Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
4-15-1, 0-6-0-0B1G
Penn State
16-2-1, 5-1-0-0B1G
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Penn State | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
Late Comeback Sinks Spartans at No. 4 Penn State
1/14/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania - Two Penn State goals in a nine-second span late in the third period broke a 2-2 tie and gave the fourth-ranked Nittany Lions a 5-2 win over the Michigan State hockey team on Saturday night at Pegula Ice Arena.
The Spartans (4-15-1, 0-6) took a 2-1 lead into the third period, but a goal by Ricky DeRosa off an MSU turnover with 10:29 to play tied the game and was the first of four straight for PSU.
"I liked how hard our team played," MSU head coach Tom Anastos said. "I didn't think we played smart enough for long enough. We made costly turnover that gave them a chance to really take the momentum and they did.
"That opened a door for a change and shift in momentum and you can't make mistakes on the road and win."
A penalty with five minutes to play gave Penn State (16-2-1, 5-1) a power play and Dylan Richard scored on a shot that bounced off the boards behind the net and back in front just six seconds into the man advantage to give PSU its first lead, 3-2.
Nine seconds later with 4:45 to go, Chase Berger got his second of the night to make it 4-2.
Patrick Khodorenko nearly made it a one-goal game when he slipped through the PSU defense and rang a shot off the cross bar that then hit goaltender Peyton Jones in the back and trickled away without crossing the goal line. Seconds later, Denis Smirnov raced the other and scored to push the lead to 5-2.
Damian Chrcek capped the scoring for MSU with 12 seconds to play as he got the first goal of his career.
The Spartans carried the play in the first period and were rewarded by getting the first goal as Taro Hirose scored 13:12 into the opening stanza. After several Spartan shot attempts, Hirose found the loose puck in the low slot, turned and flung a shot that beat Jones low on the short side.
An early Spartan penalty in the second gave the Nittany Lions a power play and they converted just 29 seconds into the period to tie the game, 1-1, on a shot by Berger.
The Spartans were able to regain some offensive momentum with consecutive power plays later in the period and made good on the second chance as Mason Appleton got his team-leading ninth goal of the year to put the Spartans in front, 2-1.
After getting the puck from Zach Osburn, Hirose let a shot go from the left point that Appleton deflected past Jones with the help of a screen by Sam Saliba in front with 5:28 to play in the second.
Michigan State prevented PSU from another early-period goal in the third, killing off a 2-minute minor to start the stanza, but the Nittany Lions eventually got the equalizer with 10:59 to play to turn the tide for good in their favor.
MSU goaltender Ed Minney finished with a career-high 46 saves.
The Spartans will meet Michigan next weekend in a home-and-home series, squaring off in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 20 and then at Munn Ice Arena the following night.
