Dec. 15, 2012
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VIDEO Postgame Comments: Coach Gadowsky | Loik & Olczyk
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Sophomore forward Tommy Olczyk (Long Grove, Ill.) and freshman forward Curtis Loik (North Vancouver, B.C.) scored one goal each as the Penn State men's hockey team fell to Robert Morris, 3-2, at Greenberg Ice Pavilion Saturday night. The Nittany Lions dropped to 7-8-0 in their final home game of the calendar year, while Robert Morris improved to 7-4-2.
After the Colonials grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the first period, Penn State struck twice in the first 3:25 of the second stanza to take a 2-1 lead. Robert Morris' Jeff Jones tied the game at 13:11 of the frame before Tyler Hinds provided the game-winner with 8:11 left in regulation.
The Nittany Lions outshot Robert Morris by a 40-29 margin and went 0-for-5 on the power play. The Colonials ended the game 0-for-3 with the man advantage. Freshman goaltender Matthew Skoff (McKees Rocks, Pa.) turned aside 26 shots, while Robert Morris netminder Eric Levine made 38 saves.
Robert Morris skated to a 1-0 advantage with 7:53 left in the first period. Jones moved the puck below the goal line, where Zach Lynch redirected the puck back to Jones. As he started toward the cage, the forward sent a pass to Golightly in front for the score.
In the second period, the Nittany Lions scored twice in a 1:52 span as they took a 2-1 lead. Olczyk tied the game at 1-1 when he tipped defenseman Luke Juha's (Mississauga, Ont.) point shot at 1:33 of the stanza. Senior defenseman Brian Dolan (Havertown, Pa.) tallied his first point as a Nittany Lion on the play.
With 16:35 left in the frame, Loik scored on the rebound for his fourth goal of the season. Freshman forward David Glen (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.) took a low shot from the left circle that was stopped, but Loik found the loose puck and slipped it through the five-hole.
The Colonials evened the game at 13:11 of the period with Jones' rebound marker. Brendan Jamison attempted Robert Morris' initial shot, while Colin South garnered an assist.
At 11:49 of the final frame, Hinds entered his team's offensive zone and scored from the top of the left circle to account for the 3-2 final.
The teams will meet again Dec. 28 when they face off in the Three Rivers Classic at Pittsburgh's CONSOL Energy Center. Opening faceoff is set at 4:30 p.m.