The return home to Pegula Ice Arena is always a special one for Penn State hockey after a long offseason. This was a particularly long wait – 244 days, to be exact – since the Nittany Lions (4-1-0) played on home ice. With two road series and a bye week to start the year, last weekend was the latest home opener in program history.
But with over 6,000 fans packing the building each night, the long wait proved worthwhile for the capacity crowds, as the Nittany Lions took down the St. Lawrence Skating Saints on Friday and Saturday.
Penn State hockey earns comeback win in home opener
Slow Starts Stuns Home Crowd
While the Pegula crowd was ready to explode, St. Lawrence (4-4-0) had other ideas. Penn State hockey turned the puck over in its defensive zone, setting up a one time goal that junior goaltender Arsenii Sergeev had no shot at stopping less than a minute into the game.
However, the Nittany Lions didn’t wait long to get the home crowd back into the game. Just over a minute later, grad-senior defenseman Jimmy Dowd Jr. found senior Danny Dzhaniyev waiting on the back door for a tap-in goal to tie up the game at one, extending Dzhaniyev’s career long point streak to nine games dating back to last season.
The early scoring frenzy wasn’t over just yet. St. Lawrence was able to capitalize on another seeing eye one-timer to reclaim the lead. All three goals came less than four minutes in the opening frame.
Things would settle down after that, and a penalty to each side was all that made its way onto the scoresheet for the remainder of the first period. Penn State headed to the Pegula locker room for the first time this season behind on the scoreboard.
Penn State finally finds an equalizer
The Nittany Lions found their legs in the second period, carrying the majority of play in the middle frame. But for the vast majority of the period, they had nothing to show for it.
That was until a turnover forced by senior forward Ben Schoen in the final minute of the period sent star sophomore forward Aiden Fink into the zone, where he found fellow sophomore forward Reese Laubauch, who rocketed a one-timer into the net. Fink now has a point in every game this season, and five consecutive contests dating back to last year.
Penn State was happy to head into the locker room tied, despite it feeling like it left some goals on the ice in what was a fairly dominant period for the Nittany Lions, outshooting the opposition 10-5.
Lions finally break through for a lead
In the third, Penn State made good use of the momentum it took into the intermission. Just over a minute into the final period, freshman forward Keaton Peters fired a wrister past the St. Lawrence netminder to give the Nittany Lions their first lead of the day at 3-2. It was the first career goal for Peters, assisted by fellow freshmen Cade Christenson and JJ Wiebush.
Keeping their foot on the gas, the Nittany Lions didn’t give St. Lawrence much breathing room to look for an equalizer of its own. A last gasp with the net empty wasn’t enough for the Saints, and Penn State hockey held on for a 3-2 come-from-behind win in its home opener.
Nittany Lions seal series sweep with strong Saturday performance
Lions Strike First
Penn State was hoping for a more complete first period in game two of the series, and that is what it got. St. Lawrence took a couple penalties in the early part of the first period, but the Nittany Lions’ power play wasn’t able to convert.
Ironically, it was on a St. Lawrence power play near the end of the period where the Blue and White broke the stalemate. Junior defenseman Jared Crespo was able to fire one into the St. Lawrence’s goal shorthanded and gave the Nittany Lions the 1-0 lead.
This was the third shorthanded goal of the year for Penn State hockey, tying the team for the best in the nation. The Nittany Lion’s penalty kill is looking like it could be among the best special teams units in the country, yet to allow a power play goal.
Back and forth second
A late period goal for Penn State wasn’t able to translate into any momentum heading into the next period like it did on Friday. Instead, it was St. Lawrence who tied the game about four minutes into the frame.
But late in the period, Penn State was afforded another power play opportunity and was able to capitalize. Aiden Fink snuck a trickling puck into the net to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead, one they would take into the locker room.
Penn State gets insurance in the third
With a one goal lead, Penn State took two penalties in the early part of the third, giving St. Lawrence a great chance to tie the game. But again, it was Penn State’s penalty kill that was the story. The Nittany Lions successfully killed off both, moving to a perfect 23-23 on the penalty kill this season.
Late in the period, Charlie Cerrato scored the first of what many expect to be a plethora of collegiate goals for the highly touted freshman. He was in the perfect spot to clean up a scramble and extend the lead to 3-1, which would be the final score.
Goaltender Arensii Sergeev is quietly putting together an impressive start to the season, saving 39-42 shots on the weekend. Goaltending has always been inconsistent for the Nittany Lions under Guy Gadowsky, but it seems Penn State may have found some stability in the UConn transfer.
Challenging conference test up next
The first portion of Big Ten play begins next weekend with a tough road trip to No. 5 Minnesota.
The Nittany Lions vaulted into the top 20 of the USCHO.com rankings for the first time this season on Monday, coming in at No. 18. The move sets up a ranked showdown in the Twin Cities.
There is also a chance that Penn State hockey gets to face its former goaltender Liam Souliere, now with the Golden Gophers, in this series.
The series with fascinating storylines and a good early season measuring stick for the Nittany Lions will take place Friday at 8:00 pm and Saturday at 8:00 pm.
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