Knuble’s shootout ‘goal’ gives Irish another point after 3-3 overtime tie at Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Promising freshman center Cole Knuble still has not officially scored a point for Notre Dame’s hockey team this season, but he finally ended his scoring skid against No. 17 Penn State in the Big Ten hockey opening game for both Saturday night.

Huh, you ask?

Knuble “scored” the only goal in the shootout round —shootout goals do not count in official statistics — when he beat Penn State goaltender Noah Grannan and then watched as Irish goaltender Ryan Bischel denied Dylan Lugris’ tying attempt, giving coach Jeff Jackson’s Fighting Irish a 1-0 shootout victory after the teams played to a 3-3 overtime tie before an overflowing partisan crowd of 6,499 at the Pegula Ice Arena.

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Freshman Maddox Fleming got the game-tying goal at 10:58 of the third period with the Irish (4-3-1, 0-0-1 Big Ten) skating with a 5-on-3 power-play advantage against coach Guy Gadowsky’s Nittany Lions (5-2-1, 0-0-1 Big Ten). Senior defenseman Drew Bavaro and freshman center Danny Nelson received assists on the goal.

The Irish twice led the game early. Freshman left wing Brennan Ali scored his second goal of the season at 1:35 of the opening period for a 1-0 Irish lead. But Danny Dzhaniyev tied it at 17:50 for Penn State.

In the second period, Notre Dame grad forward Trevor Janicke put the Irish up 2-1 with a power-play goal at 6:37. But the Nittany Lions countered with goals by Lugris (13:00) and Xander Lamppa (16:50) for a 3-2 Penn State lead heading into the third period.

The Irish then dominated the final 20 minutes and overtime which began with the teams skating three aside before a Penn State boarding penalty to Lamppa late gave the Irish a 4-on-3 power-play to end the five-minute session. But Bavaro hit the pipe with a shot at 4:37 before Nelson and Janicke were denied by Grannan in the final seconds.

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Bischel finished with 28 saves, two more than Grannan.

The teams complete their series Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.

NOTRE DAME 3, PENN STATE 3 (OT)

(Notre Dame wins shootout, 1-0)

At Pegula Ice Arena, University Park, Pa.

Notre Dame | 1 | 1 | 1| 0—3

Penn State | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0—3

First Period—Scoring: 1. Notre Dame, Brennan Ali 2 (Michael Mastrodomenico, Grant Silianoff) EV 1:35; 2. Penn State, Danny Dzhaniyev 4 (Tanner Palocsik, Xander Lamppa) EV 17:50. Penalties: Notre Dame 1-2, Penn State 1-2.

Second Period—Scoring: 3. Notre Dame, Trevor Janicke 2 (Hunter Strand, Ryan Siedem) PP 6:37; 4. Penn State, Dylan Lugris (Tanner Palocsik, Xander Lamppa) PP 13:00; 5. Penn State, Xander Lamppa 1 (Danny Dzhaniuev) EV 16:50. Penalties: Notre Dame 3-6 (4-8), Penn State 3-6 (4-8).

Third Period—Scoring: 6. Notre Dame, Maddox Fleming 1 (Drew Bavaro, Danny Nelson) PP 10:58. Penalties: Notre Dame 0-0 (4-8), Penn State 2-4 (7-14).

Overtime—Scoring: None. Penalties: Notre Dame 0-0 (4-8), Penn State 2-12 (9-26).

Shootout—1. Notre Dame, Patrick Moynihan (Noah Grannan save); 2. Penn State, Danny Dzhaniyev (Ryan Bischel save); 3. Notre Dame, Maddox Fleming (wide); 4. Penn State, Ryan Kirwan (Bischel save); 5. Notre Dame, Cole Knuble (goal); 6. Penn State, Dylan Lugris (Bischel save).

Shots on goal: Notre Dame 29 (11-7-8-3), Penn State 31 (12-10-9-0). Goalie saves: Notre Dame, Ryan Bischel 28 (11-8-9-0), Penn State, Noah Grannan 26 (10-6-7-3).

Power-play opportunities: Notre Dame 2 of 9, Penn State 1 of 4. Faceoffs won: Notre Dame 38 (12-12-11-3), Penn State 33 (11-14-6-2). Blocked shots: Notre Dame 13 (4-6-3-0), Penn State 10 (3-1-6-0).

Referees: Andrew Bruggeman and Kevin Corbett. Linesmen: Bill Hancock and John Waleski. A—6,499 (5,704). Records: Notre Dame 4-3-1, 0-0-1 Big Ten; Penn State 5-2-1, 0-0-1 Big Ten.

Box Score: Notre 3, Penn State 3 (ND wins in shootout)

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame hockey tops Penn State in shootout in Big Ten Conference play