The Nittany Lions scored four second-half goals in less than seven minutes to give them a 6-1 victory over the Spartans, which also earned them a share of the Big Ten title.

Penn State (15-3 overall, 5-1 Big Ten) scored the first goal of the game less than five minutes into the game, showcasing its speedy offense early in the contest. The Spartans (10-9, 2-4) then got light from sophomore forward Abby Barker, as she netted the Spartans’ first goal about five minutes after Penn State’s.

“We scored pretty quick after they scored, so it was validation that we were back in the game and that we could come back and take the victory,” Barker said.

Unfortunately for MSU, that is the only goal it would score, as Penn State netted five unanswered goals to close out the game.

Head coach Helen Knull, who knew of potential problems that Penn State’s speed would bring, noticed a difference in transitional defense between the two halves.

“They love to attack in the counter, so when they take off and go with speed, most teams are left toasted, and we really eliminated those options,” Knull said. “In the second half, that is where their momentum and goals came from.”

The Spartans played the Nittany Lions aggressively on defense, and junior goaltender Molly Cassidy found that as a potential reason why Penn State poured on the goals in the second half.

“Penn State just kept pushing,” Cassidy said. “We were pretty tough with them, so I think they found a few holes and were able to free up other players and produce, and you have to tip your hat to that.”

With the regular season wrapped up, the Spartans travel to the Big Ten Tournament in Iowa City, Iowa, on Thursday.