 3 No. 1 Minnesota (14-2-3, 4-0-1-0 B1G) |
University Park, Pa. • Pegula Ice Arena • Attendance: 5,999 NEXT GAME: Jan. 13 vs. Minnesota • 7 p.m. • BTN |   2 Penn State (4-11-1, 0-3-0-0 B1G) |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Freshman goaltender Eamon McAdam (Perkasie, Pa.) turned aside a career-high 42 shots and the Nittany Lion men's hockey team erased a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the third, but top-ranked Minnesota edged Penn State, 3-2, in its first Big Ten home game at Pegula Ice Arena Sunday night.
In front of a sellout crowd of 5,999, McAdam shined throughout the contest with several highlight-reel saves. The netminder, who started for the first time since Dec. 1, produced double-digit save totals in each period and kept the Gopher offense at bay for most of the game. In his past three games between the pipes, the freshman has corralled at least 38 shots in each contest.
Redshirt junior Taylor Holstrom (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and sophomore David Glen (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.) each tallied their second markers of the season to help even the game. The Nittany Lions (4-11-1, 0-3-0-0 Big Ten), who were out shot by a 45-30 margin, went 0-for-2 on the power play, while Minnesota (14-2-3, 4-0-1-0 Big Ten) went 1-for-6 with the man advantage.
In a tightly-played first period, the Gophers took a 1-0 lead at the 2:37 mark of the frame. The puck moved from behind the Nittany Lion cage to Brady Skjei at the left point, where he connected on a one-timer for his third goal of the season. A.J. Michaelson and Connor Reilly collected assists on the play.
In the second period, Minnesota doubled its lead before Holstrom halved the deficit with 1:51 remaining. After Penn State failed to clear the puck, Travis Boyd fed Mike Reilly at the point, where he fired a low shot to the back of the net.
With time winding down in the period, Holstrom netted his second marker of the season to make it a 2-1 game. Freshman defenseman David Thompson (Glen Mills, Pa.) wrapped the puck around the boards and, after a misplay from Gopher netminder Adam Wilcox, Holstrom one-timed David Goodwin's (Des Peres, Mo.) pass from the left corner low to the far side.
At 3:45 of the third period, Glen's tally tied the game at 2-2. Freshman defenseman Mark Yanis (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) passed to Nate Jensen (Shorewood, Minn.) along the blue line, where his wrister was redirected by Glen in the left circle.
Ben Marshall gave the Golden Gophers the final lead of the game with 4:01 left in regulation. Kyle Rau passed to Marshall at the blue line, where his shot rang off the right post and caromed into the net.
Penn State and Minnesota will conclude their series Monday, Jan. 13 with a 7 p.m. faceoff. The game will air live on BTN.