No. 17 Penn State men’s hockey (5-2-3 overall, 0-0-3 Big Ten) tied No. 11 Michigan State (7-3-1 overall, 2-0-1 Big Ten) 3-3 but won the shootout to earn a Big Ten point on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Michigan.

The Nittany Lions went down 2-0, and then 3-1, but erased the deficit in the third period to force overtime for the third game in a row. The two teams couldn’t settle things in overtime, but Penn State won the shootout to gain the extra point.

How It Happened

Penn State and Michigan State opened with back-and-forth hockey, as neither side could establish momentum. This resulted in a lack of offense and only five total shots were taken in the game’s opening minutes.

At 5:40 in the first period, Daniel Russell was sent to the sin bin on a hooking minor to give Penn State the night’s first power play. However, it didn’t go as the visitors would’ve hoped. Patrick Geary took the puck, zipped down the ice, charged toward Noah Grannan, and ripped a shot past him for a shorthanded goal to give Michigan State a 1-0 lead at 6:42 in the first period.

With 34.3 seconds left in the period, Matt DiMarsico was called for slashing. The two-minute minor carried into the second period with 1:26 remaining in the advantage.

The Nittany Lions killed the penalty to kick off the second period. They had a brief odd-man rush when it ended, but Trey Augustine deflected the puck with his pads.

Then, Tanner Kelly was assessed a tripping minor for the Spartans’ second penalty of the night. Danny Dzhaniyev’s blocked shot was the only one his team took the whole duration, as Michigan State cruised to a second penalty kill.

A few minutes later at 9:05 in the period, Grannan mishandled the puck behind the net. Russell picked it up and scored, as Grannan couldn’t get back to the net in time to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.

The mayhem continued for Penn State. Another defensive turnover gave Isaac Howard the puck right in front of the net, who scored at 12:23 in the period to give Michigan State a 3-0 lead.

Things got chippy, as Kelly and Carson Dyck received matching roughing minors for a skirmish after a whistle. The Nittany Lions developed a three-on-two but missed the net. Penn State, however, was outshooting the Spartans 20-16 at that point despite trailing significantly.

Then, at 17:33, Penn State finally got one back. Tyler Paquette scored in his season debut, cutting the deficit to 3-1. The second period ended shortly after without anything significant occurring.

A PAQ pic.twitter.com/ebjYbSrrRL

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) November 11, 2023

After back-and-forth play to begin the third period, Penn State struck again. This time it was Xander Lamppa, who put it in from just in front of the net to make it 3-2 at 7:06 in the period.

One-goal game!! pic.twitter.com/fEbkr1ZrvN

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) November 11, 2023

Penn State continued to control the puck, but the Spartans repeatedly denied any chances by blocking shots and making saves. Then, with just 2:27 remaining in the game, DiMarsico snuck a shot into the net to tie the game 3-3. The Nittany Lions had officially erased the three-goal deficit.

THE CARDIAC CATS ERASE ANOTHER TWO-GOAL THIRD PERIOD DEFICIT AND FORCE OVERTIME AGAIN!!#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/fxbvVf5E8O

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) November 11, 2023

The clock ticked away, and the Nittany Lions went to overtime for the third consecutive game. Despite dangerous chances from both teams, overtime went by without a goal and the game went into a shootout.

After both teams scored a goal in the first round of the shootout, Ryan Kirwan scored the game-winner to give the Nittany Lions the extra point in a 3-3 tie.

Takeaways

• What a comeback. The cardiac cats did it again, as Penn State erased another two-goal deficit in the third period. The team’s resiliency has been on full display the last three games, as it continues to avoid giving up and finding ways to score.
• This was Penn State’s third consecutive game in a shootout. Although it hasn’t been pretty, this team keeps finding ways to stay in games and earn points.
• However, the Nittany Lions might’ve won in regulation had it not been for poor defense. The defense made two sloppy errors behind the net, both of which led to goals. That’ll need to be addressed if Penn State is to have a successful season.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions and Spartans finish the series with puck drop scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 11, at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Michigan.