UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 11 Wisconsin scored four third period goals to defeat No. 6 Penn State, 7-3, in Big Ten Conference action at Pegula Ice Arena on Thursday evening.
Penn State falls to 20-11-2 overall and 12-9-2 in Big Ten play following the loss while the Badgers move to 20-11-2 on the year and 13-10-0 in conference action with the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State opened the scoring with a goal in transition as senior Ben Schoen (Maumee, Ohio) skated with speed through the center of the ice before finding sophomore JJ Wiebusch (Verona, Wis.) at the near half wall and he slipped the puck back to a streaking Cade Christenson (Edmonton, Alberta) and he rifled a shot far-side and past the glove of Badger net-minder Daniel Hauser for the 1-0 edge at 6:25 of the first period.
- Wisconsin answered as Blake Montgomery slipped the puck back to Quinn Finley streaking down the slot and his one-timer beat Nittany Lion freshman goaltender Josh Fleming (Montreal, Quebec) high over the glove for the 1-1 score at 9:11 of the first frame.
- The hosts regained the lead taking advantage of a powerplay just past the halfway point of the stanza as freshman Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, Yukon) laced a wrister far-side from the right dot off a feed from classmate Jackson Smith (Calgary, Alberta) for the 2-1 score just 10 ticks into the man-advantage and at the 10:56 mark of the frame.
- The Badgers evened the contest early in the second period scoring after the puck took a weird bounce off the end glass on a dump in attempt and wound up right in the slot and on the stick of Vasily Zelenov and he slipped it past Fleming inside the far post for the 2-2 score at the 2:29 mark.
- Another strange bounce went Wisconsin’s way as Adam Pietila laced one off the post and it bounced off the body of Grady Deering and past Fleming for the 3-2 lead at 4:14 of the second period.
- Penn State pulled the game even late in the second period as a tenacious forecheck by junior Aiden Fink (Calgary, Alberta) led to a turnover in the offensive zone and he skated into the left dot and ripped a shot between the defenders legs and past the glove of Hauser for the 3-3 score with just 66 ticks remaining in the frame.
- Wisconsin regained the lead early in the third period with another strange goal as a centering pass hit off two Badger sticks and right to Simon Tassey and he wheeled around the far side with a wraparound that went through the legs of Fleming for the 4-3 advantage at the 4:00 mark.
- The Badgers extended the lead as Ryan Botterill wheeled around the same side of the net throwing a backhand on Fleming that was turned aside before he corralled his own rebound and deposited it for the 5-3 margin at 6:24 of the third period.
- The visitors added another as Pietila finished a centering pass from Finn Brink for the 6-3 margin at 13:52 of the third period.
- Wisconsin then scored during a late 5-on-3 powerplay as Gavin Morrissey lit the lamp at the 17:32 mark to account for the 7-3 final.
GOALTENDING
Fleming falls to 9-5-2 on the year after making 34 saves in the loss while Hauser improves to 17-6-2 after stopping 28 shots in the victory.
NOTES
- Wisconsin held the, 41-31, edge in shots on goal including a commanding 21-6 clip in the third period while going 1-for-5 on the powerplay. Penn State was 1-for-2 with the man-advantage.
- The Badgers have now won six-straight games at Pegula Ice Arena dating back to 2023.
- With his first period goal, McKenna extends his point-streak to a now career-long six games, while tying Denis Smirnov ’20 for the single-season freshman points record with his 47th point on the season. His 14 goals are now tied with Wiebusch and Casey Bailey for the seventh-most in a season by a Penn State freshman.
- With his second period goal, Fink is now just one goal shy of tying Liam Folkes ’20 for sixth on the Penn State all-time goals list. Thursday night was also his 100th career game played.
NEXT UP
Both teams return to Pegula tomorrow to conclude the season series and the regular season with a 7 p.m. puck drop in the annual Wear White Game.
For more information on the 2025-26 season, visit the men's hockey page at GoPSUsports.com or call 1-800-NITTANY Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.