Michigan State hockey starts final home weekend with 4-2 win over No. 16 Penn State
EAST LANSING – The Michigan State hockey team topped No. 16 Penn State, 4-2, on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena in the first of a two-game series between the teams this weekend.
The Spartans’ KHL line - Patrick Khodorenko, Taro Hirose and Mitchell Lewandowski – combined for seven points in the victory, while John Lethemon made 26 saves. Lewandowski scored the second and third MSU goals – both set up by Khodorenko and Hirose, while Hirose added an empty-netter to seal the win in the closing minutes.
The Spartans (11-18-2, 5-14-2-1) never trailed as Brody Stevens scored the first goal of his career 2:15 into the game to give MSU a 1-0 advantage. Tommy Miller stole the puck from a Penn State player along the boards in the MSU zone and hit Stevens with a pass as he headed up ice. Stevens skated untouched through the neutral zone and all the way below the right faceoff dot where he let go a wrist shot that beat goaltender Peyton Jones.
“I thought our guys were ready right from the get-go,” MSU coach Danton Cole said. “That was the thing we were most happy about is that we got off to a good start. One went in early, which was nice, and it was a great play by Brody.”
After Penn State tied the game at the 5:54 mark of the first on a goal by Nate Sucese, the Spartans reclaimed the lead just prior to midway point of the period courtesy of the KHL line. Hirose pushed the puck from low in the right corner to Khodorenko, who was below the goal line. Khodorenko skated further behind the net and then sent a no-look forehand pass to Lewandowski, who was just off the right post and ripped the puck into the top corner.
“It was nice to see Lewy get a couple of goals," Cole said. "Not that it was a drought, but confidence-wise it was good for a couple to go in. If he can get on another heater here it’d be good for the team.”
The Spartans withstood heavy pressure from the Nittany Lions and extinguished back-to-back Penn State power plays in the first half of the second period to maintain their one-goal advantage. MSU then made good on their own man-advantage with 5:34 to go in the middle stanza to extend the lead to 3-1.
MSU got its third power play of the game with just over five minutes to play in the period and it took just six seconds for the KHL line to combine for another goal and make it 3-1. After Hirose kept the puck in the zone off a faceoff win in the left circle, Khodorenko got control of it quickly swung it behind is back to Lewandowski on the right. Lewandowski one-timed the backhand pass upstairs for his second goal of the game and 17th of the season.
“I was hoping we’d get one on the power play because we haven’t had a lot lately,” Cole said. “It was nice to see them get rewarded.”
MSU killed another penalty early in the third, but PSU eventually made it a one-goal game with 3:02 to play as Nikita Pavlychev scored on the man-advantage and the goaltender pulled to make it 3-2.
After several attempts at the open PSU net that resulted in icings and faceoffs in the MSU end, Hirose finally sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:30 to go in the game.
“We didn’t panic,” Cole said. “We kept winning draws, covering and blocking shots and did a good job with it.”
Lethemon turned away all 13 Penn State shots in the second period and seven of eight in the third. MSU finished with a 30-28 edge in shots on goal.
The two teams will complete the two games series on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Munn. MSU will honor its senior class prior to the game at approximately 4:40 p.m
- MSU Athletic Communications