MSU hockey used late goals in back-to-back nights against Penn State to earn five points in the Big Ten standings this weekend, tying with a shootout victory on Friday and winning on Saturday.
MSU (9-13-7 overall, 3-5-6-4 Big Ten) fought back to earn two points the first night, tying Penn State, 2-2, with a shootout victory. The following night MSU earned its first road win of the season, coming from behind to win 2-1.
The win on Saturday also broke a seven-game winless streak for MSU. During those seven games, MSU went to a shootout four times.
After earning five points in the two-game series, MSU sits one point behind Ohio State and Michigan for third place in the standings.
Sophomore forward Michael Ferrantino scored with less than four minutes remaining in the third period on Friday night, sending the game to overtime.
The game would head to a shootout for the fourth time in the last five games, with junior forward Brent Darnell scoring the lone shootout goal in the seventh round. S
ophomore goaltender Jake Hildebrand stopped all seven Penn State skaters in the shootout.
MSU is 4-2 in shootouts in Big Ten play.
Senior forward Lee Reimer also scored for MSU in Friday’s game.
Head coach Tom Anastos said he was pleased with the way his team finished Friday’s game, fighting until the end of the game.
“It was good we kept coming back, it was good we got that late goal and we killed off that late penalty in overtime, and it was nice to get the shootout win,” Anastos told Spartan Sports Network following Friday’s shootout victory.
The following night had the same level of drama, however this time the Spartans did not need overtime. MSU overcame a Penn State (5-19-2, 1-10-1) goal in the first minute of the game and produced a season-low 13 shots to earn the victory.
Like Friday, MSU scored late in the third period, with junior forward Matt Berry scoring the game-winner. The goal came on a rebound shot that flipped over Penn State sophomore goaltender Matthew Skoff.
Freshman forward Joe Cox had the first goal in the game for MSU, finishing with an assist as well.
Hildebrand continued his latest dominance in conference play, keeping Penn State below two goals in both games. It was the 10th time in the last 11 games Hildebrand hasn’t given up more than two goals.
MSU will be on the road again next weekend, traveling to No. 8 Wisconsin for a two-game series. MSU will face off against the Badgers four times in its final six games.
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