No. 20 Penn State men’s hockey (10-9-3, 2-7-3 Big Ten) was dominated by No. 8 Michigan State (15-4-3, 9-1-2 Big Ten) 7-3 on Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena.

Penn State scored less than five minutes into the game and again in the third period, however, the Nittany Lions couldn’t keep up with a more talented Michigan State roster in what ended up being a forgettable evening for the Penn State faithful.

How It Happened

Gavin O’Connell went to the sin bin for an interference penalty, giving Penn State the game’s first power play just three minutes into the game. The Nittany Lions won the faceoff and quickly got the puck to Aiden Fink, who fired a slapshot into the net to give the team a 1-0 lead at 4:22 in the opening period, sending the Roar Zone behind the play into a frenzy.

No shutout tonight!

pic.twitter.com/3gI5wsci36

— Onward State (@OnwardState) January 13, 2024

There wasn’t any love lost after a chippy first game, as a skirmish after a whistle two minutes later handed Xander Lamppa and Patrick Geary matching roughing minors. Both teams regained full strength, but the Spartans were quicker to the puck and found scoring chances.

Then, they capitalized. Karsen Dorwart scored at 9:23 in the first period, and Michigan State tied it 1-1.

Jarod Crespo took a hooking minor one minute later, setting the Spartans up with their first power play of the game. Things were looking bleak as Penn State managed multiple clearances, but with 14 seconds remaining on the advantage, Joey Larsen scored at 12:28 in the period to take a 2-1 lead.

However, Michigan State wasn’t done yet. O’Connell passed the puck to Red Savage, who buried it in front of the net to take a 3-1 lead at 14:04 in the period. What was initially a promising start for the blue and white had quickly evaporated into a steep deficit, with three goals conceded in a five-minute frame.

Artyom Levshunov took a slashing minor with one minute left in the period. Then, Reed Lebster ran into Liam Souliere, and he was assessed a goaltender interference minor with 20 seconds left, giving Penn State a five-on-three advantage.

Levshunov’s penalty expired to begin the second period. Lebster was done a few seconds later, meaning Penn State had squandered a much-needed power play opportunity.

Then, Levshunov sped down the ice with the puck on a breakaway. The Belarussian sniped it past Souliere, giving the Spartans a 4-1 lead at 4:02 in the second period.

Not even two minutes later, O’Connell scored at 5:19 in the period to give Michigan State a commanding 5-1 lead. The crowd at Pegula Ice Arena was silenced and left in awe of the sequence of events unfolding.

Nash Nienhuis was sent to the sin bin for slashing, giving Penn State another opportunity to trim the deficit. The Nittany Lions controlled the puck throughout the sequence but consistently came up short, including one shot that deflected off the post.

Despite being outplayed in the offensive zone, Penn State got one back. Jacques Bouquot scored on a slapshot, making it 5-2 at 11:43 in the second period.

Alex Servagno was hit in a play next to Augustine’s net. Another skirmish erupted after the play, and Nienhuis and Carson Dyck were both given matching roughing minors. The non-call of potential contact to the head on the play against Michigan State outraged the crowd and Guy Gadowsky, who had a heated discussion with the officials on the bench. A lengthy review determined there was no head contact, sparking even more anger from the Penn State faithful.

Right as the penalty expired, Michigan State grabbed another goal. It was Lebster this time, making it 6-2 at 18:12 in the second period.

Penn State took another penalty for too many men on the ice, which Dylan Lugris served. The Nittany Lions remained a man down as the second period ended.

Christian Berger chipped into Michigan State’s lead even more, scoring at 1:53 into the third period to make it 6-3. It was much-needed, as Penn State was on the cusp of a sweep for the second time this season.

Levshunov took another penalty, as he was sent to the sin bin on a charging minor with nine minutes left in regulation. A shot ricocheted off the post, denying Penn State of a crucial goal. Once again, the Nittany Lions came up short-handed.

Niehuis scored at 14:45, giving Michigan State a 7-3 lead. The fans inside Pegula streamed toward the exits amid another blowout.

Takeaways

• Gadowsky frequently emphasizes the importance of starting hot, which Penn State did by grabbing a 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the game. The Nittany Lions not only scored but were better at imposing their style of play early on. It wasn’t enough, as all momentum seemed to disappear as soon as Michigan State scored. Not just starting hot, but staying hot, should be something worth looking at, especially against better teams like Michigan State.
• This is the second time Penn State has been swept this season. The trend is concerning as the team tends to struggle in the second half of seasons, and this weekend’s result, along with barely beating Army last week, indicates that’s exactly what’s happening. This needs to change quickly, as Penn State isn’t yet where it needs to be on the PairWise rankings to make a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
• The lack of production on the power play was lackluster. Going 1-for-5 on the power play is pretty much asking to lose, especially against a goaltender of Trey Augustine’s quality. Although there was more than one chance that deflected off the goal or was close, the bounces need to go the right way much more often than they did tonight.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will travel to South Bend, Indiana, for a series against Notre Dame beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 19, at Compton Family Ice Arena.