No. 5 Penn State took a 2-0 lead in the first period but got outworked and outplayed by Minnesota in a 3-2 loss on Friday. Puck handling was an issue all night for the team, and after losing the lead in the second
period, the team fell flat. Reese Laubach scored twice, but the rest of the offense struggled to put together any consistent attack.
First Period
Minnesota came out swinging with heavy pressure, and a shot by Beckett Hendrickson hit the left post after a brutal turnover at the blue line. Josh Fleming somehow corralled the rebound after a mad scramble in front of the net to keep the game scoreless. A solid shift by Reese Laubach finally stemmed the tide. After the Gophers sustained some pressure in the offensive zone, a miscommunication between two Gophers defensemen behind the net allowed the puck to float into the slot for a wide open Laubach. The junior made no mistake on the gift chance to put Penn State up 1-0:
Minutes later, Laubach fired a puck toward the net from the point with Penn State cycling in the offensive zone. His shot deflected off a Gopher and bounced into the net to give the Lions a 2-0 lead:
The deficit seemed to take some wind out of Minnesota’s sails, but Josh Fleming needed to make a big save on a breakaway by Tate Pritchard when he caught Nick Fascia a step too slow. Penn State led 2-0 entering the intermission.
Second Period
Brodie Ziemer took a high-sticking penalty less than a minute into the second period to put Penn State on its first power play of the evening. The Nittany Lions were unable to take advantage of the second-worst penalty kill in the NCAA.
Minnesota climbed back into the game immediately after the penalty kill when a point shot Axel Begley deflected into the net through traffic to cut Penn State’s lead to 2-1. The Lions went back on the power play when Matt DiMarsico was boarded shortly after the goal. Penn State generated a few good chances, including one by Charlie Cerrato off a bad turnover, but again the power play could not convert.
Jackson Smith took a cross-checking penalty to put Minnesota on its first power play of the game. Brodie Ziemer made Penn State pay when he slapped home a one-timer from the right faceoff circle to tie the game at 2.
Penn State’s disastrous defense gave up too many opportunities in front of Fleming, and Mason Moe eventually put home the puck to give Minnesota a 3-2 lead and gave the Gophers their third goal in a six-minute span.
Jackson Smith took his second penalty of the night in the final minute of the second period when he was called for high-sticking in the offensive zone, but the penalty kill managed to hold off the Gophers to send the game to the intermission trailing 3-2.
Third Period
Penn State entered the third period desperately needing a penalty kill to grab momentum back, and they got it thanks to a big save by Fleming and a couple of key zone clears. The Nittany Lions finally started to put together sustained pressure in the offensive zone, but a slashing penalty on Nick Fascia took away the momentum. Penn State killed off the power play, and the game went back to even strength with Penn State needing a tying goal.
LJ Mooney took a tripping penalty with under nine minutes left to give Penn State a golden chance to tie the game on the power play. The man advantage fell to 0-3 on the night, barely threatening and even giving up two shorthanded chances.
Penn State pulled Fleming with two minutes left but again barely threatened Nathan Airey, and Minnesota finished off a 3-2 win.
Scoring Summary
First Period
- PSU: Reese Laubach (3)- Unassisted- 5v5- 9:31
- PSU: Reese Laubach (4)- Gavin McKenna (12)- 5v5- 13:03
Second Period
- MINN: Axel Begley (1)- John Mittlestadt (2), Mason Moe (3)- 5v5- 3:38
- MINN: Brodie Ziemer (7)- LJ Mooney (7), Luke Mittlestadt (9)- PP- 8:03
- MINN: Mason Moe (4)- John Mittlestadt (3), Javon Moore (4)- 5v5- 10:08
Shots By Period
- PSU: 7-15-7-28
- MINN: 8-13-8-29
Takeaways
- Turnovers- Puck handling is a massive liability for Penn State right now. I am not comfortable watching the defensemen handle the puck near the blue line in the offensive zone- it ends in a turnover way too frequently. Minnesota’s forecheck gave PSU fits all night, but there were several unforced defensive zone turnovers as well.
- Power Play- The man advantage has completely gone belly-up in conference play. The turnover problem is magnifying here, as teams have started playing aggressively against Penn State’s power play knowing that they will eventually force a turnover and clear the zone.
- Cade Christenson- If there was any doubt about Cade Christenson being the most important player on this roster, there is none any longer. The defense has struggled all season without its top shutdown defenseman. There is no update on exactly when he will be back, but hopefully tomorrow night is the last game they have to play this season without him.
- Outworked- Shot totals were close, but Minnesota outworked Penn State all night. The effort was a far cry from what we saw in Saturday’s win over Michigan. Penn State looked slow, uninspired, and unprepared to play hockey tonight. For all the talent they have, the effort and teamwork is not there consistently.
Standings and Such
With the loss, Penn State has slipped to fifth in the Big Ten standings. The Nittany Lions suddenly need to win in regulation tomorrow night to climb back into the middle of the conference.
As of posting time, Penn State fell to No. 12 in the NPI.
What’s Next
The two teams will meet again tomorrow night. Puck drop is scheduled for 8pm on Big Ten Plus.
