Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena)
Score: Michigan 5, #15 Penn State 1
Records: U-M (9-9-6, 5-5-4-2 B1G), PSU (13-10-2, 5-9-1-1 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 26 — vs Penn State (New York City, N.Y.), 7:00 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan ice hockey team scored four unanswered goals in the second period to defeat No. 15-ranked Penn State, 5-1, Thursday night (Jan. 24) at Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena.
“We had a week off where we focused on our details, defense and a few special teams, said Slaker. “We are taking it game-by-game right now — we got this one out of the way, now we’re worried about Saturday’s game at MSG and we’re looking forward to it”
Junior goaltender Hayden Lavigne was tested early and often by the Nittany Lions, who outshot the Wolverines 15-7 in the first period. Michigan was able to kill off a crucial penalty midway through the opening period, and took a scoreless tie into the first intermission.
Michigan began the second period scoring barrage 3:10 into the period when freshman forward Jimmy Lambert launched a long pass to sophomore forward Dakota Raabe. The sophomore forward carried the puck in on a breakaway and beat the PSU goalie through his five-hole for his fourth goal of the season, and third career goal against Penn State.
With six minutes remaining in the period, junior forward Jake Slaker capitalized off of a Michigan powerplay, burying a shot past the PSU goalie after Lambert found him wide open on the far post to put Michigan ahead 2-0.
Less than ten seconds later, freshman defenseman Nick Blankenburg found the puck after a Penn State turnover in their own zone following a faceoff. Blankenburg fired a shot on net before senior defenseman Nicholas Boka corralled his rebound and scored, putting the Maize and Blue ahead by three goals.
The Wolverines remained aggressive offensively, and 38 seconds later junior forward Will Lockwood found the back of the net off for his ninth goal of the season, and 50th point of his career to cap off an exciting four-goal period for Michigan.
With just over nine minutes to play in the third period, Penn State was awarded a powerplay. Seconds after the penalty kill was executed by U-M, Penn State’s Ludvig Larsson found the back of the net on a goal assisted by Denis Smirnov and Cole Hults to give the visitors their first goal of the evening and cut the U-M lead to 4-1.
Later in the third, Michigan was again tasked with holding off the Nittany Lions on a powerplay. After PSU pulled their goalie, freshman forward Garrett Van Wyhe converted a shorthanded empty-net goal after a Raabe blocked shot, increasing the Wolverines’ lead back to four and solidifying a victory for the Maize and Blue.
“Three goals that quickly is always a good confidence booster for sure, I think after that we stuck with it and tried not to play cheating for the puck, said Raabe. “We played good defense and we played it out through the rest of the second, we used that going into the third period.”
The Wolverines will close out the series with Penn State Saturday evening (Jan. 26) in New York City at Madison Square Garden for the annual B1G Super Saturday. Game time from the Big Apple is 7 p.m and will be televised on BTN.