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| PSU |
Chase Berger (8) Loik (9), Marsh (6) |
2 | 12:05 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SHU
Alec Butcher (1)
Doherty (2), Brightbill(3)
3
4:16
PSU
Tommy Olczyk (3)
Sturtz (4)
3
11:26
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Nov. 14, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State men's hockey team picked up a sweep of Sacred Heart on Saturday evening thanks to a 3-2 win at Pegula Ice Arena in front of 6,217 fans. Tommy Olczyk (Long Grove, Ill.) tallied the third-period game-winning goal and Chase Berger (St. Louis, Mo.), who celebrated his 21st birthday, scored two markers to move into the NCAA lead for goals by a freshman (8).
An entertaining back-and-forth game saw Penn State (6-2-2, 0-0-0-0 Big Ten) and Sacred Heart (5-5-1, 4-2-0 AHA) combine for 112 total shots on goal as the Nittany Lions fired a school-record 67 shots. Both goaltenders combined for 107 saves as Nittany Lion netminder Matthew Skoff (McKees Rocks, Pa.) stopped 43 SHU efforts and Pioneer goalie Brett Magnus had a career-high 64 saves in the loss.
"I think that was a tremendous goaltending effort from both goalies," said head coach Guy Gadowsky. "I thought they were fantastic. You get 67 shots and you feel that you should win, but you give up 45 and you feel very lucky. (It was a ) great goaltending performance by both guys."
With the game tied at two, a hustle play by Andrew Sturtz (Buffalo, N.Y.) set up Olczyk's first game-winning goal since March 7, 2015 against Michigan.
Ricky DeRosa (Aston, Pa.) dumped the puck behind the SHU net as Magnus came out to corral it, but he lost control as Sturtz crashed into the boards, won the puck and fired it off the backside of Magnus. The puck trickled through the crease and Olczyk came in the back door to knock it home with 8:34 remaining in the game.
"The most important play to me was Andrew Sturtz," Gadowsky added. "He worked so hard, hustled so hard, took a hit to get the play down there. He won a great battle. I just saw Tommy wanting the puck, and he had a great nose for the net. That's a big one. It's not the prettiest, but it's a big one."
The Pioneers put together a furious attempt at a rally down the stretch, pulling Magnus for the extra attacker and firing several quality chances on net, but Skoff was up to the task and held on for his second win of the season.
Skoff is now 2-1-2 and has a four-game unbeaten streak. His 43 saves were the most since a 52-stop effort in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament win over Michigan in double overtime. Skoff's 43 stops were the second most during a regulation game to a 48-save performance in 2013 at Robert Morris during a 5-4 win.
The Pioneers earned a 1-0 lead through Zach Luczyk who scored his first of the season midway through the first period. Luczyk put away a Mitch Nylen left-winged blast for Sacred Heart's first lead of the weekend.
In the second, the Nittany Lions got back into it with a short-handed goal halfway through the first. Kenny Brooks (Las Vegas, Nev.) stripped a Pioneer defenseman of the puck and fed Berger in front of the net. Berger's first chance was stopped, but a tight-angled shot from the left side of the crease got past Magnus to even the score. It was Berger's first short-handed goal and seventh of the season.
Less than two-and-a-half minutes later, it was Berger again as he again deftly found a corner unprotected by Magnus to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead. Alec Marsh (Briddgewater, N.J.) picked up a secondary assist by bringing the puck into the offensive zone and leaving it for Curtis Loik (North Vancouver, British Columbia) behind the net. Loik cycled the puck to Berger who turned around in front of the net and beat Magnus over his left shoulder.
Penn State held a decisive 25-11 edge in shots for the second period and 44-26 for the first two frames. The 25 shots in the second period were also a program record, besting the 24 PSU attempted against Northern Michigan on Jan. 24, 2015.
The third was played at a lightning quick pace and the score was evened by Alec Butcher with 15:44 left in the game. Butcher's tally came shortly after a PSU penalty.
The Nittany Lions improved to 4-0-0 all-time against Sacred Heart and earned their second sweep of the season. Penn State is 5-3-1 at home this year.
Both teams were 0-for-3 on the power play, a night after the Nittany Lions went a school-record 5-for-7 with the man-advantage. PSU earned a 42-32 edge in faceoffs led by Eric Scheid (Blaine, Minn.) who went 11-7. Blocked shots totaled 16-12 in favor of the Pioneers.
GAME NOTES
Penn State's 67 shots on goal eclipsed the 65 taken against Michigan in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament. That was a double-overtime game with 92 minutes, 47 seconds of game time.
Chase Berger collected his second two-goal game of the season. The other came Oct. 23, 2015 against AIC. His eight goals already have him in sole position of fourth place at PSU for goals by a freshman. The record is 16 by David Glen (2012-13, 27 games)
Curtis Loik regained the team lead in points (12) with his assist on Berger's second goal. He has a team-high nine assists this season. Loik played in his 100th collegiate game on Saturday.
Penn State played in front of its 41st sellout in 44 regular-season games at Pegula Ice Arena. The Nittany Lions have played in front of 21 straight home sellouts. Penn State is 18-4-4 at Pegula Ice Arena the past two seasons.
Penn State's student section, The Roar Zone, displayed just two signs on Saturday evening: The French flag and the Eiffel Tower peace symbol, in honor of the victims of the Paris attacks on Friday night. A moment of silence was also held prior to opening faceoff.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State will take its second voyage to Alaska in as many seasons when the Nittany Lions face Alaska Anchorage on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 21-22. Last season, the Seawolves and Nittany Lions tied, 3-3, in Fairbanks, Alaska.