Minneapolis, MN – The No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions lost to No. 3 Minnesota, 5-1, in the first game of the Big Ten quarterfinal best-of-three series on Friday night at 3M Arena.
The loss dropped Penn State to 15-17-3 on the year, but the Gophers improved to 21-9-5 after the win.
Both teams return to Mariucci tomorrow afternoon for the second leg of the series. It's a do-or-die game for the Nittany Lions as they look to extend their season, and puck drop is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time and will be broadcast on FS2. .
how did it happen
- Minnesota took the lead at 7:21 of the first period when Sam Lindsell hit a one-timer from the right circle to go down 1-0 and take advantage of a defensive zone turnover by the Nittany Lions.
- Penn State appeared to tie the contest midway through the opening frame as a junior. dylan legris (Buffalo, N.Y.) redirected the puck past Gopher netminder Justin Close, but after a challenge by Minnesota, LeGuris was deemed to have entered the offside zone and the goal was taken off the board.
- The Nittany Lions would score the tying goal just 28 ticks later as a junior. Danny Janiev (Brooklyn, NY) Went from coast to coast, hanging between multiple Gopher Defenders, then found a wide open spot. jack buco (South Windsor, Conn.) A tap-in score at the near post tied the score at 1-1 at the 10:56 mark.
- At 14:21 of the second period, Jimmy Snageld took a pass from the back of the net from Jackson Nelson and converted it with one touch, giving the Gophers the lead back at 2-1.
- Minnesota pushed the lead to 3-1 early in the third period when Aaron Hugren redirected a point shot past the PSU senior goaltender. Liam Soulier (Brampton, Ontario) At 2:18.
- The hosts increased their lead midway through the third period when Rhett Pitlick put a rebound into the back of the net for a 4-1 lead at the 10:43 mark.
- Pitlick then hit an empty net at 16:59, making it 5-1 in the final.
goaltending
- Soulier fell to 12-13-1 after making 22 saves in the loss, while Crows improved to 20-8-5 after stopping 20 of 21 shots he faced in the game.
Note
- Minnesota held a 27-21 advantage in shots on goal, including a 9-1 clip in the second period, but both teams went 2-for-2 on the man advantage.
- Minnesota maintained a commanding lead in the faceoff dot, winning 31 of 51 ties (61 percent).
- Penn State is currently 3-2 in five playoff games against the Gophers, with Minnesota winning the last two games.
- The Nittany Lions dropped to 14-12-0 in the Big Ten Tournament and are now just 4-7 in actual road games during Big Ten Tournament play.
- Penn State is 1-4 overall in best-of-three quarterfinal openers and has lost four consecutive series openers.
- The Nittany Lions' record dropped to 5 wins, 11 wins, and 3 losses in years when their opponent scored the first goal, and now they are only 2 wins, 14 wins, and 2 losses on the year when they are at a disadvantage entering the third period.
For more information on the 2023-24 season from Penn State Bookstore, the official Penn State Athletics bookstore, visit the men's hockey page at GoPSUsports.com or call 1-800-NITTANAY Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please call us.
