Spartans Win 4-3 at Penn State to Split Series

GAME CAPSULE

Mitchell Lewandowski had a goal and two assists, and sophomore goalie Pierce Charleson mad e 50 saves to earn a 4-3 win on Saturday over Penn State in State College. The Spartans earn the sweep after a 4-2 loss on Friday.

The Spartans had four different goal scorers – in addition to Lewandowski, Jeremy Davidson had his team-leading eighth of the season and blueliner Dennis Cesana scored his fourth of the year. Sophomore centerman Kristoff Papp had his first collegiate tally, pushing his point total to eight on the season.

The Spartans held a 2-1 lead after one and were tied 2-2 in the second intermission, and came out with a pair of goals in the first seven minutes of the third period, including the fourth from Papp at 6:16 which would stand as the game-winner. The home team got within a goal at 8:46 on a Carson Dyck goal, but could not find an equalizer despite pulling goaltender Oskar Audio (25 saves) for more than two minutes at the end of the game.

Michigan State competes its pre-holiday slate with a series next weekend at Notre Dame.

STATISTICS OF NOTE

Pierce Charleson had a career-best 50 saves, bettering his previous career high of 48 against Minnesota his freshman year.
Mitchell Lewandowski had a goal and two assists in the game, his third multiple-point outing in the last five games.
Jeremy Davidson had his eighth goal

NOTABLES

Pierce Charleson established a new career high in saves, bettering his previous career high of 48 against Minnesota his freshman year.
Mitchell Lewandowski had an assist on the first goal of the game by Jeremy Davidson to extend his point-scoring streak out to 11 games.
Kristsoff Papp scored his first collegiate goal in the third period. He has seven assists this season after six his freshman year.

GAME SYNOPSIS

FIRST PERIOD: The teams traded goals in the opening seven minutes. Jesse Tucker initiated the Spartan goal up the right side,and he found Mitchell Lewandowski – the senior dished to Jeremy Davidson for his eighth goal of the season at 3:31. Three and a half minutes later the Nittany Lions got the equalizer on a backhand shot by Chase McLane, his third of the season. MSU regained the lead at 16:06 on a goal by Dennis Cesana, as he was set up by Lewandowski for the senior's second assist of the game. The home team held a 16-11 edge in shots in the first period, but the scoring chances were equal, if not tipped in favor of MSU.

SECOND PERIOD: MSU took a pair of penalties in the first six minutes of the second period, but by the nine-minute mark were only trailing in shots by a 6-4 margin, keeping the Nittany Lions from any quality chances on Pierce Charleson . That changed at 10:04, when a wraparound chance by Connor MacEachern was saved by Charleson, but the rebound was there for the putback and it tied the game up at the game's midpoint. At the final buzzer, the shot counter was in favor of Penn State 32-16.

THIRD PERIOD: The Spartans came out determined in the third period, and potted a pair of goals in the first seven minutes of the frame to open up a 4-2 advantage. The first came on the power play, with Lewandowski scoring off a nice pass from Nash Nienhuis at 4:10. Just over two minutes later, Kristoff Papp came up the left side and beat Autio over his stick hand for his first career goal, with assists going to AJ Hodges and Adam Goodsir Not to be outdone, Nittany Lion Carson Dyck posted his first collegiate tally at 8:46 on a rush up the right side to bring the home team within a goal. Penn State pulled its netminder for the final two minutes of play in favor of an extra skater, but could not find the equalizer and the Spartans earned the road split.

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Team Stats

Mitchell Lewandowski

Kristof Papp

Dennis Cesana

Jeremy Davidson

Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Pierce Charleson

Jeremy Davidson

Adam Goodsir

Mitchell Lewandowski

Nash Nienhuis

Jesse Tucker