Notre Dame Hockey: Irish Overpower Penn State Nittany Lions 5-3

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish finished their series against the Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday in South Bend with a 5-3 win. While Penn State rallied in the final period in Friday’s series opener, it was the Irish who turned on the jets in the third to lock in a win.

First Period

The Nittany Lions went after it on offense in the first twenty minutes, and nearly tripled Notre Dame’s 5 shots in the period with 13 of their own. However, it was the Irish who got on the board first with a goal from Ryder Rolston about halfway through the first. The period allowed a power play opportunity for each squad with a slashing call on Notre Dame’s Drew Bavaro and an elbowing penalty on Penn State’s Jimmy Dowd Jr., but neither team capitalized.

Second Period

Penn State’s Kevin Wall tied it up with his team’s first goal of the night as the second period reached its halfway point. However, Notre Dame’s Justin Janicke had the last word of the period with a second Irish goal with less than a minute left in the second. This time around, the Nittany Lions doubled Notre Dame’s 8 shots with 16.

Third Period

Following an interference penalty on Penn State’s Jimmy Dowd Jr., Notre Dame’s Jackson Pierson snagged his first goal of the season on the power play and set off a chain reaction in his team’s favor. A goal from Jack Adams and another with an empty net from Landon Slaggert followed to bring it to five Irish goals.

As the clock ran down on the third, the Nittany Lions reacted to the burst of Irish energy with one goal from Connor McMenamin and another from Christian Sarlo, but the Irish had already locked it in and the game ended 5-3, Notre Dame.

Game Summary

Scoring

Notre Dame: Ryder Rolston at 10:18 in the 1st with assists from Nick Leivermann and Chase Blackmun

Penn State: Kevin Wall at 07:36 in the 2nd with an assist from Connor MacEachern

Notre Dame: Justin Janicke at 0:48 in the 2nd with an assist from Tyler Carpenter

Notre Dame: Jackson Pierson at 11:20 in the 3rd with assists from Drew Bavaro and Trevor Janicke

Notre Dame: Jack Adams at 06:02 in the 3rd with an assist from Justin Janicke

Notre Dame: Landon Slaggert at 03:43 in the 3rd with assists from Chayse Primeau and Nick Leivermann

Penn State: Connor McMenamin at 02:48 in the 3rd with an assist from Connor MacEachern

Penn State: Christian Sarlo at 01:01 in the 3rd with assists from Ryan Kirwan and Ben Schoen

Penalties

Notre Dame: Drew Bavaro for slashing at 06:02 in the 1st

Penn State: Jimmy Dowd Jr. for elbowing at 04:01 in the 1st

Notre Dame: Solag Bakich for roughing at 12:54 in the 1st

Notre Dame: Ryan Helliwell for interference at 07:24 in the 1st

Penn State: Jimmy Dowd Jr. for interference at 13:19 in the 3rd

Notre Dame: Solag Bakich for roughing at 01:11 in the 3rd

Notre Dame: Jesse Lansdell for interference at 00:13 in the 3rd

Notre Dame: Jesse Lansdell for roughing after whistle at 00:13 in the 3rd

Notre Dame: Jesse Lansdell for roughing after whistle at 00:13 in the 3rd, misconduct

Penn State: Connor MacEachern for roughing after whistle at 00:13 in the 3rd

Penn State: Connor MacEachern for roughing after whistle at 00:13 in the 3rd, misconduct

Goalies

Notre Dame: Ryan Bischel, 47 saves

Penn State: Liam Souliere, 17 saves

Moving Forward

The Irish will take on the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks at 5:00 Saturday, December 31 in South Bend. Stream the game with Peacock.

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