Sacred Heart pulled away from Penn State with a 6-3 win on Saturday night in Tempe, Arizona, handing the Nittany Lions their second straight loss to start the season. The Pioneers dominated much of the game and outshot Penn State 41-26, exposing defensive lapses and early struggles in goal for Ryder Fetterolf, who made his first career start.
The game began with Penn State holding off an early Sacred Heart goal by Michael Rubin that was called back for offside. This moment briefly energized the Nittany Lions, who fired four quick shots, but Sacred Heart maintained control, outshooting Penn State 13-5 in the opening period. Despite the pressure, neither team scored in the first 20 minutes.
Sacred Heart’s dominance continued into the second period as Landen Gunderson broke through with a goal at 12:27, followed by Taos Jordan’s unassisted tally at 16:34. A costly Penn State turnover near the net allowed Jordan to extend the lead to 2-0. Minutes later, Emmanuel Vermette capitalized on a puck that deflected off an official to make it 3-0 going into the final break.
Penn State’s offense finally came alive early in the third period. Kale Dach struck first with a rebound goal at 3:17, followed by Justin Larose’s lacrosse-style wraparound just 21 seconds later. Dane Dowiak then tied the game at 3-3 with a goal at 4:44, showing a brief spark of hope for the Nittany Lions.
Sacred Heart regained control midway through the period when Gunderson completed his second goal on an odd-man rush at 9:17. Penn State pushed hard for another equalizer but could not find the net again. Jake Bongo and Aiden VanRooyan each scored empty-net goals late to seal the 6-3 victory for Sacred Heart.
Ryder Fetterolf showed promise in goal despite facing a barrage of shots and little defensive support. The Penn State defense struggled with zone coverage and turnovers, a recurring issue that affected the team’s chances throughout the game.
Penn State’s offense had moments of sharpness but was inconsistent, taking 26 shots on goal in total against the Atlantic Hockey Association opponent. The team appears to be adjusting to 12 new players, and finding offensive rhythm remains a challenge.
The Nittany Lions will return to Pegula Ice Arena for their home opener against Quinnipiac with puck drop scheduled for 7 pm. Their 0-2 start leaves pressure on the team to improve quickly as the season progresses.
According to Yahoo Sports.