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MSU hockey holds off Penn State for first road win of season

February 15, 2014

It wasn’t pretty, but MSU hockey will take it.

The team recorded its first road win of the season Saturday, coming from behind to beat Penn State, 2-1, at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa.

MSU (9-13-7 overall, 3-5-6-4 Big Ten) was held to a season-low 13 shots in the game, but was able to capitalize on a few fluke bounces, with junior forward Matt Berry scoring the game-winning goal with 5:04 left in the third period.

MSU was able to circle the wagons and overcome giving up a goal in the first minute of the game.

Berry, along with sophomore forward Michael Ferrantino and freshman forward Joe Cox, finished with two points each. Cox had the other goal for MSU.

Cox had a big game on Saturday for MSU. Outside of his contribution offensively, Cox made important defensive plays down the stretch, including sacrificing his body in the final seconds to block a shot and ensure a Spartan victory.

Sophomore goaltender Jake Hildebrand was solid again for MSU, making 29 saves. Saturday’s game was the tenth time in the last 11 outings that Hildebrand held opponents to two goals or less.

WIth the win on Saturday, MSU earned five points in Big Ten standings in the two-game series, tying with a shootout win on Friday. MSU finished the season series against Penn State (5-19-2, 1-10-1) with three wins and a tie with a shootout victory.

It took only 43 seconds for Penn State to break the scoreless tie, scoring on a junior defenseman Patrick Koudys shot from the point. Koudys threw the puck at the net after the Nittany Lions won the faceoff and somehow found its way into the back of the net. It appeared Hildebrand was screened and failed to ever see the puck.

MSU struggled to get anything going offensively in the first period. The Spartans were held to only three shots in the opening period.

MSU finally broke through offensively, scoring on a fluke bounce off a Cox shot.

Cox received the puck from Ferrantino on the leftside of the net, from there he threw a backhand shot at the net that hit a Penn State defenders skate, redirecting the puck into the net.

The goal came with 9:39 left in the second period and was MSU’s first shot of the period.

Berry also had an assist on the play.

MSU would finish with only two shots in the period, for a grand total of five shots through the first two periods.

MSU controlled most of the tempo in the third period and finally was rewarded when Berry scored the game-winning goal late in the game.

Cox brought the puck into the zone and waited for the rest of Spartans to crash the net before shooting.

The rebound bounced out to Ferrantino, who got off a shoot, but it was Berry’s rebound shot that made it past Penn State sophomore goaltender Matthew Skoff.

The shot from Berry fluttered over Skoff’s left shoulder.

MSU would hold onto the lead for the final minutes, fighting off a couple Penn State surges after pulling its goalie for the additional skater.

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MSU now will head to No. 8 Wisconsin for it’s final two-game road series of the season next weekend. Friday’s game at Wisconsin begins at 9 p.m. and can be seen on Big Ten Network.

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