Michigan
Penn State
Michigan's Offense on Display in Win Over No. 6 Penn State
12/6/2019 11:45:00 PM | Ice Hockey
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: Michigan 4, #6 Penn State 1
Records: U-M (6-9-2, 2-6-1-0 B1G), PSU (11-5-0, 6-3-0-0 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 7 -- vs. No. 6 Penn State (Yost Ice Arena), 7:30 p.m.
» Luke Morgan is the first Wolverine to score short-handed goals in back-to-back games since Scott Matzka in March 2000.
» Friday's #ICEALS game was played in honor of the late Matzka.
» Michigan has won the last nine meetings against Penn State at Yost, keeping the Nittany Lions without a win in Ann Arbor since 2014.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Wolverines scored short-handed, on the power play, at full strength and into an empty net to lift the University of Michigan ice hockey team to a 4-1 win over No. 6-ranked Penn State on Friday night (Dec. 6) at Yost Ice Arena.
After failing to convert on its first power play, Michigan was challenged to kill off a penalty of its own. After barely clearing the puck out of the defensive zone, sophomore Garrett Van Wyhe applied pressure on a Penn State defenseman. Van Wyhe then sticked the puck to a streaking Luke Morgan, who nailed his second short-handed goal in the last two games, with Van Wyhe assisting on both.
It was only appropriate on #ICEALS night, as the last Wolverine to score two short-handed goals in consecutive games was the late Scott Matzka, who lost his battle with ALS in 2018.
The Wolverines showed no shortage of energy coming out of the first intermission and found themselves leading 2-0 midway through the second period. Freshman Eric Ciccolini and junior Dakota Raabe set up freshman Johnny Beecher for a breakaway. Shifting the puck side to side, he then slid it in between the wickets of Jones.
The third period showed much of the same for the Wolverines.
Freshman defenseman Cam York pushed Michigan ahead, 3-0, with a power-play goal, his fourth goal of the season. Senior Jake Slaker passed the puck to Jacob Hayhurst, who was positioned just beneath the circle. Hayhurst read the pursuing attackers and slid a far-side pass to York, who wristed the puck on net, but a quick glove from Jones knocked it out of the air. The puck went right back to York on the rebound and York put just enough on the puck to light the lamp for the Wolverines.
The Nittany Lions pulled their goalie with over six minutes remaining in the game, but Slaker capitalized on a loose puck and collected his second point of the night to amke the score, 4-0, at 15:08 of the third period.
Junior Strauss Mann was solid in goal with 34 saves and nearly had a shutout before it was spoiled by an Alex Limoges goal on a stretch pass from Evan Bell at 17:49.
Michigan's 4-1 victory over Penn State represents its ninth straight win at home against the Nittany Lions. Penn State's last victory at Yost Arena was Nov. 21, 2014.
Michigan will finish its series with No. 6 Penn State on Saturday (Dec. 7) with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. at Yost Ice Arena. The series finale will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
