EAST LANSING, Mich. – A back-and-forth affair on Saturday afternoon didn't go in favor of No. 17 Penn State as the Nittany Lions dropped a, 5-3, decision to No. 11 Michigan State in Big Ten Conference action at Munn Ice Arena.
The loss snapped a four-game road unbeaten streak Penn State had to open the season and is the first Big Ten game decided in regulation for the Nittany Lions this season.
PSU falls to 5-3-3 overall and 0-1-3-0-0-2 in conference action while the Spartans improve to 8-3-1 on the year and 3-0-1-0-0-0 in league play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- For the second-straight night Michigan State opened the scoring this time on its first shot of the game as Tanner Kelly raced up the near side and laced a wrister over the blocker of Nittany Lion senior goaltender Liam Souliere (Brampton, Ontario) and inside the far post for the 1-0 edge just 30 ticks into the contest.
- Penn State wasted little time flipping the script connecting on a pair of goals just 19 seconds apart to take the 2-1 lead as freshman Aiden Fink (Calgary, Alberta) caught the Spartans with a quick transition goal beating MSU net-minder Trey Augustine far-side past the blocker at the 3:01 mark before senior Chase McLane (Trenton, Mich.) redirected a point offering by classmate Christian Berger (St. Louis, Mo.) at the 3:20 mark of the opening frame.
- The Spartans equalized the contest midway through the second period as Nicholas Muller redirected a shot out front that snuck inside the near post for the 2-2 score at the 9:43 mark.
- Michigan State regained the lead late in the second period as Gavin O'Connell slapped home a bouncing puck in the crease for the 3-2 margin at the 17:58 mark.
- The Nittany Lions brought the game even again less than a minute later as junior Ryan Kirwan (DeWitt, N.Y.) set up his classmate Dylan Lugris (Buffalo, N.Y.) at the far post and the latter roofed the puck for the 3-3 score at the 18:41 mark.
- MSU took the 4-3 edge early in the third period scoring a powerplay goal as it was O'Connell again corralling a lively bounce off the end boards at the far post and slipping it into the net at the 4:12 mark.
- Artyom Levshunov would hit the empty net with 39.5 seconds remaining to account for the final score.
GOALTENDING
Souliere drops to 4-2-1 with the loss after making 23 saves while Augustine improves to 7-3-1 overall after making 34 stops in the victory.
NOTES
- Penn State held the 37-28 edge in shots on goal while going 0-for-2 with the man-advantage. MSU went 2-for-3 on the powerplay with the second one being the empty-netter.
- With a secondary assist on Fink's first period goal, senior Jimmy Dowd Jr. (Point Pleasant Beach, N.J.) now has 52 career points to tie Vince Pedrie for seventh all-time by Penn State defensemen. His 43 assists are now tied with Trevor Hamilton and Kris Myllari for fifth on the all-time for Nittany Lion defensemen.
- Saturday afternoon also marked the 100th career game for Dowd Jr. as he becomes the third different Nittany Lion to hit that milestone this year joining Berger and graduate student Tanner Palocsik (Aliquippa, Pa.).
NEXT UP
Penn State returns to Michigan next weekend, this time Ann Arbor, to battle the eighth-ranked Wolverines.
For more information on the 2023-24 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.