Nov. 13, 2014
| PENN STATE at UMASS LOWELL | |
| 5-1-2 (0-0-0-0 B1G) | 6-1-2 (4-0-1 HEA) |
| Friday, Nov. 14 at 7:15 p.m. | |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. | |
| Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell | Lowell, Mass. | |
| GAME DAY CENTRAL |
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| TEAM STATISTICS Penn State | UMass Lowell |
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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS | ||
| PSU | UML | |
| 5-1-2 | Overall Record | 6-1-2 |
| 0-0-0-0 | Conference Record | 4-0-1 |
| 31 | Goals Scored | 38 |
| 16 | Goals Allowed | 22 |
| 3.9 | Goals Scored/gm. | 4.2 |
| 2.0 | Goals Allowed/gm. | 2.4 |
| 345 | Shots | 233 |
| 43.1 | Shots/gm. | 25.9 |
| 52 | Assists | 60 |
| 10-36 | Power Plays | 9-35 |
| .278 | Power-Play Pct. | .257 |
| 19-25 | Penalty Kills | 26-32 |
| .760 | Penalty-Kill Pct. | .813 |
| 220 | Saves | 239 |
| 0 | Shutouts | 2 |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Nittany Lion men's hockey team returns to action following a two-week layoff by traveling to No. 4 UMass Lowell for a two-game series beginning Friday at the Tsongas Center. The opening game starts at 7:15 p.m., while Saturday's contest is slated for 7 p.m.
The Nittany Lions will face their sixth straight Massachusetts team after sweeping Holy Cross and Bentley at Pegula Ice Arena. This weekend's games are two of the final four in the Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge, with the Big Ten leading 20-19. Both games this weekend will be carried via live stream through GoRiverHawks.TV, a subscription service.
SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
UMass Lowell (6-1-2) has started off the season in impressive fashion with six wins in nine games and scoring 4.2 goals per game. Since an 8-4 loss to Michigan on Oct. 24, the River Hawks have gone 4-0-1 by out-scoring their opponents, 20-6. This past weekend, UML tied Northeastern, 3-3, in Lowell before blasting the Huskies, 5-0, in Boston.
The River Hawks lead the country in goals per game (4.22) just ahead of Penn State, Minnesota and Robert Morris (3.88). The power-play has been efficient, scoring at 25.7 percent clip (6th nationally), while the penalty kill ranks 38th in the country at 81.5 percent (PSU is 49th at 76.9 percent).
Individually, defensemen Michael Kapla and Dylan Zink have a team-high nine points, while forwards Chris Maniccia, Joe Gambardella and AJ White have tallied four goals apiece. Kapla also leads the team with a plus-nine rating.
In net, Kevin Boyle (3-1-2) and Jeff Smith (3-0-0) have split time in net. Boyle has six starts, a 2.94 GAA and .904 save percentage, while Smith has a 1.49 GAA and .940 save percentage. Each goaltender has a shutout.
SERIES HISTORY WITH UML
All-Time Series: 0-2-0 PSU Streak: 2 losses First Meeting: 11/14/13, UML 4-0 Last Meeting: 11/15/13, UML 3-2 Last PSU Win: n/a Last UML Win: 11/15/13, 3-2 Last Tie: n/a Largest PSU Win: n/a Largest UML Win: 4-0, 11/14/13
HISTORY AGAINST RANKED FOES
Penn State made history last season by winning two games against No. 10 Michigan last season, while playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation. This week's opponent, UMass Lowell, checks in at No. 4 this week, as PSU takes on its first ranked foe.
In 2012-13, PSU played four games against ranked teams, going 1-3-0 before posting a 3-16-0 mark last season (all three wins came against Michigan). Against teams in the top five, Penn State is 0-7-0.
BIG TEN/HOCKEY EAST CHALLENGE COMES DOWN THE HOME STRETCH
Penn State's series at UMass Lowell is the second-to-last in the Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge. Currently, the Big Ten leads Hockey East, 19-18, with only four games to play.
PSU has earned three points for the Big Ten thanks to a 1-0-1 season-opening series over Connecticut. Lowell has earned two points for a home win over Michigan State, but conceded three points to Michigan when the Wolverines took an away game from the River Hawks.
If Penn State is able to sweep UML, the Big Ten would win the challenge, which is in its second year of existence. Minnesota plays a split series at BC and Northeastern to conclude the challenge, where the winning team earns two points, a tie earns a point for each team and a bonus point is awarded for an away win.
PSU COMES BACK TWICE VS. BENTLEY
Penn State earned a pair of comeback victories over visiting Bentley (Oct. 30-31) by matching scores of 3-2. Bentley's power play got the better of Penn State, scoring four goals on the extra player advantage, but it was Penn State's key goaltending from Matthew Skoff and timely scoring that earned a second straight sweep.
In the opener, Bentley scored early, but goals from Casey Bailey and Curtis Loik gave PSU a 2-1 lead entering the first intermission. David Goodwin extended the lead to 3-1 in what would prove to be the game-winning goal. Skoff made 24 saves and Taylor Holstrom added two assists.
In the series finale, Bentley scored two power play goals in the first period and looked to spoil Penn State's semester home finale. Scott Conway's power-play goal midway through the second halved the deficit, but even with four minutes to go in the game, Penn State trailed the Falcons. Then some magic took place at Pegula Ice Arena
Holstrom scored on the power play with 2:59 to go and the Nittany Lions may have lost the ensuing faceoff, but regained the puck and 16 seconds later, Eric Scheid blasted a slap shot off the crossbar and down for a 3-2 comeback win. Skoff saved 33 shots.
TOP LINE REMAINS PRODUCTIVE, INTACT
Penn State has already used 18 different offensive line combinations in the first eight games, but one thing has remained constant: David Goodwin-Taylor Holstrom-Casey Bailey will play and score.
The threesome have been together in seven of eight contests (only time not together was Oct. 17 at Alaska when Holstrom sat out), accounting for 26 of Penn State's 83 points. The three have combined for 11 goals, 15 assists and a plus-19 rating. Currently, the line is 5-0-2 this season.
ROLLING WITH HOLSTROM
Penn State's most productive point-scorer has been Taylor Holstrom with three goals and eight assists for 11 points.
Holstrom currently ranks in a tie for fourth nationally in points per game (1.57). He has tallied a point in every game he's played this season and leads the team with three multi-point games.
ERIC THE CLUTCH
Forward Eric Scheid has been Penn State's go-to guy for a late-game goal. Scheid ranks second in the nation with three game-winning goals this season, earning his third by scoring 16 seconds after PSU's game-tying goal vs. Bentley on Halloween in the third period.
ERIK THE PASSER
Prior to the season, head coach Guy Gadowsky identified freshman defenseman Erik Autio as one of Penn State's best passers. It took four games, but Autio has registered an assist in three straight contests all on the power play.
FIRE AWAY!
Penn State likes to shoot the puck. A lot. The Nittany Lions lead NCAA Division I with 43.1 shots per game, 3.5 shots clear of Miami (39.6) and 7.1 shots clear of Boston University (36.0). Penn State has out-shot its opponent in every game this season.
LIONS BOAST CHART-TOPPING OFFENSE
Penn State's has been impressive in the early going, ranking in the top 10 in several offensive categories.
PSU leads the country in shots per game (43.12), tied for second in goals per game (3.88, only behind UMass Lowell), tied for third in power play percentage (27.0), tied for fifth in goal differential (+15) and power-play goals (10), and tied for 10th in total goals (31).
Among Big Ten teams, Penn State leads in shots (43.12), goals (31), goal differential (+15), power-play goals (10), while giving up the fewest goals against per game (2.00) and fewest total goals (16).
SECOND PERIOD IS BEST
Penn State's best period this year is the second, with a 14-3 scoring advantage. PSU has out-scored its opponents in all three periods (6-5 in the 1st, 11-8 in the 3rd). The Nittany Lions have dominated the shot totals in every period this season (108-76, +32 in the 1st; 111-78, +33; 118-77, +41 in the 3rd), improving each frame.
JUNIORS PROVIDING THE SCORING
Penn State's juniors have been the most productive class in scoring this year with 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points. The three other classes combined have totaled 14 goals and 35 assists for 49 points.
EVEN-STRENGTH GETTING IT DONE
Penn State has a plus-15 goal differential this year because of two key situations: 5-on-5 (+9) and 5-on-4 power play (+10). Despite an early short-handed goal, the 4-on-5 penalty kill registers a -5.
AVOIDING THE PENALTY BOX
Penn State has been less penalized in 2014-15, averaging 3.9 penalties per game and 9.1 minutes per game, resulting in 25 power play chances for its opponents. Last year, The Nittany Lions were committing 5.3 penalties for 12.3 minutes per game and teams were capitalizing on 18.9 percent of the resulting power plays. This year's penalty kill hasn't fared as well, allowing 24 percent.
BALANCED NITTANY LION SCORING
Penn State has 31 goals through four games, an average of 3.88 goals as opposed to last year's 2.22 average.
Moreover, 14 different Nittany Lions have already registered a goal this season with a total of 21 Lions recording a point. In 2013-14 alone, 16 Lions scored goals with 21 total earning points.
BLOCKING SUCCESS
Penn State's defense has allowed an average of 29.5 shots per game to reach Matthew Skoff's net this year in good part of the blocking ability of PSU's defensive corps, which has stopped 105 from reaching frame.
Junior Connor Varley tops the team with 17 blocked shots, followed by redshirt-senior captain Patrick Koudys (15) and Luke Juha (13).
SKOFF GETS THE NOD IN 2014-15
Proclaimed the starter by head coach Guy Gadowsky in the offseason, junior Matthew Skoff started the final 11-of-15 games for the Nittany Lions last season, while compiling an 8-13-2 record with a 2.95 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and a shutout.
This season, Skoff has started all eight games becoming the goalie of record in a career-best 11 straight games dating to last season.
Skoff's career record stands even at 22-22-4, starting 5-1-2 this year. He has a 1.97 GAA and a .932 save percentage this season, which is better than his career numbers of 2.62 and .916.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State hits the road for the second successive weekend when it opens Big Ten play at Michigan Friday-Saturday, Nov. 21-22. The Nittany Lions look to continue their success against the Wolverines after going 3-2-0 in 2013-14.