COLUMBUS, Ohio – Graduate transfer Jacques Bouquot (South Windsor, Conn.) tallied one goal and one assist to lead Penn State past Ohio State, 5-2, in Big Ten Conference action on Friday evening inside Value City Arena.
The Nittany Lions improve to 14-16-3 on the year and 6-14-3-0-1-2 in conference action with the victory while the Buckeyes drop to 12-17-4 overall and 4-17-2-1-0-2 with the loss.
Penn State secured the series victory as they have won each of the first three games between the two teams this season taking all nine points. It marks the first series win over the Buckeyes since the 2019-20 season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State opened the scoring taking advantage of a five-minute major powerplay as Bouquot was the beneficiary of some crisp passing as he had a yawning net at the doorstep for the 1-0 edge at 11:41 of the first period.
- The Buckeyes responded with a shorthanded goal just 32 ticks later as Dalton Messina finished past the blocker of Nittany Lion senior net-minder Liam Souliere (Brampton, Ontario) during an odd-man rush for the 1-1 score at the 12:12 mark.
- The visitors responded themselves as graduate transfer Tanner Palocsik (Aliquippa, Pa.) laced a shot from the point through traffic and into the back of the net for the 2-1 advantage at the 13:32 mark of the opening frame.
- Penn State extended the lead early in the second period as Bouquot sent a gorgeous, no-look, tape-to-tape, cross-crease pass to junior Danny Dzhaniyev (Brooklyn, N.Y.) at the near post and he didn't miss for the 3-1 score at the 2:51 mark.
- The Nittany Lions continued the pressure pushing the lead to 4-1 during a 4-on-4 stretch of game action midway through the second period as freshman Reese Laubach (San Jose, Calif.) found senior Tyler Paquette (Collegeville, Pa.) in the slot and he wired one under the glove of Buckeye goaltender Logan Terness at the 10:50 mark.
- Freshman Casey Aman (Johnstown, Pa.) got his first career goal late in the third period off the rush and a beautiful feed from classmate Dane Dowiak (Pittsburgh, Pa.) for the 5-1 margin at the 15:58 mark.
- The Buckeyes got a late powerplay goal from Scooter Brickey with just 29.2 seconds remaining in the game to account for the 5-2 final.
GOALTENDING
- Souliere improves to 11-12-1 on the year after making 24 saves in the victory while his counterpart, Terness, stopped 26 shots in the loss falling to 9-11-3 this season.
NOTES
- Penn State held the 31-26 edge in shots on goal, while going 1-for-2 on the powerplay and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill, which included killing off the entirety of a five-minute major at the end of the second period into the third.
- The victory snapped a six-game road losing streak which was tied for the longest all-time for Penn State.
- Palocsik's first period goal was just his second of the year and snapped a 28-game goalless drought while the goal for Bouquot was his first in the last seven games.
- With one goal and one assist, Bouquot registered his fifth multi-point effort this season and the 13th of his career.
- Laubach tallied a pair of primary assists for his fifth multi-point game this season.
- The Nittany Lions move to 10-6-0 on the year when scoring first and are now 106-2-2 when scoring five or more goals.
NEXT UP
Both teams return to the Schott tomorrow evening to conclude the 2023-24 regular season with a 5 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.