UNIVERSITY PARK — Michigan State took down Penn State in this weekend series which had important Big Ten Conference implications tied to it.
Michigan State’s offense came out firing Friday night, scoring three first-period goals for the Spartans. Anthony Romani opened the scoring just over four minutes into the game to give Michigan State an early lead. Owen West kept the momentum going by finding the back of the net and Romani added his second goal of the night later in the period to send the Spartans into the second with a 3–0 advantage.
Jackson Smith got Penn State on the board in the second period, cutting the deficit to 3–1, but the Spartans answered quickly when Porter Martone scored just four minutes later, pushing the lead to 4–1 heading into the third period.
Penn State tried to mount a comeback, starting the third period strong with two unanswered goals from Reese Laubach and Matt DiMarsico, cutting the score to 4-3. However, the Nittany Lions’ defense couldn’t hold up, allowing Romani to score twice more for a hat trick and Daniel Russell added an insurance goal for Michigan State. The final score was 6-3, giving the Spartans a big win in the series opener.
Nittany Lions lose OT thriller in outdoor game
Saturday’s game made history as the hockey matchup was played inside Beaver Stadium for the very first time, turning the iconic football venue into a frozen spectacle. The event drew an astonishing crowd of nearly 75,000 fans, creating an electric atmosphere as spectators witnessed a historic moment for both Penn State and college hockey.
The game lived up to the hype, delivering an overtime thriller that ended with Penn State on the losing side.
The moment the puck dropped, the atmosphere was electric, but Daniel Russell quieted the crowd just three minutes into the game when he found the back of the net to give the Spartans an early 1-0 lead. That would be the only goal of the first period.
Penn State’s offense found its rhythm early in the second period when Aiden Fink scored less than a minute in, sending the massive crowd into a frenzy. Charlie Stramel answered quickly for Michigan State, regaining the lead for the Spartans. Penn State responded with two unanswered goals from stars Gavin McKenna and Fink once again, but with just two seconds left in the period, Stramel scored his second goal of the game to tie it 3-3 heading into the third.
Shea Van Olm put the Nittany Lions ahead with 16 minutes left in the third period, breaking away for a one-on-one chance with the goalie and finishing to make it 4-3. Matt Basgall wouldn’t let that lead stand, firing a one-timer that found the back of the net to tie the game and send it into overtime.
In overtime, Michigan State star Charlie Stramel completed his hat trick, scoring the game-winner for the Spartans.
Penn State falls to 18-8-0 overall and 10-6-0 in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions will have a bye week before traveling to Ann Arbor for a series against No. 1 Michigan.
