After splitting a two-game series with Minnesota, No. 16 men’s hockey traveled to East Lansing to take on Michigan State. David Goodwin, Andrew Sturtz, Alec Marsh, and Vince Pedrie had multi-point games to lead Penn State to a 6-1 victory over Michigan State for its record-matching 18th win of the season.

How It Happened

Penn State came out strong in the first. It dominated Michigan State in the offensive zone with 20 shots on goal versus the Spartans’ eight. Stellar defense played a role in lack of Sparty opportunities, and Penn State kept goalie Matt Skoff protected.

The Nittany Lions got on the board first with a goal from Vince Pedrie assisted by Alec Marsh and Erik Autio in the first eight minutes. It was familiar territory for a win, as the Nittany Lions went 13-0-1 in their previous 14 games when scoring first. Alec Marsh set up Tommy Olczyk to double Penn State’s lead and Penn State led Michigan State 2-0 by the end of the first.

The Spartans finally found their stride in the second period with a goal on their fourteenth shot attempt. Michigan State’s first goal of the game came in the first six minutes, but Eric Scheid answered immediately, making it a 3-1 lead for the Nittany Lions.

An unassisted goal by Andrew Sturtz fourteen minutes into the second gave Penn State a 4-1 lead, but Matt Skoff had more work to do in the period. Michigan State tallied 13 shots on goal compared to the eight it had in the first. Penn State still headed into the final intermission leading 4-1.

The Nittany Lions had no trouble finding the back of the net at all in this game and the offensive dominance didn’t stop in the third. David Goodwin scored his eighth goal of the season early in the period to put Penn State up a comfortable 5-1. Pedrie’s shot was unable to find the net, but Goodwin snatched the rebound and put it past Michigan State’s goalie. The goal marked Pedrie’s second multi-point game of the season as well as Sturtz’s fifth.

Penn State’s defense applied enough pressure to keep Michigan State from gaining any momentum. In the first ten minutes of the period, the Spartans only put up one shot and couldn’t find a way to get past Penn State’s line. Michigan State began to get chances in the last ten minutes, but nothing could get by Skoff, who ended with 28 saves on 29 shots on goal.

Even though Penn State was up a commanding 5-1 already, Zach Saar stayed aggressive, scoring his fifth goal of the season for the final 6-1 score.The goal was assisted by Goodwin, putting him one point away from tying Penn State’s all-time leading points scorer Casey Bailey. The elite performances on all fronts of the ice led to Penn State’s 6-1 victory. The Nittany Lions are now 18-8-3 on the season, matching their record for wins in the regular season.

Player Of The Game

Vince Pedrie | Freshman | Defenseman

Pedrie scored early, starting momentum for Penn State’s offense-heavy win. He also racked up an assist, recording his second multi-point game of the season. Pedrie was also plus-three while on the ice, which proved he was a factor on both ends in Penn State’s dominating performance.

What’s Next?

Penn State will finish out the second game of its series against Michigan on Saturday, February 13 at 7 p.m. in East Lansing. Our hockey beat will be there.