ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Freshmen classmates Matt DiMarsico (Wexford, Pa.) and Aiden Fink (Calgary, Alberta) each tallied one goal and one assist, but it wasn't enough as No. 12 Michigan secured the 6-4 victory in Big Ten Conference action at Yost Ice Arena.
PSU falls to 5-4-3 overall and 0-2-3-0-0-2 in conference action while the Wolverines improve to 6-5-2 on the year and 2-3-2-0-0-1 in league play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Michigan came out of the gates fast opening with the first five shots on target and finally getting one over the goal line as Philippe Lapointe slipped a rebound past Nittany Lion sophomore net-minder Noah Grannan (Germantown, Wis.) for the 1-0 edge just 2:02 into the contest.
- The Wolverines extended the lead to 2-0 with a penalty shot goal by Gavin Brindley at 7:48 of the first period.
- PSU cut into the deficit with a great play from the "Kid Line" as Fink setup DiMarsico for a one touch score at the far post making the score 2-1 at 16:09 of the first stanza.
- Michigan came out hard again to start the second period and regained the two-goal edge early as Frank Nazar deposited a rebound at the near post for the 3-1 lead at the 1:39 mark.
- The hosts extended the lead midway through the middle frame taking advantage of their third man-advantage of the game as Jacob Truscott picked the corner over the glove of Grannan from the slot for the 4-1 margin at the 10:17 mark.
- Penn State cut back into the deficit as freshman Dane Dowiak (Pittsburgh, Pa.) went coast-to-coast before firing a twisted wrister past the glove of Wolverine goaltender Jacob Barczewski for the 4-2 score at the 12:14 mark.
- The Nittany Lions pushed to within a goal with the help of a powerplay tally as graduate transfer Jacques Bouquot (South Windsor, Conn.) redirected a shot from DiMarsico for the 4-3 deficit at the 15:48 mark of the second period.
- Michigan responded again as Dylan Duke wrapped one around and in at the far post for the 5-3 lead at the 17:19 mark.
- With the help of a major powerplay and an empty net, PSU pulled within one late as Fink finished on a rebound for the 5-4 score at 18:12 of the third period.
- Garrett Shifsky hit the empty net for the Wolverines to seal the 6-4 victory with just 18 ticks remaining.
GOALTENDING
- Grannan falls to 1-2-2 on the year after making 38 saves in the defeat while his counterpart, Barczewski, improves to 5-4-2 on the year after stopping 33-of-37 shots in the victory.
- Grannan's 38 saves are a new career-best along with his 15 saves in the second period becoming a new single-period career-high.
NOTES
- Michigan held the 44-37 edge in shots on goal marking the first time this season Penn State has been outshot in a game.
- The Nittany Lions went 2-for-6 with the man-advantage while the Wolverines were 1-for-6 on the powerplay.
- Brindley's first period penalty shot was the first defended and allowed by Penn State since Cody Wydo scored for Robert Morris on November 1, 2013.
- With one goal and one assist, DiMarsico secures his first career multi-point game.
- With the primary assist on Dowiak's second period goal, senior Jimmy Dowd Jr. (Point Pleasant Beach, N.J.) now has 53 career points moving past Vince Pedrie for seventh all-time by Penn State defensemen. His 44 assists also move past Trevor Hamilton and Kris Myllari for fifth on the all-time list for Nittany Lion defensemen.
- With one goal and one assist, Fink secures his third multi-point effort of his freshman campaign.
- Bouquot also had one goal and one assist on the night collecting his second multi-point effort of the season and the 10th of his career.
- Fink's extra attacker goal is the third this season for Penn State.
NEXT UP
Both teams return to Yost tomorrow night to wrap up the weekend series with a 7 p.m. puck drop.
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.