a match-up of Ohio State and #5 Miami. On Saturday, Dec. 29, the consolation game will be played at 4:30 p.m. and the first-ever champion of the Three Rivers Classic will be crowned that night which a championship game faceoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for either day are available at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, the Dick’s Sporting Goods Box Office at CONSOL Energy Center and charge by phone at 800-745-3000.

M: Penn State 4 at Fredonia State (NCAA DIII) 0

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // FredoniaBlueDevils.com recap

Guy Gadowsky postgame video // Jake Friedman postgame video

In a rescheduled (from October 30th, due to Hurricane Sandy) Tuesday night game nearly as awkward as Carly Szyszko, Allie Rothman, Mary Kate Tonetti and I in the same room at the same time, the Nittany Lion men dominated NCAA Division III Fredonia State at FSU's Steele Hall by a 4-0 count to improve to 8-8-0 (5-6-0 NCAA DI).

Because, in the words of the legendary Carl Spackler, I was unavoidably detained, I'm turning over recap duties on this one to Justin Grady, aka IcersGuy from Black Shoe Diaries. Enjoy your brief reprieve from mediocre writing, and be sure to check out Grady's stuff on BSD as well.

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With Penn State having to make the midweek trip to New York, just days after returning from Massachusetts, there were sure to be questions about the energy levels for the team. Luckily for Penn State, any lack of energy was countered by Fredonia State's own seemingly lethargic attitude towards this Tuesday night game - perhaps a result of being 1-5 over their previous 6 games. If Penn State couldat least match Fredonia's energy, the Nittany Lions were, on paper, in a solid position to snap their 4-game losing streak (or 3-game losing streak, depending on if you count the ACHA Arizona State games).

The first period opened with each team getting some light scoring opportunities, with no major offensive chances coming for either team. A delayed penalty early in the period gave Penn State their first set of real offensive chances, but nothing came from it except for the ensuing penalty. On the first power play of the night, the inconsistent man-advantage play reared its head. The Nittany Lions struggled to put together any consistent attack time until later in the power play, but credit to the Fredonia defense for blocking shots and goalie Mark Friesen kept it a scoreless game.

Fredonia would get a great scoring chance following the power play, as Matt Skoff would let a FSU shot slip past him, only to have it be swept away by his defense, averting any chance of weak goal. As both teams would continue to try to gain some sort of offensive momentum, a penalty to Luke Juha gave Fredonia their first power play of the night. The Blue Devils had a few good chances early in the power play, but the Penn State penalty kill would find their groove and keep the Blue Devils from getting any more quality chances.

David Glen and his teammates pressured Fredonia State goalie Mark Friesen all game long. Photo: Jerry Reilly/Fredonia State athletics

The quality PK for Penn State turned into positive momentum for the team, as the Nittany Lions started to dominate offensively. After a few good chances were turned away by Friesen, Connor Varley would take a shot from the point, which found its way through a number of bodies in front and past the Blue Devils' goalie,giving Penn State the 1-0 lead at the 17:55 mark of the first period. The goal is Varley's third on the season. Penn State would continue their offensive onslaught, but have to settle for the 1-0 lead after the first 20 minutes. Penn State outshot Fredonia in the first period by a 23-9 margin.

Penn State kept their offensive momentum going into the second period, with seemingly everybody geting a scoring chance. Shots from Bailey, Saad, Loik, and Friedman were all quality chances that only were foiled thanks to the continued quality showing from Friesen. Fredonia would weather the storm and eventually come back with their own chances, but Skoff was up to the task of matching his goaltending counterpart. A couple of Penn State penalties slowed down the Nittany Lions' offensive attack, but the penalty kill made sure the Blue Devils found very few opportunities to tie the game with the man advantage.

With just over a minute left in the 2nd period, Penn State would get their second power play opportunity. Max Gardiner would take a wrist shot from the top of the circle, and Taylor Holstrom would put home the rebound, only to have it waved off as it was ruled that Holstrom's hand knocked the puck into the net. But with 30 seconds left in the period, the PSU power play would make one more rush. This time, it was Casey Bailey putting home a Peter Sweetland rebound with just fourseconds left in the period, giving Penn State a 2-0 lead heading into the second intermission.

The third period saw a return of the lethargic play that seemed to creep into both teams' play throughout the game. While each team would eventually get a round of scoring chances, it was the goalies and the defense/backchecking that dominated play to open the third period. It would take some quick thinking to break the defensive pressure, and so David Glen would make a sweet backhanded pass to Jacob Friedman in the slot, who skated in a snapped a shot past the Fredonia goalie, giving Jake his first goal of the season, and Penn State the 3-0 lead.

Back-to-back penalties against Penn State gave the Blue Devils a handful of chances to break the shutout. But the Nittany Lion penalty kill was up to the challenge, completing a perfect 5-for-5 penalty kill on the night, and nearly extending the lead - unfortunately, Lordo's shot from the blue line rang off the iron. Following the end of the second of the two penalties, both teams returned to the stagnant offenses from the start of the period. Fredonia State would eventually pull their goalie late in the game, and Curtis Loik would deposit his third goal of the season, with help from Jensen and Matt Skoff - Skoff's first point at Penn State. Skoff's assist would be a nice addition to his first shutout of the season, turning away all 18 shots he faced in the 4-0 victory for Penn State. In the end, it was a complete domination by Penn State, controlling much of the play, and outshooting the Blue Devils by a commanding 50-18 advantage.

ACHA WD2: Penn State 8 vs. Slippery Rock 0

Box score

Back in September, I wrote this:

Hopefully you'll forgive me if one day, when this blog has run its course, I end up volunteering with Akron or another ACHA team local to wherever life takes me between now and then.

Little did I know how short that wait to volunteer would actually be, or that it would end while TYT is still running full tilt.

Here's the story: I arrived at Galactic Ice in Altoona shortly before 9:00 Sunday morning for the 9:50 puck drop between the ACHA women and Slippery Rock. Things started off pretty well, as I was allowed up to the mezzanine level just above the benches, where I set up a makeshift press box by hauling a table over from the party room. The rink's wifi was down, but I wasn't overly concerned with that - I could just skip the live blog, take notes, and write a recap. Put that together with a postgame interview and a few photos, and I'd be satisfied that I gave the team the coverage it deserves.

With setup complete and seeking to snap a few photos during warmup, I went back downstairs. My stay wasn't temporary though, because nobody was available to run the scoreboard. So, in the participatory sports journalism tradition established by George Plimpton, with much trepidation, and after PSU coach Pat Fung gave a quick tutorial, I did. And, with Kim Vaughan (the mother of Penn State starting goalie Katie) working the scoresheet next to me, I had a blast.

I think I did fairly well too, considering. The button to start the clock was rather unreceptive, so the 17-minute periods were probably about 17:18 in actuality. I did make mistakes on both of the game's penalties, though. On the first, to Slippery Rock leading scorer Christy Pastucha, I punched in number 21 instead of her actual 41. More egregiously, on a third-period tripping call to PSU's Jackie Saideh, I put eight minutes of penalty time up on the board and held up the proceedings for a minute (that felt like about 20) while I scrambled to fix it.

Perhaps I was subconsciously trying to help balance out the game, which to be honest, wasn't much of one, with Penn State blowing out Slippery Rock to finish its first fall semester 4-1-1. Devon Fisk - who now has 10 goals in six games - scored four times, as did OHA product Mandy Mortach. Vaughan (34 minutes) and Sarah Eisenhut (17 minutes) split a relatively easy 14-save shutout and watched 36 shots launched at Pride goalie Tori Sheffel in the opposite crease.

Captain Carly Szyszko helped open the scoring with an assist on Mortach's transition effort, while Mary Kate Tonetti and Ashton Schaffer added a pair of apples each. Allie Rothman's first-period bomb set up the 3-0 goal that unofficially signaled the end of any reasonable doubt as to the game's outcome. A stout team defensive effort rendered Pastucha, who had 22 goals in 10 games entering the contest, a non-factor, and Vaughan and Eisenhut saw their already-microscopic goals against averages drop to 0.86 and 0.72, respectively.

Really, there was nothing to dislike from a Penn State perspective, including the big-picture implications. An expanded national tournament for ACHA Women's Division 2 this season will see the top four eastern and western teams invited to Ashburn, VA in March. Fourth in the east right now? PSU. Fifth? Slippery Rock. It could be said that Sunday's game drew a thick, black line between tournament and non-tournament teams, but that's probably an understatement (although as we learned with the Lady Icers in in both 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, don't trust the ACHA polls to get it right).

Before that though, there are more games to be played and more statements to be made. The second half of the schedule opens at Navy on January 13th, followed by series at West Chester, at D1 Buffalo and the regular season finale on February 22nd at the Ice Pavilion.

As for me? I'm just hoping they need someone to run the scoreboard on the 22nd. Or do anything else for that matter, that day or before then. And while I have no immediate plans to quit blogging, I think I've added more specificity to my goals for when that time comes. Hey, you guys do need a website...just saying.