MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin scored five unanswered goals over the final 21:15 to defeat No. 6 Penn State, 8-5, in Big Ten Conference action this evening at the Kohl Center.
The Nittany Lions fall to 10-4-1 overall and 2-3-1-1 in Big Ten play while the Badgers improve to 6-7-3 on the year and 2-3-3-1 in conference action. Wisconsin secured 4-of-6 points in the league standings this weekend on home ice.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Matthew Freytag opened the scoring for Wisconsin as he wrapped a shot around the net and pounded home the rebound before Nittany Lion net-minder Peyton Jones (Langhorne, Pa.) could locate the puck for the 1-0 edge at 2:22 of the first period.
- Penn State responded just 20 seconds later as sophomore Evan Barratt (Bristol, Pa.) found junior Liam Folkes (Scarborough, Ontario) all alone in front of the crease and he finished with a quick forehand-backhand tuck for the 1-1 score at 2:42 of the frame.
- The Badgers regained the lead late in the opening stanza as Will Johnson ripped a shot over the glove of Jones off a feed from Jack Gorniak for the 2-1 advantage at 18:49.
- Wisconsin stretched its lead to a pair of goals as Wyatt Kalynuk banked a shot off Jones' back from behind the net for the 3-1 lead just 69 seconds into the middle frame.
- The Nittany Lions came right back with a pair of goals in just 49 seconds as Barratt finished off a pretty display of passing by Folkes and sophomore Alex Limoges (Winchester, Va.) for the 3-2 deficit at 3:16 before Folkes himself ripped a wrister below the glove of Badger net-minder Daniel Lebedeff off a great drop pass from Limoges during the power-play for the 3-3 tie at 4:05 of the second period.
- Penn State then grabbed the lead as junior Nikita Pavlychev (Yaroslavl, Russia) ripped home a loose puck from the right slot for the 4-3 lead at 10:40 of the period before another power-play tally this time from sophomore Sam Sternschein (Syosset, N.Y.) extended the to 5-3 at 14:51.
- Wisconsin answered the four-goal spurt from the visitors with a late power-play goal from Will Johnson at 18:45 as PSU took the 5-4 lead into the second intermission.
- Max Zimmer equalized the game midway through the third period as he beat Jones over the blocker on a tough break after a whiffed pass for the 5-5 score at 10:15 of the final stanza.
- K'Andre Miller gave the hosts the lead for good as he gloved down a pass at the right circle before placing it down and ripping a shot over the glove of Jones and in for the 6-5 lead at 12:31 of the third period.
- After an incredible paddle save from Jones, Tarek Baker was able to jam in the rebound at 16:03 of the third period before Peter Tischke hit the empty net at 18:05 for the 8-5 final.
GOALTENDING
Jones falls to 6-3-1 after making 28 saves while Jack Berry earns the victory improving to 3-4-1 on the year after coming on in relief of Lebedeff as he stopped all six shots he faced over the final 25:09 of the game.
NOTES
- Penn State has now surrendered the opening goal in five of its six Big Ten contests, four-straight, and eight times overall with a 4-4-1 record in such games.
- Wisconsin held the commanding 36-25 edge in shots including a 14-5 margin in the final period while going 1-for-4 on the power-play. Penn State cashed in on both of its man-advantage opportunities during the contest.
- Penn State falls to 10-3-1 on the year when leading or tied heading into the final frame. The Nittany Lions are now being outscored 16-3 in the third period during Big Ten games.
- The eight goals scored against Penn State are the most allowed since giving up eight against Michigan on November 22, 2014.
- Wisconsin's 11 goals in the two games this weekend are as many as the Badgers had scored in their previous six games combined.
- Folkes now has seven goals against the Badgers in nine career games while his line with Barratt and Limoges has scored at least one goal in 16-straight contests.
- Barratt registered his tenth multi-point game this season and the 13th of his career. The sophomore maintains his national point lead, which now stands at 25, while also tying the national lead for goals with his 12th of the season.
- Limoges set a new career-high with three assists on the night securing his eighth multi-point effort this season and the 11th of his career while Folkes collects his fifth multi-point game on the year and the 11th of his career with a pair of goals and one assist. It is also the second multi-goal game this season for Folkes and the fourth of his career.
- Sternschein registered a goal and an assist on the evening to tie his career-high with two points while adding his second multi-point effort this season and the fourth of his career.
NEXT UP
Penn State returns home after back-to-back weekends away from Happy Valley as they welcome No. 8 Notre Dame to Pegula Ice Arena for a pair of games next Friday and Saturday evening.