Penn State men’s hockey sweeps Ohio State, first Big Ten opponent of season
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State completed a Big Ten sweep at Ohio State, claiming two ranked wins.
- DiMarsico and Wiebusch led offense with power-play goals and primary assists.
- Dane Dowiak scored an insurance goal; Penn State defended to close out in Columbus.
After a comeback victory in Game 1 on Thursday night, Penn State men’s hockey returned to the Schottenstein Center for the series finale against No. 17 Ohio State. With a win, the Nittany Lions would sweep their first Big Ten opponent and head home with two ranked wins.
To the glee of the Roar Zone members in attendance, Penn State defeated the Buckeyes 4-3 behind another great performance Friday from the Nittany Lions’ top scorers.
“Anytime you win in the Big Ten, you did a heck of a job. Anytime you sweep, it’s very difficult,” coach Guy Gadowsky said postgame. “Sweep on the road, it doesn’t happen a lot, so you should feel really good about it.”
On Thursday, it was Ohio State that jumped out to an early 2-0 lead off its first two shots of the game. Game 2 was a bit of a different story, with Penn State tallying a quick two goal lead in the first seven minutes of the first period.
The first came off the stick of Jackson Smith on the Nittany Lions’ first power play. The one-timer was initially ruled as a no-goal, but Gadowsky was quick to challenge, and the refs saw what Penn State did, overturning the call on the ice.
“We knew with the sound (it was a goal),” Gadowsky said. “Everybody knew.”
Junior Matt DiMarsico scored the second goal for Penn State on its second power play of the evening. He was assisted by his linemates JJ Wiebusch and Charlie Cerrato, a common occurrence as the three have taken college hockey by storm to start the season.
DiMarsico isn’t usually on the first power play unit, as star forward Aiden Fink is usually there filling one of the five spots. But with Fink out injured, DiMarsico slid into that top group and made his presence felt.
“He’s an unbelievable player,” Gadowsky said. “He’d be on the first power play unit on any team in the nation, other than the one right now. And he came in and did a heck of a job.”
The Nittany Lions couldn’t keep their momentum up, however, with Ohio State finding its groove a few minutes after DiMarsico’s score. A neutral zone turnover by Penn State set up the Buckeyes with a prime chance to get within one, and they delivered, with Adam Eisele sneaking one past Josh Fleming.
A slashing penalty by Lev Katzin gave Ohio State its first power play and an opportunity to tie the game at two. Felix Caron did just that, and the score remained 2-2 at the end of the first period.
The second period was much less action-packed, with the first real scoring chance for either team coming halfway into the period after Penn State was awarded a power play. The Nittany Lions had a few good chances in front of the net, but they couldn’t convert any, keeping it 2-2.
Penn State’s second power play of the period ended with a much better result, as DiMarsico found Wiebusch in front of the net to give the Nittany Lions the 3-2 lead with under four minutes remaining in the second frame.
Dane Dowiak doubled Penn State’s lead three minutes later on a rocket from the right dot into the top-right corner of the net, marking the captain’s fourth goal of the season and second of the series.
The third period was quiet with neither team having much to show for it outside a few power play opportunities for both squads. Penn State especially had a few close chances, as Wiebusch overshot a wide-open net before Gavin McKenna rung a shot off the crossbar a few minutes later.
With four minutes left, Ohio State pulled its goalie in hopes of attempting a two-goal comeback. The Buckeyes had a few great chances with the extra man, and eventually broke through with 14.7 seconds left in the game to pull within one.
In the end, Penn State stood tall and left Columbus with a 4-3 win, a series sweep and a conference-best 9-1 overall record.
Penn State is back in action next weekend as it faces Michigan State in East Lansing for a two-game series. There, the Nittany Lions will look to extend a seven-game win streak against the No. 1 team in the country.
“Gonna enjoy it tonight, watch the tape and get ready for the next series,” Gadowsky said. “But really, every time you play in the Big Ten, you’re going to be playing a great team, so you’re going to have to learn from the weekend before. There’s a few things that we can learn from.”