The Nittany Lions had a week and half to lick their wounds following their 0-2 performance in the Three Rivers Classic in Pittsburgh. After going 70 days in between home games, a Big Ten conference game at home should have been exactly what the Lions needed to get back on their feet.
Then Guy Gadowsky’s squad went out and made matters worse by spotting the Ohio State Buckeyes to a four-goal lead on Friday night.
Then, Lions’ top line picked the team up and put them on their back. Junior forward Casey Bailey scored a pair, at 6:57 and at 8:06 of the third period, to bring the game back to within reach. Then, at 14:07 of the third, David Goodwin scored to make it a one-goal game and the 5,829 fans inside Pegula Ice Arena began to take over.
Bailey then completed the comeback – and a hat trick – when he scored with the goaltender pulled at 19:38 of the third period.
The elation was short lived, though, as the Buckeyes would come out on top when Ohio State forward Anthony Greco beat P.J. Musico to the far side on a 2-on-1 at 4:14 of the overtime period. Musico took the loss after he had replaced Matt Skoff in the Lions goal early in the third period.
With the loss, the Nittany Lions losing streak was pushed to three games – a season high. In addition, a Michigan win over Minnesota in overtime left the Lions and Wolverines tied atop the Big Ten with nine points each.
The pressure was on for the Lions to respond with a victory in Saturday’s rematch, and respond they did. Curtis Loik got his line going with a late-first period goal assisted by linemates Eric Scheid and Scott Conway.
A back-and-forth second period saw the Buckeyes tie the game at one on a goal by Matthew Weiss on a two-man advantage at 4:45. The score remained tied until Ohio State goaltender Christian Frey failed to cover a rebound and Taylor Holstrom found Goodwin all alone in front for his second goal of the weekend.
Just 50 seconds later, Conway found Scheid on a two-on-none breakaway and the Lions had extended their lead to 3-1. Scheid added an empty netter in the third to seal the win for Penn State.
Sophomore Eamon McAdam made 35 saves including a shorthanded breakaway by Weiss in the third to earn his fourth win of the season.
On the weekend, all six members of the Lions’ top two lines were productive. Bailey finished with three goals, Scheid and Goodwin had two goals and two assists, and Holstrom and Conway each chipped in with two assists.
Michigan again beat Minnesota again on Saturday, so the teams remain tied atop the Big Ten conference with 12 points apiece, but the Wolverines have played one fewer conference game than the Nittany Lions.
Penn State will stay at home – and in the conference – next weekend when they host the Michigan State Spartans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Photo credit: GoPSUsports.com
