(UW ATHLETICS) MADISON – Two Penn State power-play goals late in the third period proved to be fatal as the Badgers fell to the Penn State Nittany Lions, 6-2, on Saturday night at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin (11-16-3, 6-13-1 Big Ten – 24 points) opened the scoring 11:57 into the first period on a shot from Kyle Kukkonen. Penn State (14-11-3, 5-10-3 Big Ten – 20 points) responded 14:58 into the frame before adding another goal 6:36 into the second to take a 2-1 lead. PSU made it a 3-1 game 4:49 into the third period before Ryland Mosley scored another power-play goal for Wisconsin to cut the Nittany Lions’ lead in half. Penn State then struck three more times in the final 7:16 of the third, twice on the power play and once short-handed into the empty net, to take home a 6-2 victory and the series sweep.
How it Happened
Wisconsin got on the board first, 11:57 into the first period on a power-play goal from junior forward Kukkonen. At the middle of the blue line, freshman defenseman Logan Hensler took a shot, which hit graduate student defenseman Owen Lindmark in the foot. Kukkonen found the rebound and shot the puck past PSU goaltender Aresenii Sergeev to score his eighth goal of the year.
Penn State tied the game at one, 14:58 into the opening frame after Cade Christenson beat UW senior goaltender Tommy Scarfone.
Reese Laubach helped PSU take a 2-1 lead 6:36 into the second period.
Laubach scored his second goal of the night 4:49 in the third period to make it 3-1, Nittany Lions.
Graduate student forward Mosley cut the deficit in half 6:26 into the third on the power play. Scarfone possessed the puck behind the Badgers’ net and sent a long pass to freshman forward Gavin Morrissey at the left side of the Penn State blue line. Morrissey then rushed the puck into the zone, skating to the bottom of the circle before passing up to Mosley near the slot, who fired a shot home to tally his 13th goal of the year.
PSU then scored two power-play goals, one at 12:44 into the third and another 15:08 into the third with a five-on-three advantage, to extend its lead to three.
The Nittany Lions added a short-handed empty-net goal with 2:19 remaining to take home a 6-2 victory.
Wisconsin went 2-for-4 on the power play and 5-for-7 on the penalty kill. UW finished the contest with a 41-22 advantage in shots on goal.
Notes to know:
– Goaltender Tommy Scarfone tallied his first career point. It marked the first point for a UW goaltender since Jared Moe notched an assist vs. Lindenwood on Nov. 19, 2022
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