Nittany Lions upset No. 16 Wolverines

Story posted March 9, 2015 in CommRadio, Sports by Trey Cochran

On senior weekend in Hockey Valley the Penn State men’s hockey team swept their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines.

“We love beating them and they hate losing to us,” said redshirt junior Eric Scheid.

Coming into the weekend the Blue and Yellow were ranked 16th by USCHO.com and had sole possession of the number one spot in the Big Ten. That all changed in two games.

A little over four minutes into Friday’s game, Scheid hauled the puck out of the corner and snuck it through traffic under Steve Racine for the Nittany Lions’ first goal.

Minutes later, Tommy Olczyk made his mark on the first line with a terrific cross ice pass to David Goodwin who came in all alone and ripped a shot past Racine for a second goal. Olczyk had just moved up to the first line this weekend after senior Taylor Holstrom went down with a season and career ending leg injury.

With nine minutes remaining and a power play, Casey Bailey snagged the puck at the top of the dot and ripped a clapper past the screened Racine to put the Nittany Lions up three.

As the second period got started Penn state made it a 4-0 lead when Scott Conway blasted a wrister past Michigan on a feed from Erik Autio.

On their second power play in a row midway through the game, Michigan’s Andrew Copp made Penn State pay when he ripped a one timer past Eamon McAdam to cut the lead to three.

Seven minutes later on a feed from behind the net from Tyler Motte, Justin Selman stuffed in a second power play goal for the Wolverines.

With under a minute left in the second, Dylan Richard was trailing his line mates into the offensive zone when Scheid stopped and found Richard who blasted the puck by Racine.

“I thought that (goal) was big,” said Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky. “I felt them coming, and they hit a couple crossbars and were starting to come.”

Despite a quick goal by Michigan in the third, the Nittany Lions pushed the lead back too three when Nate Jensen batted a goal out of mid air on a rebound to go up 6-3.

Although it was too late and didn’t matter, the Wolverines scored with 15 seconds left on a shot from Cutler Martin at the point that found its way through bodies and into the net.

It was a very physical and chippy game that saw a total of 19 penalties leading to five power play goals.

“We have to be a smarter team against Michigan, they’re just too good offensively so I would like to see us change that,” said Gadowsky.

Saturday afternoon’s game started with a tear-jerking senior ceremony for the seven departing seniors: PJ Musico, Taylor Holstrom, Patrick Koudys, Nate Jensen, Max Gardiner, Peter Sweetland, and Jacob Friedman.

The captain Koudys helped get the scoring started for the Nittany Lions when he rang a puck off the post and right onto David Goodwin’s stick for the first goal of the game.

As the teams settled into their playing styles, Michigan leveled the game at one when J.T. Compher snuck the puck under Musico on a pass from Travis Lynch.

A little over a minute later Penn State responded as Goodwin moved into the Wolverines zone and found a wide open Scott Conway who made it 2-1.

As time was running short in the first period, Compher collected his second goal on a short handed 2-on-1 attempt on a feed from Andrew Copp to knot the game going into the first intermission.

Michigan controlled the pace in the start of the second frame but it was Penn State who found the back of the net twice in the last half of the second.

Erik Autio converted on the first one with a wrist shot from the point that was unseen by Racine, then it was Olczyk on a cross ice feed from Casey Bailey to put the Nittany Lions up two.

“Tommy Olczyk was a phenomenal addition to our line, he brought energy and speed which is what we needed,” said Goodwin.

The trailing Wolverines, who got within one goal with an extra attacker with a minute and a half left, controlled most of the third period. The goal scorer was Compher who completed his hat trick on the road.

“It (was) chaos, especially since they have so many skilled guys,” said Musico. “Pretty much just trying to stay calm and just trust (the) team.”

As the game came to an end, Zack Hyman got a chance on the doorstep of the Penn State net. Hyman tried to stuff it in the back door multiple times but the goalies’ pad was there to stop the rubber. As the Big Ten’s leading point getter fell backwards, he lifted the puck over Musico’s pad and into the goal crease. The senior whipped around and smothered the puck as Michigan players crashed into the net taking him and the puck with them but it was ruled no goal after a review.

“I actually had a pretty good view of it so I wasn’t concerned at all about it,” said Gadowsky.

Michigan got one more shot as Larkin smacked one from the point that was turned aside by Musico as the game ended.

“I thought it was a great team effort and when you get goaltending and great team effort you can beat great teams,” said Gadowsky.

Following this weekend, the standings in the Big Ten have become extremely tight. Michigan dropped to second place with 33 point and is tied with Minnesota ,while Michigan State jumped both teams and moved into first with 34 points. After gaining six points this weekend Penn State is in fourth with 31 points.

The Nittany Lions travel to Minnesota next Friday and Saturday to do battle with the Golden Gophers in the final regular season series.

Trey Cochran is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mjc5789@psu.edu.