Penn State Hockey Upsets No. 7 Michigan for First Win of Season

A five-goal second period catapulted the Nittany Lions over No. 7 Michigan 9-5 to earn their first win of the season.

Aarne Talvitie and Bobby Hampton scored two goals, while Jared Westcott had three points for the Nittany Lions. Goalie Oskar Autio made 23 saves on 28 shots. 

Michigan netminder Strauss Mann got pulled in the second period after allowing six goals on 26 shots. Erik Portillo made 15 saves as his replacement.

How It Happened

Just 47 seconds into the game, Talvitie came streaking down the near boards and sniped a rocket past Mann for the 1-0 lead. It was just the second time all season that Penn State had the lead at any point in a game. 

Less than two minutes later, Jared Westcott scored his first collegiate goal off a beautiful feed from fellow freshman Xander Lamppa for the 2-0 lead. Following his 38-save performance the previous night, Mann allowed Penn State’s first two shots of the game past him.

Just 20 seconds after Westcott’s goal, Michigan defensemen Dakota Raabe burned Westcott and tucked home a shot past Oskar Autio to cut the Nittany Lion lead to 2-1 just 2:44 into the game. The chaos continued when Nolan Moyle was called for a contact to the head penalty. It resulted in a five-minute power play for Penn State, and Moyle was ejected for the rest of the game, leaving the Wolverines with a big hole.

Penn State’s power-play troubles continued as the Nittany Lions were unable to capitalize on the five-minute power play. For the first time all season, so many different players got a look on the power play. Despite the changes, the power play still looked like the worst unit in the Big Ten. After Michigan killed the penalty, the game calmed down a little bit until Evan Bell was called for interference with seven minutes left in the first period.

Penn State’s special teams struggles continued. Michigan defenseman Nick Blankenburg wired a shot through three Nittany Lions and beat Autio to tie the game 2-2 with just under six minutes left in the period. 

Similar to the power-play unit, the penalty kill is the worst unit in the Big Ten. Michigan carried the momentum throughout the rest of the period. Its best chance came with 1:20 left in the period when a shot squeaked by Autio, but Tim Doherty made a heads-up play to clear the puck and save a goal. That period would end 2-2 with Penn State leading in shots 13-8.

The second period did not start kindly for Penn State. Just 34 seconds into the period, Philadelphia Flyers first-round draft pick Cam York waltzed his way into the slot and put a backhand shot top-shelf past Autio for the 3-2 lead. Following a strong start to the game, the Wolverines captured all the momentum and blitzed Penn State for three straight goals.

Penn State bounced back a little bit and was given a power play after Nick Granowicz was sent to the sin bin for interference. Then, for only the second time this season, Penn State was able to capitalize on the man advantage. Talvitie scored his second goal of the game off a beautiful feed from Kevin Wall to tie the game up at 3-3. It was the momentum changer Penn State needed after allowing three straight goals.

The track meet continued as Thomas Bordeleau bodied right past Jimmy Dowd Jr. and put a backhander past Autio for the 4-3 lead with just under 15 minutes left in the period. Michigan had four goals past Autio with just 11 shots on goal at that point in the game. Then two minutes later, Dowd Jr. made up for his mistake and buried a deflection off a Michigan defenseman to tie the game at 4-4. Both teams continued to trade haymakers in what was shaping up to be an instant classic between the two rivals. 

The second period saw an increase in physicality. Both teams were laying big hits and taking jabs at each other after the whistle. One of those post-whistle scrums earned Penn State a power play with 11 minutes left in the period and the Penn State power play made Michigan pay again. Clayton Philips played a perfect pass towards the net, and Alex Limoges deflected a shot past Mann for the 5-4 lead.

Then, only 15 seconds later, Bobby Hampton snuck a shot past Mann off a Westcott assist to extend the Penn State lead to 6-4 with just under 10 minutes left in the second period. It would be the last action Strauss Mann would see in the game, as true freshman Erik Portillo replaced him in the net.

Michigan was then caught with too many men on the ice giving Penn State another power play. For the third time in the second period, Penn State scored another power-play goal. True freshman Chase Mclane got his first collegiate goal after a scramble in front of Portillo’s net. It was the fifth Penn State goal of the period, tying a record for the most goals in a period in program history. Penn State extended its lead to 7-4, and that’s how the period ended. Penn State also leads in shots 32-15.

Penn State started the last frame with energy. Just two minutes into the period, Limoges drew a penalty on Jack Summer and Penn State got their fifth power play of the game. The Nittany Lions couldn’t convert, but the ice was tilted in Penn State’s favor at the start of the period.

Penn State did an effective job of limiting Michigan and playing well with the lead. There were very few stoppages and Penn State kept clogging shooting and passing lanes. Autio did a great job in goal all game, staying composed and making some big saves and key moments as the clock winded down.

Michigan did get on the board again after Brendan Brisson buried a backhander past Autio at the 13:39 point of the third period. It lit a fire under Michigan, who began to show some urgency as the game came to a close. Autio was up to the challenge, stonewalling the Wolverines as it threw the kitchen sink at the Nittany Lions. 

Portillo eventually went to the bench and Bobby Hampton buried the empty netter with 1:36 left in the game to seal the game for Penn State. Tim Doherty scored another power play for Penn State with less than 40 seconds in the game to extend the lead to 9-5.

Some extracurriculars occurred in the final seconds of the game, but it didn’t affect the final score. The Nittany Lions won their first game of the season 9-5, snapping a five-game losing streak to start the season.

Takeaways

• Guy Gadowsky said he wanted Penn State to start playing Penn State hockey again. Luckily, he got that to start this game. The Nittany Lions came out fast and aggressive and had two goals to show for it just 2:24 into the game. Gadowsky said the main issue Wednesday was Penn State’s inability to maintain possession in the neutral zone at the start of games and periods. It did a great job all game at the start of periods starting fast and not slow.
• The Penn State offense decided to show up tonight. The second period featured the most goals Penn State has ever scored in a singular period. The power play also looked great. Not only did it score multiple power-play goals, but Penn State had a lot more conviction on the puck and the passing in the offensive zone was a lot crisper. Talvitie and Limoges struggled to score early on in the season, but a couple of goals for the duo will be good for them morally as the season continues.
• It felt like Penn State was unleashing all its frustration with the 0-5 start on Michigan. The Nittany Lions played hard, fast, aggressive, and hungry. Penn State played as it did during the third period of the first game versus Michigan, desperate. It was a great moral victory for the Nittany Lions. Nine goals against Michigan is no small accomplishment.

What’s Next?

Penn State will end phase one of its schedule against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Pegula Ice Arena on Friday, December 11. Time and broadcasting information are still yet to be determined.