East Lansing, Mich. — No. 1/1 Michigan State skated to a 2-2 tie with No. 18/17 Penn State on Friday at Munn Ice Arena, falling 2-1 in the shootout to gain just one point in the Conference standings.
The two goaltenders were the story of the game- both Trey Augustine (31 saves) and Arsenii Sergeev (36 saves) came up with routine, highlight-reel, and game saving stops. Five of Sergeev’s saves came in the overtime period.
The Nittany Lions led by 1-0 and 2-1 scores, but the Spartans stayed persistent as they rallied for equalizers. Tiernan Shoudy scored his sixth of the season midway through the second period, and Maxim Štrbák tied the game at 8:36 in the third period after PSU had scored in the final minute of the second frame. The Spartans hit at least three posts in the game.
Dane Dowiak and Reese Laubach had the goals for Penn State (16-11-4, 7-10-4 B1G). MSU was a perfect 4-for 4 on the penalty kill, and had only one full power play opportunity and two total chances.
With Minnesota’s win at home over Ohio State, the Gophers (43 points) trail MSU by just one point in the conference standings with three regular-season games remaining for both teams.
Penn State and MSU wrap up the regular-season series on Saturday with a 6 pm puck drop that will air on Big Ten Network. Michigan State will honor its four Spartan seniors at the conclusion of the game.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
- MSU celebrated 90’s night at Munn with throwback sweaters to the late 1990’s. They featured a Kelly green script MSU logo, a diagonal set of jersey stripes, and black pants, with kelly green gloves and helmets.
- MSU’s five shots in the overtime period tied its season-high output in OT at Wisconsin on Dec. 7.
- Michigan State blocked a season-high 17 shots in the game, tying its total sine Dec. 13 at Minnesota. Matt Basgall (4) and Nicklas Andrews (3) led the way for MSU. The teams combined for 33 blocks.
- MSU is now 3-1-4 on the season in overtime, and have dropped two shootouts to the Nittany Lions, both after 2-2 finals.
- The Spartans have not allowed a power play goal in the last two games and are 20-of-22 over the last seven contests.
- Trey Augustine turned away 31 shots, and allowed two goals or less over each of last four games.
- In the last four MSU games, Augustine has stopped 95 of 101 shots against (.941 save percentage, 1.50 GAA).
- Tiernan Shoudy’s second-period goal was his sixth of the season, tying his career high set as a freshman. His 14 points is two shy of his sophomore-year total.
- Maxim Štrbák’s third -period equalizer was his second score of the season, tying his first-year output. He now has a 2-14-16 line, two points shy of doubling his freshman year total of nine points.
- Isaac Howard earned his 22nd assist of the season and is back atop the national points leaderboard with 44 points, tied with PSU sophomore Aiden Fink. Howard had an assist and a shootout goal in the game, while Fink was held scoreless and missed the net on his shootout attempt.
- Tanner Kelly’s assist on the Shoudy score was his ninth assist of the season, tying his junior year total.
- Gavin O’Connell has points in three of his last four games and six points in nine games since returning from injury in January, His scoring line is at 5-6-11.
- Charlie Stramel earned his 16th assist and 25th point of the year on the Štrbák’s goal
PERIOD RECAPS
First Period: The Nittany Lions got on the board 7:18 into the game, as winger Dane Dowiak finished off an odd-man rush over the shoulder of Augustine, his ninth goal of the year. MSU hit a pair of posts – both Karsen Dorwart and Isaac Howard rang the iron – as Sergeev got some help from the iron around him. The final two minutes of the period saw a penalty for each side, leading to 1:18 of four-on-four. The Spartans held a 12-6 edge in shots on net in the frame.
Second Period: Penalties kept MSU from developing much offensive flow in the opening part of the period, but Trey Augustine was exceptional in making eight saves over three power play opportunities for PSU and 13 total saves in the period. The Spartans extinguished an early 5×3 and another PK later in the period, and got the equalizer at 12:11. Tanner Kelly started the play when he circled behind the net to Sergeev’s left, and the goalie made the save at the post, The puck fell onto the stick of Gavin O’Connell, and he tapped it to Kelly as he came back out into the low slot He found Tiernan Shoudy alone at the left post, and he tapped it home for his sixth goal of the season. It looked as if the teams would head into the locker room tied, but Reese Laubach un-tied the game with a goal at 19:04, with a shot from the left side that beat Augustine between his shoulder and the right post. The Nittany Lions – with a 5×3 and additional power play – had a slight 14-12 edge in shots on net.
Third Period: MSU got its equalizer as its first two-minute power play opportunity expired. With one second remaining in the man advantage, Charlie Stramel won the faceoff to Isaac Howard. Howard dished it back to Štrbák at the left point. He skated it in to the top of the left circle and wristed home his second goal of the season. Both teams fought for a go-ahead marker, but both goalies were again up to the task – Augustine made 11 stops in the period and Sergeev eight.
Overtime: The overtime period was highly entertaining, with the teams combining for seven shots and both goalies delivering highlight-reel stops. Augustine stopped a right-side effort by Fink, and then a two-on-none break for Fink and Casey Aman, protecting the right post and Aman’s opportunity. Sergeev made five of his 36 stops in the extra frame, including a heavily-marked Isaac Howard, a two-on-one break and shot by Charlie Stramel, and a blast from the high slot by Nicklas Andrews.
SHOOTOUT RESULTS
MSU – Dorwart – saved
PSU – Dowiak – saved
MSU – Russell – saved
PSU – Lugris – goal
MSU – Howard – goal
PSU – Fink – wide
MSU – Kelly – wide
PSU – Laubach – goal
PSU wins the shootout, 2-1
