Penn State returns favor on Irish skaters with 1-0 shootout win after 2-2 overtime tie

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Notre Dame graduate goaltender Ryan Bischel showed off his All-America talents late Sunday afternoon at Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena with 47 saves against the Nittany Lions in their Big Ten hockey game.

Unfortunately for the Fighting Irish, the biggest save of the night belonged not to Penn State goalie Liam Souliere but to senior defenseman Christian Berger, who blocked a potential 35-foot attempt at the vacated net by Irish defenseman Zach Plucinski at 18:53 of regulation.

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

The Nittany Lions then got the game-tying goal by Dylan Lugris at 19:25 to complete a rally from a two-goal deficit. That sent the 2-2 game into a five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime period and an eventual shootout where senior center Xander Lamppa scored on Penn State’s third attempt to win 1-0 and earn the extra point.

Lamppa is the son of Brent Lamppa, who was a left wing for Notre Dame under coach Ric Schafer from 1991 through 1995. On his shootout attempt, Lamppa came into the zone to Bischel’s left, deked the Irish goalie onto his stomach and lifted the puck over him into the vacated net.

The two-point night by coach Guy Gadowsky’s Nittany Lions (5-2-2, 0-0-2 Big Ten for 3 points) came less than 24 hours after coach Jeff Jackson’s Irish (4-3-2, 0-0-2 Big Ten for 3 points) earned a 1-0 shootout victory and two points thanks to freshman Cole Knuble’s made shot.

Sunday, Bischel was brilliant throughout, making 20 saves during a scoreless first period as he and his teammates killed off three Penn State power-play opportunities. He then added another 12 saves in the second period as the Irish scored twice on 15 shots against Souliere, who would finish with 29 saves.

Senior defenseman Drew Bavaro (4:52) and graduate right wing Trevor Janicke (8:54) scored their third goals of the season to send the Irish into the third period ahead 2-0. But after a lengthy video review to determine if the Nittany Lions were onsides early in the third period, Penn State freshman right wing Aiden Fink was credited with a goal at 1:42 to end Bischel’s hopes for a third shutout this season.

The Irish held on to that lead despite Penn State owning a 42-27 edge in shots until Gadowsky pulled Souliere for a sixth attacker with 1:29 left in regulation. Then 20 seconds later, Plucinski head-manned a brief 3-on-2 Irish break into the Penn State zone and eyed the empty net. But Berger slid across to block the shot and the Nittany Lions eventually scored after a mad scramble that saw Ryan Kirwan knock Plucinski into Bischel while shooting the puck off the pipe. Lugris jumped on the rebound for the game-tying goal.

After a 20-8 edge in shots in the first period, Penn State kept up the pressure as the second period began. But Notre Dame finally broke through when Bavaro took a pass from blueline partner Paul Fischer and wristed a low shot through screens provided by Landon Slaggert and Patrick Moynihan to beat Souliere at 4:52.

Lamppa, who had a goal and two assists in Saturday’s game, and the 6,262 mostly partisan Penn State fans in the sold-out Pegula thought that he had tied Sunday’s game at 1-1 at 8:13, but the apparent goal was nullified by a whistle when an official thought Bischel’s helmet had been dislodged.

Forty-one seconds later, the Irish made it 2-0 when defenseman Michael Mastrodomenico fed Justin Janicke for a 2-on-1 break with his brother Trevor Janicke, whose mid-slot shot deflected off defenseman Dylan Gratton behind Souliere at 8:54.

Notre Dame returns home this Friday night at 7:30 and Saturday evening at 6 to play Big Ten opponent Ohio State.

PENN STATE 2, NOTRE DAME 2 (OT)

(Penn State wins shootout 1-0)

At Pegula Ice Arena, University Park, Pa.

Notre Dame | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0—2

Penn State | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0—2

First Period—Scoring: None. Penalties: Notre Dame 3-6, Penn State 0-0.

Second Period—Scoring: 1. Notre Dame, Drew Bavaro 3 (Paul Fischer, Danny Nelson) EV 4:52; 2. Notre Dame, Trevor Janicke 3 (Justin Janicke, Michael Mastrodomenico) EV 8:54. Penalties: Notre Dame 2-4 (5-10), Penn State 2-4 (2-4).

Third Period—Scoring: 3. Penn State, Aiden Fink 2 (Reese Laubach, Matt DiMarsico) EV 1:42; 4. Penn State, Dylan Lugris 4 (Ryan Kirwan, Danny Dzhaniyev) EV, EA 19:25. Penalties: Notre Dame 0-0 (5-10), Penn State 0-0 (2-4).

Overtime—Scoring: None. Penalties: Notre Dame 0-0 (5-10), Penn State 0-0 (2-4).

Shootout—1. Penn State, Jimmy Dowd Jr. (Ryan Bischel save); 2. Notre Dame, Cole Knuble (Liam Souliere save); 3. Penn State, Aiden Fink (Bischel save); 4. Notre Dame, Hunter Strand (miss); 5. Penn State, Xander Lamppa (goal); 6. Notre Dame, Maddox Fleming (miss). (Penn State wins 1-0).

Shots on goal: Notre Dame 31 (8-15-5-3), Penn State 49 (20-12-13-4). Goalie saves: Notre Dame, Ryan Bischel 47 (20-12-11-4), Penn State, Liam Souliere 29 (8-13-5-3). Power-play opportunities: Notre Dame 0 of 1, Penn State 0 of 4.

Faceoffs won: Notre Dame 37 (9-13-13-2), Penn State 34 (10-13-9-2). Blocked shots: Notre Dame 18 (3-6-8-1), Penn State 10 (5-1-3-1).

Referees: Andrew Bruggeman and Kevin Corbett. Linesmen: Bill Hancock and John Waleski. A—6,262 (5,704). Records: Notre Dame 4-3-2, 0-0-2 Big Ten for 3 points; Penn State 5-2-2, 0-0-2 Big Ten for 3 points.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame hockey falls to Penn State in shootout for weekend split