No. 6 Penn State men’s hockey (14-3-0 overall, 6-3-0 Big Ten) defeated No. 17 Ohio State (9-7-1 overall, 4-5-0 Big Ten) 2-1 on Friday at Pegula Ice Arena.

Penn State and Ohio State were tied for much of a game that featured a lot of back-and-forth action, but a late goal from Jimmy Dowd Jr. propelled the Nittany Lions to another victory.

How It Happened

Penn State wasted no time setting the tone. The Nittany Lions had control as soon as the puck dropped, sending multiple shots hurling toward Buckeye goaltender Jakub Dobeš and using speed as a means to create scoring chances.

After a brief stint of Ohio State momentum, Penn State had more chances on net. Dobeš, who is a prospect for the Montreal Canadiens, impressively saved a shot from right in front of him. Ohio State responded in turn, with Liam Souliere robbing the Buckeyes with a glove save.

Ohio State kept its momentum and took shot after shot on goal, but the Penn State defense kept the Buckeyes at bay. After Souliere froze the puck, a scuffle broke out behind the net that resulted in Dalton Messina, Carter Schade, and Xander Lamppa all receiving two-minute roughing penalties. Ohio State therefore had the first power play of the night at 13:54 in the first period. Souliere and the Nittany Lion defense held strong, closing the door on Ohio State’s hopes of a power play goal.

Then, it was Penn State’s turn for a power play, as Cam Thiesing was sent to the sin bin for high sticking with 1:35 to go in the first period.

Penn State wasted no time taking advantage, as Connor MacEachern quickly scored after Penn State won the face-off at 18:29 in the first period. It was MacEachern’s sixth goal of the season, with Jimmy Dowd Jr. and Kevin Wall on the assist.

The game continued to be extremely physical, as Ohio State’s Joe Dunlap took a two-minute minor for cross-checking. The first period ended with Penn State up 1-0 and with a one-man advantage.

Ohio State killed the penalty to begin the second period. The game remained physical, with both sides getting into it seemingly after each whistle.

Both sides exchanged back-and-forth play, but both goaltenders continued to play well. Ohio State took a penalty, but Penn State killed it with ease.

Then, the Buckeyes gained momentum and applied pressure on Souliere and the Nittany Lions. Ohio State finally broke through, tying the game 1-1 as Cole McWard sniped the puck from near the blue line at 16:02 in the second period.

The second period ended 1-1 with both teams playing an even game. Shots on goal were tied at 22 a piece, and both teams had several positive and negative moments thus far.

Ben Schoen took a high-sticking penalty to start the third period. Penn State killed the penalty, with Souliere making an acrobatic diving save to deny Ohio State the lead.

After more back-and-forth play that saw multiple dangerous chances for both teams, Penn State went on the power play as Scooter Brickey went to the sin bin for cross-checking. Penn State had a near miss, as a shot deflected off the goalposts. Dobeš continued to deny the Nittany Lions as they sent shot after shot toward the goal.

Then, Ohio State took yet another penalty. Jaedon Leslie went to the sin bin for delay of game after a face-off violation, giving Penn State a brief 3-on-2 power play.

Penn State didn’t score on the two-man advantage, but a shot once again rebounded off the goal. The Nittany Lions whiffed on a shot that allowed Ohio State to clear the puck and regroup.

Just after Ohio State regained full strength, Penn State broke the ice to take a 2-1 lead. Jimmy Dowd Jr. scored from beyond the faceoff circle at 14:29 in the third period, sending Pegula Ice Arena into a frenzy.

Ohio State pulled Dobeš for the extra skater, and Penn State closed out a decisive 2-1 victory over the Buckeyes.

Takeaways

• Although Penn State won, execution on the power play needs to be better. The Nittany Lions let the puck get loose too many times, which disrupted potential scoring chances and gave Ohio State shorthanded chances.
• Penn State had a productive night in terms of faceoffs, winning 55-22 in that category, which gave the squad a much-needed advantage at times.
• Liam Souliere once again proved why he’s one of the best goaltenders in college hockey. Souliere made 35 saves, including several that easily could’ve been goals.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes are scheduled to finish the series at Pegula Ice Arena tomorrow night, with puck drop scheduled for 5:30 p.m. due to the annual Teddy Bear Toss.