Penn State men’s hockey (1-0) edged Alaska-Fairbanks (0-1) 4-3 in overtime in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Nittany Lions blew a 3-1 lead with two Nanook goals to start the third period, but they held on to win in overtime to start the season 1-0.

How It Happened

Broten Sabo opened the game with a wide shot, but Penn State quickly took over. The Nittany Lions peppered the Nanooks with shots throughout the first three minutes of the game.

But then, 4:33 into the game, Danny Dzhaniyev broke the ice to give Penn State a 1-0 lead. Aiden Fink and Jarod Crespo had the assists.

The Nanooks gained momentum despite giving up the first goal, and a strong shift ensued with multiple shots taken. However, new goaltender Arsenii Sergeev kept them at bay with three saves during the sequence.

Penn State got a power play five minutes into the first period. The Nittany Lions never had firm control though, with just three shots taken during the advantage.

Alaska-Fairbanks got a power play two minutes later. In an unusual turn of events, Braedon Ford scored a short-handed goal to make it 2-0 at 8:59 in the period.

However, the scoring extravaganza was far from over. The Nanooks got on the board with Braden Birnie cutting Penn State’s lead in half at 10:36 in the first period.

The bulk of the second period consisted of back-and-forth hockey between the two teams.

The Nittany Lions had two power plays in the first six minutes of the period but didn’t capitalize on either advantage. The Nanooks had one of their own right after the second aforementioned penalty expired but also failed to score.

Then, at 9:50 in the second period, JJ Wiebusch scored to give Penn State a 3-1 lead. Charlie Cerrato and Simon Mack had the assists.

Penn State had several more shots on goal, but it was nothing doing in the second period after Wiebusch’s goal.

In the third period, Alaska-Fairbanks mustered a comeback. Matt Hubarde scored two minutes in to make it 3-2, and Luke Johnson tied it one minute later.

Penn State once again made a strong offensive push, with multiple shots fired in the goal’s direction.

However, neither team scored again and the game went to overtime.

At 2:52 into the sequence, Simon Mack scored to win it 4-3 for Penn State.

Takeaways

• A win is a win. Although Penn State blew a lead in the third period, it’s hard to get a victory when dealing with a four-hour time difference.
• Penn State had a hot start with two goals in the first period. Staying in front of things by gaining momentum is never a bad way to go.
• Penn State went 0-for-3 on power plays, which is something head coach Guy Gadowsky said he wants to see improvements on this season.

What’s Next

Penn State finishes the series tonight at 9 p.m. EDT in Fairbanks, Alaska.