Penn State Hockey Ties No. 3 Notre Dame 3-3

Scoring Summary

Shots on Goal

Penalty Summary

Penn State never trailed in the game and briefly led 3-1. The game was a critical non-conference match for the Lions, on the road versus one of the top teams in the country.

The contest was marked by penalties as the teams combined for 21 infractions. Penn State was able to remain perfect on the season with an amazing 26 for 26 in penalty kills, stopping all nine chances the Irish had on the night.

Nikita Pavlychev got the scoring started early and Dylan Richard added two goals for Penn State.

The goalies for each team played tremendous. Cal Peterson is one of the best goalies in the nation and he lived up to his reputation, stopping many shots that would normally have gone to the back of the net. Not to be outdone, Penn State freshman goalie Peyton Jones kept his team in the game with a few outstanding saves. Jones is as responsible as anyone on the Penn State team for the amazing streak of 26 consecutive penalty kills.

The tie for Penn State versus the high-ranked Irish will bode well late this year when teams are vying for a potential at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. A win in the final game of the series on Saturday would catapult Penn State into the Top 20 in the USCHO.com poll, and also the top 10 in the early-season Pairwise Rankings.

The teams will face off for the second game of the series on Saturday at 7 p.m. The match will be televised on NBCSN and streamed for free on NBCsports.com.

Game Summary

The first period was shaped by seven combined penalties that were called on the teams. Nikita Pavlychev scored on a power play goal just 2:16 into the game. Chase Berger and Trevor Hamilton assisted on the play. Pavlychev was able to knock a rebound that lingered in the crease following a shot from the slot. Peyton Jones made some great saves on an ensuing power play that saw the Irish make a couple of high quality shots.

A few minutes later Dawson Cook took the puck the length of the ice and got a breakaway shot off that Peyton Jones was unable to hang on to. Cook then attempted a wrap around but failed. The puck lingered just outside the goal for a moment before Jake Evans poked it in for the short-handed goal.

The period ended with a score of 1-1 but Notre Dame took two late penalties, allowing the Lions a 5 on 3 power play to begin the second period.

Notre Dame was able to kill the penalties through two minutes of the second period. The Lions then took a couple of penalties of their own but were able hold down the fort without allowing a serious threat to score.

Midway through the game Dylan Richard took a great pass from Denis Smirnov on a 2 on 1 break to give Penn State a 2-1 lead. Smirnov could have got a decent shot on goal but made the extra pass across to Richard, who took the pass on the blade of his stick and stuffed it into the empty side of the net.

With 1:52 remaining in the second period Dylan Richard scored to give the Lions a 3-1 lead. After the play the officials took a very long time to review the goal. Vince Pedrie made a pass while his stick was borderline high, which led to the Richard score. The delay for the decision from the referees broke Penn State’s momentum that it had gained up to that point. The goal stood but the stoppage allowed Notre Dame to regroup, down two goals.

Just a few seconds later, with time winding down in the period, Notre Dame’s Andrew Oglevie tossed a long shot on net. The puck fluttered just over the shoulder of Penn State defenseman James Gobetz, screening Jones from view, and the soft shot found the back of the net. The goal cut the two-goal deficit to 3-2 heading into the final period.

Jordan Gross tied the game at 3-3 with 7:32 left when he finished a great pass by Anders Bjork.

The third period saw just one goal and 7 penalties. The teams went to overtime with Vince Pedrie of Penn State in the penalty box. Notre Dame took a penalty in the extra frame but was able to survive. The game ended in a 3-3 tie.

Stars of the Game

Dylan Richard, Penn State. Two goals.

Jake Evans, Notre Dame. One goal and one assist.

Denis Smirnov, Penn State. Two assists.

Penn State Highlights

Take a look at the three Lion goals and also a great save that Peyton Jones made with less than one minute remaining in overtime to preserve the tie.