Jakub Krbecek had all the answers, stopping all 44 Penn State shots in the Nittany Lions’ 1-0 loss to RIT on Saturday night. Penn State was shut out for the second time this season and struggled to overcome
RIT’s tight checking all night long.
First Period
Penn State controlled the early portion of the first period with its speed and quick transition game and outshot the Tigers 8-1 early. However, a blown assignment by Carter Schade in the defensive zone left two Tigers in front of Josh Fleming, and Evan Konyen put RIT up 1-0 seven minutes into the game.
Midway through the period, Penn State gained its first power play chance of the night when Kevin Scott was called for slashing. The Nittany Lions created a couple of good chances against the No. 2 penalty kill in the NCAA, but Jakub Krbecek slammed the door shut.
Penn State put up 19 shots on goal in the first period, but zero went in. RIT’s first good chance went in. It was that kind of period for the Nittany Lions, and the Tigers took a 1-0 lead to the locker room.
Second Period
The game slowed down in the second period as RIT continued to clog up the neutral zone. Penn State managed a couple of odd-man rushes, but excellent positioning by the Tigers broke up their chances. Josh Fleming needed to make some big saves as the defense broke down against the Tigers’ forecheck to keep the game 1-0. As frustrating of a night as it was for Penn State, the deficit was just one entering the final frame.
Third Period
Penn State outshot RIT 15-4 in the final period, but Jakub Krbecek stopped all 15 shots, and the Nittany Lions struggled to get traffic in front of the net to create dangerous scoring chances. Penn State pulled Josh Fleming, but the extra attacker provided no benefit, and the Tigers pulled the 1-0 upset.
Scoring Summary
First Period
- RIT: Evan Konyen (7)- Austin Brimmer (7), Zach Wigle (7)- 5v5- 6:28
Shots By Period
- PSU: 19-10-15-44
- RIT: 9-8-34-21
Takeaways
- Long Break- Penn State had not played a hockey game in 42 days, and the team certainly looked like it. Let’s never have a break that long again.
- No Traffic- 44 shots was a lofty total for the offense, but they made it as easy as possible for Krbecek by not getting any traffic in front of the net and not scooping up any rebounds. By the middle of the second period it started to feel like they could play all night and never score a goal.
- Welcome Back, Cade- The defense had its fair share of issues tonight, but it was good to have Cade Christenson back in the lineup. The 21 shots allowed by PSU was the lowest total all season. He will continue to find his legs as the season goes on.
- Better Discipline- Penn State took only one minor penalty in this game, a welcome change from the first half of the season, where at least one penalty per period was normal.
- Rebound Tomorrow- It was a frustrating night from top to bottom, but all that can be done now is regroup and get the win tomorrow at home.
What’s Next
The two teams will meet again tomorrow evening, this time inside the friendly confines of Pegula Ice Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 5pm on Big Ten Plus.
