Wildcats play Nittany Lions to 5-5 tie
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Pa. — The Northern Michigan University hockey team won an exhibition shootout after tying at Penn State, 5-5, in the finale of their non conference matchup Saturday at the Pegula Ice Arena.
The tie moves NMU to 9-9-6 while the Nittany Lions moved to 12-7-4.
The Wildcats won the four-round exhibition shootout 3-2 on goals from sophomore Casey Purpur, freshman Robbie Payne and sophomore Dominik Shine following the game.
NMU started with a three-goal first period to open the game in convincing fashion.
Shine redirected a rebound from his previous shot to put NMU on the board at 9:57 of the first. NMU freshman defenseman Zach Urban recorded his first Wildcat point on the assist.
Senior forward Ryan Kesti extended the Wildcats lead to 2-0 on an even-strength goal at the 14:42 mark of the first. Urban and Payne assisted on the score.
Urban then extended the NMU lead on assists from sophomore forward Gerard Hanson and junior forward Darren Nowick in the final minute of the period (19:11), scoring his first Wildcat goal. NMU was outshot 20-8 in the first period.
Penn State got on the board when Eric Sheid scored on an assist by Dylan Richard at 12:31 of the second. It marked the second short handed goal of the series for PSU.
Senior forward Reed Seckel gave NMU a 4-1 lead when he scored on an assist from Kesti just 2:30 later. It was Seckel’s fourth goal of the season.
PSU managed to score two more second period goals when Ricky DeRosa scored at 17:52 on assists from Patrick Koudys and David Thompson. Sheid scored his second of the game on an assist from Conway in the final minute (19:19) of the period. PSU outshot NMU 24-9 in the second period but the Wildcats took a 4-3 lead into the second intermission.
Penn State tied the game when Tommy Olzyck scored on assists from Max Gardiner and Connor Varley at the 3:09 mark of the second period.
Nowick one-timed in a laser of a shot on assists from freshman forward Zach Diamantoni and senior defenseman Jake Baker to retake a one-goal lead 5-4 at the 6:55 mark of the third period.
Richard evened the game at 5-5 after redirecting a ricochet of save. Scheid and Conway recorded assists on the play at the 13:28 mark of the third.
The game went to overtime where NMU outshot the Nittany Lions 5-3 but the game ended in a tie.
Sophomore goalie Mathias Dahlstrom recorded 39 saves in net for NMU playing the first and third periods and :36 of the second. Junior Michael Doan made 20 saves in net for NMU playing most of the rest of the second period.
NMU was outshot int he game 64-29 while NMU went 1-5 on the power play and were 6-6 on the penalty kill.
NMU returns home to host Alaska-Anchorage in a WCHA series at the Berry Events Center. Puck drop both nights are set for 7:07 p.m.
(Information Courtesy of NMU Athletics)