:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57663623/DSC_0259__1_.0.jpg)
Goals
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final |
| Penn State | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| ASU | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Penn State (7-7-0) got the much-needed road sweep and was able to spend a few days in the Arizona sun, regrouping from some adversity that it endured in the early-going this year. It was a quasi-Bowl Game trip for the team at a time when it needed some healthy distractions.
With top performers Kevin Kerr and Denis Smirnov expected to return from injury soon, it was important for the healthy players to take care of business against a team it was expected to handle. It did just that.
After giving up an early goal, Peyton Jones played a solid game for the Lions. The offense was sufficient, providing four goals.
Penn State returns home for a weekend series with Michigan State at the Pegula Ice Arena.
Recap
Arizona State scored first, just 1:40 into the game. Brett Gruber beat Peyton Jones on a play that would be tough for any goalie to stop. Two Penn State defenders allowed the Sun Devils to skate right past them, creating a 2 on 1. It was the first shot of the game, and for Jones, struggling in net as of late, it could have been a devastating blow had his mental outlook not been secure.
The early setback didn’t slow the Lions down, as the team began to pour on the offense. Brandon Biro was the first to break through, putting this nice wrist shot in for the 1-1 tie.
It didn’t take long for another goal to find its way to the back of the net. Chase Berger added the second goal of the game just 26 seconds later.
After giving up seven goals on Friday night, ASU goalie Joey Daccord deserved a lot of credit. There could have been a dozen goals had he not played such a great game. Here’s a save he made to keep the game 2-1 with less than five minutes to play in the first period.
Daccord made a few saves similar to this along the way to surviving the opening period. The frame ended with the Lions holding the advantage in shots on goal, 22-6.
Early in the second period Penn State had a chance to add to the lead with a power-play, but were unable to take advantage. The game remained 2-1 with eight minutes left before the second intermission when Arizona State went on the power-play. The advantage came and went without a serious scoring chance. The shots on goal was 31-11 in favor of the Lions with five minutes on the clock.
Late in the period Derian Hamilton scored to give the team a much more comfortable 3-1 lead heading into the locker room.
Arizona State played a solid game into the third period. The score remained 3-1 until Tyler Busch found the back of the net, cutting the gap to 3-2 with 9:51 remaining in the game.
Peyton Jones faced a flurry of shots late in the game and held steady. Here’s a series of saves that the sophomore goalie turned back in the waning moments of the game.
Brett Murray scored an open-net goal to seal the victory a few moments later.