The No. 13 Michigan hockey team came out of the gates with something to prove. It dominated possession from puck drop, netted two first-period goals and had every advantage over Penn State early.
But late in the first period, a conceded odd-man rush goal that seemed to be a momentary lapse instead proved to be a warning sign for the Wolverines (14-11-2 overall, 8-8-1 Big Ten), who started hot but ultimately fell to Penn State (12-10-3, 3-9-3) in a game full of momentum shifts.
Michigan was firing on all cylinders in the first period. In-sync passing helped set up its first goal, and its second score at the net front seemed inevitable given its relentless offensive pressure. In the second period, though — after the Nittany Lions had already added their first goal — something seemed to flip.
On an early power play opportunity, the Wolverines looked to extend their lead. But instead, Penn State got to its offense and netted a nifty short-handed goal from forward Tyler Paquette. Not long after, the Nittany Lions took a 3-2 lead with a deflected-in goal. Then, in the final minute of the second period, with Michigan already feeling its momentum slipping away, Penn State scored its fourth goal, a laser from forward Reese Laubach.
The Wolverines were still getting chances in spurts — including a failed 3-on-1 opportunity — but the Nittany Lions were the ones converting. After a first period statistically dominated by Michigan, Penn State now led in shots on goal and was finding more success on faceoffs. As for graduate goaltender Logan Stein, a respectable start had given way to four conceded goals in about 20 minutes of play.
So when the third period was nearly underway, freshman Cameron Korpi took the net in his place. Korpi held strong, and the Wolverines started a run of their own. First, junior forward Kienan Draper found the net after a perfect pass across the slot. Then, sophomore forward William Whitelaw tied the game with a power-play goal from the left face-off circle.
All of a sudden, the momentum was undecidedly in Michigan’s favor. The once-grumbling Yost Ice Arena crowd was now rowdy and on its feet, and the Wolverines were playing with competitive fire. With five minutes to go, though, the Nittany Lions stamped out the Wolverines’ hot streak with a fifth goal from forward J.J. Wiebusch — a goal that would come to be the game-winner.
Both Michigan and Penn State had their moments on Friday, but with each team’s time in control coming in waves, it was the Nittany Lions who got the last laugh.
The post Penn State takes down Michigan in game of momentum shifts, 5-4 appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
Leave a Reply