Penn State Skates To A Tie In Madison, 3-3: Wins Shootout

Penn State (10-3-1) played well enough to win but settled for a tie in a tough conference road contest. Each team had a chance to win in regulation but the goalies stepped up to force overtime. In the extra frames neither team had quality scoring chances.

Alex Limoges scored during the sixth round of the shootout to give Penn State the extra point in Big Ten standings. For the purposes of figuring national standings, the game will go down as a 3-3 tie.

The teams will play game two of the series on Saturday at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on BTNPlus.

How It Happened

Penn State dominated the first five minutes of play but was unable to cash in on early scoring chances. Wisconsin scored the first time it got a chance to set up its offense, six minutes into the game. A shot from the point was deflected in front of Peyton Jones, and the Lions were down 1-0 with 13:45 to play.

Nikita Pavlychev tied the game at a goal apiece. After an attempted wrap-around, Pavlychev put the rebound in the back of the net for his 8th goal of the season. Peyton Jones made a couple of saves in the next minute of play to maintain the even score.

The Lions got back to holding an advantage for most of the rest of the period, by the end holding a 15-10 shots on goal edge.

Early in the second period Evan Barratt hit Liam Folkes with a length-of-the-ice pass, Folkes finished the breakaway chance to give the Lions a 2-1 lead. Penn State continued to pressure Wisconsin, peppering shots on goal and keeping the puck in the offensive zone.

The Badgers answered the Lions’ effort by picking up the hitting in the open ice and playing overall team defense. With one side flying up the ice trying to score, and the other fighting feverishly to try to slow it down, the action was exciting.

Peyton Jones faced a breakaway with 12 minutes to play in the period and the shot went high of the net. On the next trip Wisconsin got another quality shot on Jones. For the following minutes the game was played mostly in front of Jones. It finally payed off when Matt Zimmer got the tying goal, 2-2.

Shortly after Paul DeNaples was called for the first penalty of the game and Penn State was short-handed. Midway through the penalty, the puck went into the net after the whistle was already blown, saving a goal. The puck rested on top of Jones’ pads and the play was whistled dead before it fell off and went into the net. The Lions killed the penalty.

With 6:40 left in the second period a player from each side went into the box and the teams skated 4 on 4. Brock Cauffield scored for the second time to give the Badgers a 3-2 lead.

Evan Barratt scored to tie the game with just a little more than a minute to play before the second intermission. Alex Limoges made a great pass to Barratt, and as Folkes did earlier, Barratt finished the play.

Late in the period Alex Limoges made a couple of nice plays and forced Wisconsin to take a penalty to hold him down. The Badgers killed the penalty but it took a mammoth effort. Derian Hamilton nearly scored after the power-play but was denied by the glove of goalie Daniel Lebedeff.

Nate Sucese hit the crossbar on a breakaway with 14 minutes to play. The teams were tied at 30 shots on goal, 3 goals each, heading into the final 11 minutes. Evan Barratt and Liam Folkes had a 2 on 1 but Lebedeff made the save, then another on Barratt’s attempt on the rebound.

Sucese had another chance to score with 3:20 to play but the bouncing puck made his shot on an open net miss just wide. Each team had a chance to break the tie but neither side was able, so they went to overtime.

With 3:32 to play in overtime, Wisconsin was called for a hooking penalty. The penalty came and went without a score. Peyton Jones made a save on a Wisconsin short-handed breakaway. With 16 seconds to go in overtime there was a skirmish after a near-goal by Penn State.

During the 3 on 3 overtime period neither side had a quality scoring chance. Liam Folkes matched a made Wisconsin goal to continue the shootout. Alex Limoges made a goal during the shootout for the win, giving the Lions the extra point in Big Ten standings.

Here is the goal by Limoges.