Penn State Tops Arizona State in Shootout

Story posted November 2, 2018 in CommRadio, Sports by Logan Dolby

The folks at the Pegula Ice Arena on Saturday, November 2 were in for an absolute shootout when the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions faced off against the Arizona State Sun Devils. In total, there were 11 goals scored in the 60 minutes of action.

Arizona State’s goaltender, Joey Daccord, was under fire early in the first period. With 15:24 left in the opening period sophomore Evan Barratt scored the first goal of the evening for the undefeated Nittany Lions with a shot right in front of the opposition’s net.

Penn State’s goalkeeper Chris Funkey gave up the tying goal to Sun Devils' Tyler Busch with 8:47 left in the first period. The goal was assisted by Johnny Walker and Jacob Wilson.

There was a flurry of goals scored with under three minutes to go in the first period. Penn State and Arizona State would both score to close out an exciting opening 20 minutes.

“They are very dangerous offensively. I was very impressed with how they played, and specifically the discipline they had,” coach Gadowski said of the Sun Devils, a team that Penn State has played the past three years.

Arizona State’s goal would come from freshman defensemen Josh Maniscalco with 2:22 to play in the opening period and was assisted by Dylan Hollman and Filips Buncis.

Senior center Chase Berger tied the game 30 seconds later as he let one fly off the assist by Sam Sternschein and Denis Smirnov. The score would remain tied at two for the remainder of the period.

Arizona State drew first blood in the second period with a goal scored by forward Dylan Hollman at just under the 18-minute mark. The goal put the visiting Sun Devils up 3-2.

It took Penn State eight minutes to retaliate with a goal of its own to tie the game 3-3. Right winger Brandon Biro set up Nate Sucese at the left circle with a beautiful pass that led to the tying goal in the middle of the period.

Fifth-year senior Dylan Hollman scored his second goal of the period after a successful Sun Devils' penalty kill with 2:35 left. The score put Arizona State in the lead by the tune of 4-3. It would hold onto the lead to close out the remainder of the period.

For the first time all season the Nittany Lions were heading into the third period trailing the game. In the second period, Penn State seemed flustered by the fact that they had scored only one goal during the previous period and looked to change the game in the final 20 minutes.

“The mindset was to get back to what we know how to do,” Coach Guy Gadowsky said. “And for us, that’s how to play fast. I think we did that. I think we pushed the pace a little bit in the third and we were rewarded for it.”

Both teams played with tremendous defensive intensity to begin the final period, but it was Penn State’s center Nikita Pavylchev that would score first. Arizona State would challenge the goal, but it was soon confirmed by the officiating staff.

Penn State took the lead after an Alex Limoges goal that came 27 seconds later, and the goal was assisted by Liam Folkes to put the Nittany Lions up 5-4.

Limoges kept assaulting the Arizona State net and scored his second goal with 10:35 left to go in the game. This time the goal was assisted by Evan Barrett as well as Liam Folkes.

“Its kind of backs against the wall, desperate hockey for the third period,” Limoges said. “We’re a deep team and it can come from any one of us. It’s fun playing with our backs against the wall and desperate hockey because I feel that’s when we play fast and that’s what we’re doing, that’s when we’re playing our type of hockey.”

With 2:15 to go the Sun Devils coach Greg Powers would pull his goaltender to try to get something going offensively. Johnny Walker scored as an extra attacker with 1:35 to go to bring the Sun Devils within one point of the Nittany Lions.

Walker’s goal would be the final of the night, and Penn State would hang on to its 6-5 lead to remain undefeated on the season in an extremely high-paced match-up that will resume Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Pegula Ice Arena.

 

 

Logan Dolby is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him email ldd5135@psu.edu.