No. 18 Penn State men’s hockey (9-5-3, 2-3-3 Big Ten) survived No. 7 Minnesota (8-5-3, 4-4-2 Big Ten) 6-3 on Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena.

The game was fast-paced and gradually got chippier the whole night. Penn State took a 3-0 lead halfway through the second period, but Minnesota scored a short-handed goal during a five-minute checking-from-behind major shortly after. Then, both teams exploded in the third period. Minnesota cut the lead to 4-2 and then 5-3 late in the game, but an empty-netter from Danny Dzhaniyev sealed the deal as Penn State won 6-3, securing a series split.

How It Happened

Minnesota won the opening faceoff but dropped back immediately as an onslaught of Nittany Lions backed the Golden Gophers up. Ryan Kirwan nearly capitalized on a critical turnover in front of Justen Close, but the shot sailed wide.

Minnesota responded in turn, as Jaxon Nelson whiffed on a pass in front of Noah Grannan. Then, left hanging open in front of the net, Connor Kurth’s sneaky attempt was denied by the Wisconsin native once again.

Eight minutes passed before the first whistle, which was blown after Jacques Bouquot was called for tripping. Minnesota maintained possession throughout most of its power play, although three clearances by Penn State stifled the one-man advantage.

Then, a slapshot taken in front of the blue line from Jimmy Dowd Jr. hit Reese Laubach and went into the goal to give Penn State a 1-0 lead at 11:07 in the first period. Laubach was credited for his fifth goal of the season.

But then, the Nittany Lions drew blood again. Simon Mack passed the puck to a wide-open Kirwan beyond the faceoff circle, who scored just 54 seconds later to give Penn State a 2-0 lead.

Neither side generated much, as it was a back-and-forth affair for the rest of the period.

A shot from Minnesota’s Ryan Chesley hit the goalpost and away from the net for the first significant scoring chance of the second period. Minnesota had another good chance shortly after, but the Nittany Lions cleared the puck right in front of the net before the Golden Gophers could reach it.

Then, a wrap-around pass from Dylan Gratton wasn’t finished by Laubach. Close jumped in front of the puck and made the save, which stopped Penn State’s promising shift.

A Gopher pass was intercepted by Jarod Crespo after a faceoff in their zone, which was passed to Kirwan. Kirwan sniped it past Close to take a commanding 3-0 lead at 10:19 in the second period.

Kirwan can’t stop scoring

pic.twitter.com/DYJ7oy8CNs

— Onward State (@OnwardState) December 3, 2023

After this, Penn State went on the power play as Sam Rinzel was sent to the sin bin for interference. The Nittany Lions couldn’t establish consistent enough possession to generate scoring chances, as Minnesota killed the penalty.

The game had slowly been getting more physical, but it reached a breaking point with 5:12 to go in the second period. Aaron Huglen was ejected after checking Dane Dowiak from behind and Minnesota was assessed a five-minute major, which was served by left wing Charlie Strobel.

Unlike its last power play, Penn State’s offense gave Close a hard time. The Nittany Lions took multiple shots and maintained possession, but the sound of the puck hitting Close’s pads echoed throughout the arena time and time again.

Then, with 18 seconds left in the power play, Minnesota suddenly developed a two-on-one. Jimmy Clark came speeding down the ice and passed it to Rhett Pitlick who hammered the puck past Grannan to make it 3-1 at 19:30 to end the second period.

Minnesota started the third period with a poised offensive shift, sprinkling a few shots at Grannan. The Nittany Lions briefly established control and had an ideal chance to expand their lead after a faceoff in the Gophers’ zone, but Minnesota’s NHL-studded defense kept them at bay.

Close made a mesmerizing save, robbing Aiden Fink’s slapshot that came from a distance with his glove. Grannan mimicked that in turn, with another impressive glove save. While fast-paced offensive play dominated the opening period, goaltending was having its way up to that point in the third.

Then, Bouquot forced a turnover, got the puck, and outskated the Golden Gophers down the ice. He quickly went top shelf against Close in a one-on-one, sending the Pegula crowd into a frenzy as Penn State grabbed a 4-1 lead at 10:06 in the period.

Minnesota then began to appear desperate. Mason Nevers brought down Dowd behind the Golden Gophers’ net, and he was sent to the box for hooking. However, Minnesota got a much-needed kill as less than six minutes remained in regulation.

The penalty kill led to significant momentum for Minnesota, though. Jimmy Snuggerud scored an unassisted goal right in front of the net, which cut the deficit in half to 4-2 at 14:35 in the period.

However, Minnesota’s promising spell was silenced immediately. Close, attempting to clear the puck from outside the crease, accidentally passed it to Dylan Gratton, who sent it flying into the open net as he failed to get back in time, giving Penn State a 5-2 lead not even a minute after the Gophers scored.

Dylan Lugris was assessed a hooking minor, setting up Minnesota with a crucial power play. Close made his way off the ice for another extra skater. Then, Bryce Brodzinski scored from the faceoff circle to make it 5-3 with at 17:07 — less than three minutes to go in regulation.

Close stayed on the bench, giving Penn State a chance to put the game away. It took several chances before Dzhaniyev scored with .5 seconds left, handing Penn State a 6-3 win.

Takeaways

• What’s better than one goal? Two goals. Penn State’s two scores within a minute of each other in the first period set the tone for the rest of the night, as it used that momentum to grind out a tough win against a great Minnesota team.
• Building off of Friday night’s 4-1 loss was a recurring theme among Guy Gadowsky, Xander Lamppa, and Christian Berger when they spoke to the press after the defeat. The Nittany Lions had a hot start in that game, but they played that way the whole game Saturday and it was a huge reason why they won.
• Kirwan, who scored twice, was disrespected during Penn State’s five-minute power play. He was left open in the faceoff circle repeatedly, and it’s not hard to imagine what could’ve happened if he’d gotten the puck during it.

What’s Next

Penn State travels to Madison for a series against Wisconsin beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday, December 8. The first game will be televised on Big Ten Network, however, it hasn’t been announced where the second game will be broadcast.