Jan. 10, 2016
By Maria Canales, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" The No. 15 Penn State hockey team (13-4-3, 3-1-0 Big Ten) took down Minnesota (9-10-0, 4-2-0 Big Ten) Friday night in its first Big Ten matchup since before the winter break en route to a weekend split with the Gophers.
On Friday, The Nittany Lions successfully killed off a pivotal 5-on-3 penalty, ultimately winning 3-2 in overtime.
The Nittany Lions held back a lengthy and relentless 5-on-3 man-advantage from the Golden Gophers in the second period. Junior goaltender Eamon McAdam powered through the penalty kill with numerous highlight reel saves to keep Minnesota off of the scoreboard through the second period.
As time ran down towards the end of the Gopher's 105-second span of two-man advantage, those in attendance for the 25th consecutive Pegula Ice Arena sellout rose to their feet. Fans cheered on the team's ability to withstand Minnesota's unforgiving offense and praise the game's eventual No. 1 star, McAdam. The Penn State penalty kill successfully defended against four penalties total Friday night, in a herculean effort.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky praised McAdam's performance in net Friday night, noting the score could have ended in Minnesota's favor had McAdam not been such a dominating presence between the pipes. McAdam made 40 saves during his almost 64 minutes in the crease.
"We were down, for 5-on-3 for a minute and 45 seconds and they were zipping the puck around, making great plays and he was unbelievable," Gadowsky said of McAdam's performance.
Heading into overtime, the Nittany Lions looked to take maximum points in the conference matchup. With less than two minutes left in overtime, freshman defenseman and Minnesota native Vince Pedrie fired a low shot from the blue line, through a screen, ultimately finding the back of the net.
"Feels pretty good, not going to lie," Pedrie said of getting the game-winning goal. "But we have another game tomorrow, quick turn around with a 3-o'clock puck drop so it's kind of short-term memory and you know, get another win tomorrow."
Another notable performance was from junior forward Zach Saar. Saar motivated the team throughout the game with his unforgiving hits on Minnesota and remaining a stable force on the ice.
However, the Nittany Lions were unable to pull out a sweep of the Golden Gophers for the weekend. Penn State would fall to Minnesota 7-1 Saturday afternoon.
"They're a very good team, it's Minnesota," said Gadowsky. "That's a level that I think this program would like to rise to at some point and this is a good reminder that we're not there yet."
Senior captain David Glen was pleased that his team left it all on the ice this weekend, though he noted improvements need to be made before facing Wisconsin in a matter of days.
Glen said of Penn State's weekend performance against a program with five national championships is a good motivation tool for the team to keep improving every day at practice, but also a reality check.
"We've got to battle," said Glen. "We lost some key battles and like coach said, that's a good team, that's one of the best programs in the nation and it shows how far we've come but how far we have to go in order to be a top team like that every night."
The Nittany Lions continue Big Ten play when they face Wisconsin in Pegula Ice Arena Jan. 15 and 16.