UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Senior Kevin Wall (Penfield, N.Y.) tallied a career-best 4 issues together with the eventual game-winning target to assist raise Penn State to a 7-5 victory and sequence sweep in opposition to Canisius in non-conference motion on Saturday night time inside of Pegula Ice Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State (2-0-0) wasted little time capitalizing on an early tripping name in opposition to Canisius (0-2-0) to grasp the 1-0 lead simply 1:36 into the competition as junior Christian Berger (St. Louis, Mo.) laced a shot from the excessive slot via visitors and into the again of the online off a drop go from senior Ture Linden (Great Falls, Va.).
- The Griffs capitalized on an odd-man rush to protected the equalizer as Nick Bowman completed off a feed from Alton McDermott for the 1-1 rating at 8:19 of the hole length.
- The Nittany Lions regained the lead halfway in the course of the body as Linden secured a bouncing puck and fired it over the glove of Canisius goaltender John Hawthorne and throughout the a long way submit from the close to faceoff dot after sophomore Ryan Kirwan’s (DeWitt, N.Y.) preliminary strive was once blocked for the 2-1 edge on the 9:23 mark.
- Penn State higher its lead at 14:49 of the primary length as Kirwan ripped house a rebound simply out of doors of the crease for the 3-1 margin.
- Canisius took benefit of a 5-on-3 alternative after two fast consequences in opposition to the hosts and reduce the deficit to unmarried target as Daniel DiGrande picked a nook from the slot at 7:36 of the second one length for the 3-2 rating.
- The Nittany Lions regained the two-goal lead simply seconds after killing off the remainder four-plus mins of a five-minute main as sophomore Ben Schoen (Maumee, Ohio) discovered senior Tyler Gratton (Pottstown, Pa.) at the doorstep for the simple end and 4-2 lead on the 12:13 mark.
- The 3rd length was once a loopy one because the groups traded targets each and every lights the lamp on a trio of events to account for the 7-5 ultimate.
- Kirwan added his moment of the night time and 3rd of the weekend as he completed off a feed from Wall on the a long way submit for the 5-2 virtue simply 3:54 into the overall stanza.
- Less than two mins later Wall brought about a impartial zone turnover ahead of skating into the attacking zone, dangling a defender and beating Hawthorne previous the glove for the 6-2 margin on the 5:38 mark.
- Goals endured to return fast as simply 30 seconds later the Griffs responded as McDermott let one fly for the 6-3 deficit.
- Senior Ashton Calder (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) was once then the beneficiary of a few just right puck motion between his linemates as he was once left all by myself within the slot and buried the biscuit previous Hawthorne for the 7-3 rating on the 12:22 mark of the overall length.
- Canisius would not cross away quietly because the Griffs tallied two targets in two mins with underneath 3 to play, then again, it was once now not sufficient as Penn State held directly to protected the weekend sweep.
GOALTENDING
Freshman Noah Grannan (Germantown, Wis.) earned his first collegiate victory in his first get started between the pipes bettering to 1-0-0 at the yr after turning apart 28 photographs. Hawthorne falls to 0-1-0 at the yr after additionally making 28 saves within the defeat.
NOTES
- Saturday’s attendance of 6,343 marks the fourth biggest crowd in Pegula Ice Arena historical past.
- The Nittany Lions held the narrow 35-33 edge in photographs on target whilst going 2-for-3 at the man-advantage. Canisius went 2-for-5 at the powerplay.
- Penn State is now 6-1-0 all-time in six video games in opposition to the Golden Griffins.
- The Nittany Lions lit the lamp seven instances on Saturday night time marking the twenty sixth recreation all-time the place they’ve scored seven or extra targets and the primary since a 7-2 victory over Wisconsin on January 22.
- Penn State is now 43-15-2 all-time in opposition to Atlantic Hockey groups whilst bettering to 41-14-4 within the month of October and 94-1-2 all-time when scoring 5 or extra targets.
- A trio of Nittany Lions had multi-point efforts on Saturday night time as each and every member of the Kirwan, Linden, Wall line secured 3 or extra issues and have been each and every plus-three at the night time.
- Linden tied his career-high with 3 issues as he factored in each and every of the primary 3 targets of the sport with one target and 2 assists securing his second-straight multi-point effort to open the season and the sixteenth of his profession.
- Kirwan registered a career-best 3 issues together with his second-straight multi-point effort and the 8th of his profession with one target and one help. Kirwan additionally secured his first multi-goal recreation of the yr and the 3rd of his profession.
- Wall secured his career-high 4 issues on one target and 3 assists to assemble his first multi-point effort this season and fifteenth of his profession.
- With one help, junior Jimmy Dowd Jr. strikes previous teammate and captain Paul DeNaples (Moscow, Pa.) for 8th at the Penn State all-time help checklist for defensemen with 28 for his profession whilst his 34 issues tie DeNaples for the 8th amongst defensemen all-time.
- Schoen’s lone help prolonged his career-long point-streak, that carries over from the tip of closing season to 5 video games.
POSTGAME QUOTABLES
Opening Statement: I feel a captivating state of affairs advanced with Liam [Souliere], he was once a recreation time resolution and we did not know if he would be capable of cross. And so, the Thor hammer closing night time went to Kevin Wall. I believed he was once in reality suitable in giving to [Noah] Grannan this night as a result of he had no concept he was once enjoying. For a man who hasn’t performed a faculty recreation ahead of, he stepped in when he did not know when a choice was once coming, I believed he treated himself extraordinarily neatly. Kevin did a just right task. I believed it was once very suitable to provide it to him, so I believed that was once a sexy distinctive a part of this recreation.
Question: During the 5-on-3 series in the second one length, what have been your ideas that emerged as that advanced? Obviously, you guys have been very gritty on protection, and you then replied really well by way of scoring a target proper afterwards. What are your ideas on that state of affairs?
Answer: So, when it got here up I in fact was once just a little bit enthusiastic about it as a result of our penalty kill was once lovely deficient the night time ahead of and it gave us a chance to peer if we discovered anything else. I imply I used to be taking a look ahead to it, I believed I used to be excited to turn them the enhancements that I feel lets make. And it was once k, we clearly let one in, however I believed total it was once a very good kill. And the largest turning level within the recreation was once that target by way of Gratton proper after. So, all in all, a sexy just right series.
Question: Another night time, any other recreation of high-powered offense. Ryan Kirwan provides two extra targets to his tally, 3 at the yr. What has his addition as stepping up once more, any other season of being that man on offense, what does that imply for you?
Answer: Well, he did not lovely neatly closing yr too, however he had an excessively freshman kind yr within the sense that he in reality was once a sponge and discovered up to he can about the entire different sides of the sport with out the puck. And he did a really perfect task and he is placing himself in a state of affairs to play so much. He’s very proficient as you’ll see. If that line of himself, Kevin Wall and Ture Linden can all proceed even remotely to what they are doing now, it’ll be amusing to look at all season.
Question: Coach you discussed Ture [Linden] ahead of who had a really perfect sequence but in addition performed a ton at the penalty kill, particularly in the second one length. Can you talk to his whole recreation that he is already introduced in simply two video games at Penn State?
Answer: One of the issues that once we we are doing analysis on conceivable transfers, we in reality wanted a proper hand shot centerman who’s just right at doing faceoffs…that was once in reality, in reality essential. Chase McLane has been excellent, however we knew he’d be injured for the early a part of the yr, in order that was once very excessive at the buying groceries checklist. And Ture Linden, I imply, while you have a look at his issues, he is a really perfect, nice offensive participant. But, for the folks that know him ultimate, they talked extra about his 200-foot recreation than they do about his offense, and faceoffs are a large a part of that. You can simply see how relaxed he’s and the satisfaction he has in that. I imply, I feel we have been as inspired as we have been together with his offense and I feel we’re extra inspired together with his total recreation.
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