Penn State hockey (7-7-0, 5-7 Big Ten) defeated Michigan State (5-6-3, 4-6-2 Big Ten) 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Pegula Ice Arena to sweep the series versus the Spartans.

Kevin Wall and Aarne Talvitie both had two points on the afternoon while Evan Bell added another goal for the Nittany Lions. Charlie Combs had the one Spartan goal in the game.

Oskar Autio played great again, making 21 saves in the victory. DeRidder made 32 saves in the loss for Michigan State

How It Happened

It didn’t take long for the Nittany Lions to take the lead. Bell walked down from the point and fired a sharp-angle shot on goal. The puck then squeaked through DeRidder for the goal and the 1-0 Penn State lead just under five minutes into the game. It was a very uncharacteristic mistake from the Spartans’ netminder who has had Penn State’s number all season.

The Spartans woke up after the goal and began to put pressure on the Nittany Lions and Autio. The pressure led to a power play for the Spartans after Mason Snell was called for interference with 7:15 remaining in the first frame. Michigan State could get nothing going on the man advantage as Penn State killed the power play with ease.

Michigan State would find its tying goal with just over two minutes left in the period. Dennis Cesana went back around the Penn State net and floated a puck into the slot which found the stick of Combs for the the 1-1 tie. It was another lucky bounce for the Spartans as the puck found Combs’ stick off a Nittany Lion skate. That would be the final action of the period as both teams went into the first intermission tied at 1-1. Penn State led in shots 10-7.

Both teams came out swinging in the second frame. Penn State earned a power play and the group stayed hot, as it put a goal past DeRidder with one second left on the man advantage. Michigan State went for an ill-advised change, leaving the Nittany Lions with a four-on-two advantage. A beautiful passing play saw Wall find Talvitie for a beautiful tap in goal and the 2-1 lead.

It was the cherry on top of a dominating start to the period for Penn State. The Nittany Lions had a 9-1 shot on goal advantage halfway through the second frame. Penn State’s domination would result in another goal for the Nittany Lions. The first line would strike again as Talvitie returned the favor to Wall and set him up for a goal, extending the Nittany Lions advantage to 3-1 with seven minutes left in the period.

Shortly after the goal, Penn State was sent back on the power play after Combs was called for cross-checking. The Nittany Lion power play would be uneventful though as the Spartans were able to kill it off. Shortly after the kill, Michigan State was given a power play after Adam Pilewicz was called for tripping.

On the ensuing powerplay, a mad scramble in the Penn State crease saw the puck go into the net off of Jagger Joshua as the Spartans thought they cut the Penn State lead to 3-2. After a short review, however, it was found Autio was interfered with and the goal did not count. Penn State killed the penalty and escape the second period still up 3-1.

The third period started as a back and forth affair. The Spartans started to throw whatever they could on the net, including a breakaway that Autio stonewalled six minutes into the final frame. As the final media timeout came, the third period had not many whistles and stoppages, which favored Penn State as it tried to kill the clock.

With eight minutes left in the game, Snell was called for holding to send the Spartans on their third power play of the game and give them a chance to cut the lead to one goal. The Spartans were unable to take advantage of the chance to get back into the game as Penn State killed the penalty with five minutes left in the game. Michigan State would not find another goal as Penn State held on for the 3-1 victory.

Takeaways

• Penn State’s defensemen stepped up to the plate on the offensive side in this game. Bell had the Nittany Lions’ first goal of the game while Christian Berger notched his first point of the season and Jimmy Dowd Jr. added another assist to his season total. The Penn State blue line has never shied away from driving the play and getting involved in the rush. Dowd Jr. stands out, especially when it comes to his vision and puck handling ability.
• Last game it was Limoges and Doherty, and Saturday afternoon it was Wall and Talvitie. The duo were apart of the only line that had played together before entering the season. Both of them assisted each other on goals and played a crucial part in this game for Penn State. Wall had a great series against the Buckeyes last week and continues to be one of Penn State’s most effective forwards this season.
• Jared Westcott and Xander Lamppa deserve some recognition. Both freshmen in this series played chippy and caused the Spartans a lot of problems, especially on the forecheck. Gadowsky was also not afraid to throw the duo on the ice as Penn State tried to kill off the game. The duo provides the Nittany Lions with a lot of grit and energy in Penn State’s bottom six.
• After a poor start to the season, the Nittany Lions are now 5-1 in the comfy confines of Pegula Ice Arena. Sweeping a series against the Spartans is also helpful for the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten standings. Beating teams like Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin will be difficult as the season goes on, so the Nittany Lions need to grab points against teams that are towards the middle and bottom of the conference standings.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions will continue their home stand against No. 12 Wisconsin on Thursday, January 21. Puck drop time and broadcast location are still yet to be determined.