Sports are so often decided by the team that makes the last mistake, and as Arizona State got stuck on a long change and Penn State found itself with a two-on-one in overtime, Connor MacEachern made the Sun Devils pay for their sins, ripping a shot underneath the bar and in for a 3-2 victory on Friday night at Pegula Ice Arena.
The win was Penn State’s second straight, and second of the season following an 0-5 start, the Nittany Lions picking up their first of the year over No. 7 Michigan last weekend.
Penn State opened the scoring 8:28 into regulation as Alex Limgoes tapped in his third tally of the season on a power play pass from Tim Doherty. The Nittany Lions looked crisp in the open period on both ends of the ice.
Doherty added another to the Nittany Lions’ cause 10 minutes later to give Penn State a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Nittany Lion goaltender Oskar Autio had 32 saves in the effort while his counterpart Evan DeBrouwer made 47 and was solid throughout the night.
Despite the 2-0 deficit, Arizona State continued to push, cutting the lead in half with seven minutes to go in the period. The Sun Devils managed 12 shots on goal during the period, but still couldn’t crack Autio in the middle frame. Arizona State seemingly tied the game, but a coach’s challenge by Guy Gadowsky ultimately determined the play offsides and the call was reversed.
Arizona State’s effort finally paid off as Sean Dhooghe tied the game 3:08 into the third period but Penn State outshot the Sun Devils 17-8 to keep them on their heels for much of the final period. Neither team would find the winner in regulation and the game headed to the three-on-three overtime. Minutes later the horn sounded and the rest was history not long thereafter.
For the Nittany Lions they continue look more and more confident on the ice, crisper in the offensive zone and more consistent in the defensive end.
‘I think we’re much better,’ coach Guy Gadowsky said after the game. ‘But I still think we have a way to go.’
Penn State and Arizona State will take the ice again on Sunday afternoon, when the Nittany Lions will look to make the most of the Sun Devils’ mistakes, and try to limit their own.
