Following a historic drubbing a night earlier, No. 6 Penn State returned to Pegula Ice Arena on Saturday to take on Ohio State in the final of four games this season.
Searching for a season sweep, the Nittany Lions overcame a sloppy second period to win in overtime by a 5-4 final score. After setting program records for points and assists in a game on Friday, Gavin McKenna scored the golden goal on Saturday to secure the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite earning a lopsided victory the night before, Penn State’s defense struggled at times, allowing Ohio State 42 shots and four goals. Those issues persisted into Saturday, when the Buckeyes jumped out to a 1-0 lead off a second-chance score from Sam Deckhut in front of the crease.
The Nittany Lions, who were a perfect five-for-five on the power play in the series opener, got their first man-advantage chance when Chris Able was called for interference after throwing an elbow to Lev Katzin’s head. They didn’t convert but got another opportunity when Max Montes was booked for hooking, with Katzin once again the victim.
“He’s a really, really tough kid and he plays that way,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said after the game. “He plays on the edge, and he gets under people’s skin, and he does a really good job.”
Ohio State’s penalty kill unit held up a second time, but the group quickly returned to the ice when captain Davis Burnside was ejected and reprimanded with a five-minute major for cross checking Nic Chin-DeGraves’ face.
The Buckeyes nearly completed their third consecutive penalty kill, but Reese Laubach dished it to Shea Van Olm, who wristed the puck off the crossbar and in to tie the game 1-1 headed into the first intermission.
Penn State, which leads the country in penalty minutes, stayed clean until the second period when Gavin McKenna was called for hooking. Felix Caron capitalized from the left slot, sniping the puck past Kevin Reidler to make it a 2-1 game.
Ohio State maintained pressure, firing a barrage of shots at Reidler in an attempt to extend its lead. After several good looks, Broten Sabo found the net for just the second time this season to make it 3-1.
Penn State, already without six skaters for the game, got more bad news midway through the period when Ben Schoen left the ice holding his arm, going straight to the locker room with an apparent injury.
Desperately needing a spark, the Nittany Lions went to the power play after a tripping call, but it was Buckeye forward Max Montes who struck for the shorthanded goal to extend the visitors’ lead to 4-1.
After a return to five-on-five play, JJ Wiebusch chipped into the deficit after some nifty stick work in front of the net, making it a 4-2 game.
An early third-period power play proved successful when McKenna dished to JJ Wiebusch for his second goal of the night and 16th of the season, making it a one-score game.
“That’s nothing new for JJ, he’s a goal-scorer,” Gadowsky said. “He has a knack for big moments.”
Before the PA announcer could finish crediting the goal, Jarod Crespo had already buried the puck past goaltender Kristoffer Eberly to tie the game at 4-4.
“They dug deep,” Gadowsky said. “Unbelievable goal by Jarod Crespo, great leader to climb us back.”
The Nittany Lions continued to pepper the net, looking for their first lead of the game, but Wiebusch was caught with an unsportsmanlike conduct for embellishment in the offensive zone, summoning an Ohio State power play to the dismay of the home crowd.
Penn State got the kill with little trouble, but the Buckeyes maintained possession and flipped some momentum as the minutes melted away. Both teams had chances to light the lamp, including multiple Ohio State power plays, but the third period ended in a stalemate.
The three-on-three overtime period commenced, and the Buckeyes nearly ended it with a first shot that rang off the pipe.
Minutes later, McKenna took to the ice, dazzling with his stick handling before slotting the puck over Eberly’s shoulder, capping off the best two-game series of his career.
“In practice, when something’s on the line, we see that all the time,” Gadowsky said. “I can’t explain the guy. He’s just got it.”
Team leaders
Goals: JJ Wiebusch, 2
Assists: Jackson Smith, Aiden Fink, Reese Laubach, 2
Saves: 33/37
Up next: Penn State will take its final road trip of the regular season, visiting South Bend for a pair of games against Notre Dame. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday
