Nittany Lions, Huskies Skate to Opening Night Tie, 2-2Nittany Lions, Huskies Skate to Opening Night Tie, 2-2

Nittany Lions, Huskies Skate to Opening Night Tie, 2-2

22Pegula Ice Arena | University Park, Pa. | 6,107

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Oct. 10, 2014

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -

The Penn State men's hockey team earned a 2-2 tie with Connecticut on Friday night at Pegula Ice Arena in front of 6,017 fans on opening night. David Goodwin (Des Peres, Mo.) scored with 48.3 seconds remaining to earn the comeback draw, while Tommy Olczyk (Long Grove, Ill.)

Down 2-1 with less than a minute play, Penn State (0-0-1) pulled goaltender Matthew Skoff (McKees Rocks, Pa.) for an extra attacker. Seven seconds after Skoff stepped off the ice, Taylor Holstrom (Yorba Linda, Calif.) threw a shot on net from a tight angle and Goodwin pushed it home with 48.3 seconds left to force overtime. Holstrom and Dylan Richard (Sherwood Park, Alberta) earned assists on the play.

Penn State owned the overtime period as well with a 5-2 shot edge, but the five-minute stanza ended in a deadlock as the first Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge game garnered a point for each conference. UConn would take the exhibition shootout, 2-1. After one night of play, the Big Ten leads Hockey East, 3-1, following Ohio State's 5-4 overtime victory Friday night.

Penn State came out buzzing in the opening frame, but Connecticut (0-0-1) held strong with 13 saves from goalie Rob Nichols (33 saves). PSU owned a 13-5 edge in shots in the free-flowing frame that yielded no penalties. The best chance came on a PSU 3-on-1 chance that saw Casey Bailey (Anchorage, Alaska) robbed by Nichols.

UConn would open the scoring midway through the second period as Patrick Kirtland collected a pass from Brent Norris for the 1-0 lead.

The Nittany Lions would fight back as a long pass through the middle of the ice found its way to a streaking Olczyk, who beat his man, Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Ryan Segalla for a breakaway. Segalla had to hook Olczyk, which resulted in a penalty shot.

Olczyk, who missed a penalty shot last year against Boston College, coolly slid a shot through Nichols' pads to even the score at one. UConn out-shot Penn State, 11-6, in the second period.

In the third, an even feel to the game gave way as Trevor Gerling deflected a Johnny Austin blast from the point with only 4:46 remaining. Nevertheless, Penn State would fight back, eventually gettin Skoff onto the bench and the extra attacker onto the ice to send the game into overtime.

Penn State opened the season at home for the third straight year, moving to 1-1-1 in season openers. The Nittany Lions are now 0-2-1 all-time against the Huskies.

NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State and UConn complete the two-game series on Saturday afternoon with a 3 p.m. contest at Pegula Ice Arena.