UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 7 Penn State dropped a heartbreaker in overtime to No. 2 Minnesota in Big Ten Conference action on Saturday evening inside Pegula Ice Arena.
The Nittany Lions earned one point in the Big Ten standings with the overtime loss and fall to 19-12-1 overall and 9-12-1-0-3-0 in Big Ten play with the loss while the Gophers secure the extra conference point and improve to 23-8-1 on the year and 17-4-1-2-1-0 in league play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State wasted little time getting out in front tonight as a strong forecheck from junior Christian Sarlo (Lynbrook, N.Y.) caused a turnover behind the Gopher net and he fed the puck into the slot where senior Ture Linden (Great Falls, Va.) sniped a shot bar-down over the glove of Minnesota goaltender Justen Close for the 1-0 lead just 29 ticks into the game.
- The Gophers evened the score early in the second period as Rhett Pitlick got behind the Nittany Lion defense on a breakaway and slipped the puck through the pads of junior net-minder Liam Souliere (Brmapton, Ontario) for the 1-1 score at the 1:58 mark of action.
- Sophomore Danny Dzhaniyev (Brooklyn, N.Y.) gave Penn State the lead late in the third period as he received a centering pass from senior Ashton Calder (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) and pulled the puck from his backhand to his forehand and slipped it past the right pad of Close for the 2-1 score at the 17:57 mark.
- With the goalie pulled and extra attacker on the ice, Minensota evened the score with under a minute to play in regulation as Matthew Knies deposited a cross-crease past inside the near post for the 2-2 score with just 41 ticks on the clock sending the game to overtime.
- In the extra session it was Knies again giving the Gophers the victory as he one-timed a centering feed from Logan Cooley past the outstretched glove of Souliere 2:49 into the frame.
GOALTENDING
Souliere drops to 16-11-1 after making 29 saves in the loss while Close improves to 20-8-1 on the year after stopping 26-of-28 shots in the win.
NOTES
- Minnesota held the slim 32-28 edge in shots on goal while neither team was able to capitalize on single powerplay chances.
- Saturday night's crowd of 6,461 marks the fourth largest in Pegula Ice Arena history and the third largest this season.
- Penn State is now just 1-3-1 in overtime games this season including an 0-3-1 mark in Big Ten OT contests.
- With one goal and one assists, Linden secures his sixth multi-point effort of the season and the 20th of his career.
- Penn State scored the opening goal of the game for the 22nd time in 32 games this season and is now 15-6-1 in such games with the loss.
NEXT UP
Penn State closes out the regular season with a pair of home Big Ten home games against the Wisconsin Badgers next Friday and Saturday.
For more information on the 2022-23 season presented by the Penn State Bookstore: Official Bookstore of Penn State Athletics, visit the men's hockey page at GoPSUsports.com or call 1-800-NITTANY Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.