No. 18 Penn State men’s hockey (2-0-0) defeated Clarkson (1-2-0) 4-2 Friday at Cheel Arena in Potsdam, New York.

The Nittany Lions took a 1-0 lead towards the end of the first period and dominated from then until the middle of the third period when Clarkson cut the lead to 3-2. The Golden Knights challenged heavily from then on, until Penn State took a 4-2 lead on an empty netter with a minute remaining to win by that score.

How It Happened

Neither Penn State nor Clarkson generated much offense right after the puck dropped, with only two shots apiece in the opening five minutes. However, the Nittany Lions then had the first dangerous scoring chance of the game when Austin Roden denied back-to-back chances from Chase McLane and Carson Dyck.

Although it played one step ahead by heavily outshooting the Golden Knights and controlling the better part of the period, Guy Gadowsky’s team couldn’t find the back of the net. However, the Nittany Lions were slowly chipping away by generating more chances against Roden and the defense.

Then finally, after 15:52 through in the first period, Penn State opened the scoring. Simon Mack picked up a rebound and slid the puck under a diving Roden to make it 1-0. The period ended shortly thereafter, with Penn State holding the lead and outshooting Clarkson 27-10.

Great vision from Dzhaniyev on the lead pass to Kirwan to set up our opening goal from Mack!!#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/JjxBfqgUCn

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) October 13, 2023

McLane took a two-minute holding minor to open the second period. The Golden Knights managed only one shot in the sequence, and the Nittany Lions quickly killed the power play.

Penn State continued to control the puck, with Roden repeatedly scrambling to deflect numerous chances. Then, 7:20 into the second period, Dylan Lugris skated down the left side with room. He passed the puck to Christian Sarlo, who hammered it into the net to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead.

Turning defense into quick strike offense!! #WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/7dFKd33fho

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) October 14, 2023

The momentum continued for Penn State while Clarkson’s Erik Bargholtz was handed a two-minute tripping penalty. The Nittany Lions capitalized as Ryan Kirwan sniped a shot from beyond the faceoff circle and past Roden to give Penn State a 3-0 lead 12 minutes through the second period.

KIRWAN FROM DEEP!

7:13 | PSU 3, Clarkson 0
pic.twitter.com/bKZRO95RbM

— Onward State (@OnwardState) October 14, 2023

The tide turned after this, as Dyck received a slashing penalty. Penn State’s penalty kill unit appeared to be keeping the Golden Knights at bay with multiple blocked shots, but with 22 seconds left in the advantage, Ellis Rickwood ripped a shot from the faceoff circle and past Liam Souliere to shorten Penn State’s lead to 3-1 with nearly five minutes left in the second period.

After some back-and-forth play, Clarkson’s Carter Rose was assessed a tripping call at 18:25 in the second period. However, Danny Dzhaniyev was called for hooking just 10 seconds later. Penn State took another penalty an additional 10 seconds later, as Reese Laubach was called for high sticking.

Clarkson was threatening offensively for the first time all game. Souliere was left exposed by the defense multiple times during the Golden Knights’ power play, but he made save after save to keep them at bay to end the second period.

A brief four-on-four sequence to open the third period didn’t result in any goals, and again Souliere made multiple saves. However, the penalties continued. Clarkson’s Cody Monds received a two-minute roughing penalty, but once again, Penn State didn’t score.

The Nittany Lions’ missed power play opportunity came back to haunt them, as Clarkson cut the lead to 3-2 halfway through the third period. Ryan Taylor broke through the defense and narrowly beat Souliere in front of the net, and suddenly the Golden Knights were within striking distance.

The final 10 minutes of the game were tense as both teams battled for control, as one sought to tie the game, while the other attempted to take a commanding lead. Clarkson took a penalty but killed it with four minutes remaining on the clock.

Clarkson opted to pull Roden with two minutes left in the game. The Golden Knights kept the puck in their offensive zone and applied pressure on the Nittany Lions, peppering Souliere with shots. Then, McLane beat two Golden Knights to the puck on a breakaway and scored to make it 4-2, and Penn State won the game.

Takeaways

• Statistically, Penn State dominated on offense. It outshot Clarkson by a whopping 81-48 and had its way for the better part of the game. Clarkson challenged repeatedly, particularly towards the end, but sometimes the best defense is good offense.
• Souliere was outstanding in goal. He made 21 saves, but what’s so impressive is how he continued denying the Golden Knights with reaching glove or pad saves when he was left exposed.
• The penalty situation needs to be addressed. Penn State scored once on four power plays, as did Clarkson. Both of those numbers are problematic, as those chances are valuable for both sides and will decide the outcome of future games.

What’s Next

Penn State’s road trip continues with a visit to St. Lawrence with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, in Canton, New York.