By any reasonable measure Penn State men’s hockey has been a mixed bag this year. There have been good moments – signs of what this particular roster could turn into – but generally speaking it was a regular season for the program to forget, save the lessons learned along the way.
But the postseason? Programs don’t hang banners for first round wins in conference tournaments but they sure can feel good about them. In this case a feel good moment for Penn State to remember as the Nittany Lions finished off No. 12 Ohio State 2-1 on Sunday evening to upset the Buckeyes in Game 3 of a best-of-three first round series in the Big Ten Tournament. The win gives the Penn State its seventh-straight Big Ten Tournament semifinals appearance and a small bit of history as the first road team to win an opening round best-of-three series in conference history.
All from a team nearly everyone and written off before the weekend ever began.
There’s a lot to be said for how the Nittany Lions went about playing the past few days. For one Liam Souliere was solid in goal all three nights, now having made five-straight starts dating back to the final regular season series against Michigan State. Fast-forward a week and Penn State found itself losing Game 1, 4-3 before winning on Saturday night in Game 2 by the score of 3-2 behind a 33 save effort by Souliere. On Sunday it took just 23 saves to notch a second-straight victory in as many days.
For another, the Nittany Lions kept a talented Buckeyes team in check in the defensive zone, Ohio State scoring just three goals over the final six periods of play in the series. Entering into the weekend only eight teams nationally had allowed more goals than the Nittany Lions all season, this weekend Penn State found an extra gear, getting stops, blocks and saves when they needed them the most.
Perhaps more importantly Penn State got the goals when it needed them in closely contested games. On Sunday night it was Dylan Lugris scoring his second goal of the series and just the third goal of his Penn State career to break a 1-1 third period tie with just under seven minutes to go in regulation. Penn State would never looked back, and Ohio State never answered.
Penn State will now head to Minnesota to face the regular season champions in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals next weekend in Minneapolis, a daunting task in its own right, but not far removed from a close series just weeks ago.
No matter what happens next weekend the Nittany Lions will have something to hang their hat on in the final chapters of a long and occasionally underwhelming year. It might not be a banner, but there are worse things than nearing the end of any season with good feelings not far in the rearview.
And hey, it ain’t over til it’s over.
