Penn State needed a little extra time Saturday night, but freshman defenseman Jackson Smith made sure the Nittany Lions finished their weekend on a winning note.
Smith scored a power-play goal just 15 seconds into overtime, lifting Penn State to a 3-2 victory over Canisius at Pegula Ice Arena.
The Nittany Lions overcame a 2-1 deficit entering the third period, getting the equalizer from Justin Poirier before Smith delivered the winner.
Goaltender Ryder Fetterolf played an important role in the comeback, keeping Penn State within striking distance after Canisius erased an early deficit with two second-period goals.
Penn State opened the scoring at 16:19 of the first period when Mac Gadowsky found the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage. Kieran Pitre and Michael Mignosa collected assists on the goal.
The Nittany Lions generated several opportunities throughout the opening period but struggled to solve Canisius goaltender John Lisson, who turned aside multiple scoring chances to keep the Golden Griffins within one.
Canisius responded in the second period, gradually shifting momentum despite Penn State continuing to generate offensive opportunities.
Defenseman David Elmy tied the game at 15:18, beating Fetterolf with assists from Caden Gordon and Jackson Henneberry.
The Golden Griffins weren’t finished.
Just 2:27 later, Ryan Chiddenton scored at 17:45, converting a power-play opportunity to give Canisius its first lead of the night. Hudson Price assisted on the goal.
Penn State entered the second intermission trailing 2-1 despite generating consistent offensive pressure throughout the opening 40 minutes.
The third period became a test of patience for the Nittany Lions, who needed to find a way past Lisson while avoiding the defensive mistakes that allowed Canisius to take control.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Poirier provided the answer.
At 5:59 of the third period, the Maine transfer scored the equalizer, finishing a sequence set up by Nolan Collins and Pitre to bring Penn State even at 2-2.
The goal gave the Nittany Lions renewed momentum, but neither team could break the deadlock during regulation.
Penn State had to navigate multiple Canisius power plays during the final period, including a critical penalty kill after Evan Weber was whistled for tripping with 6:02 remaining.
The Nittany Lions survived the disadvantage and continued pushing for the winner.
A late penalty against Canisius defenseman Joey Gallucci for carrying more than one stick gave Penn State a significant opportunity, with the Golden Griffins assessed two minor penalties with 1:02 remaining.
Penn State couldn’t capitalize before regulation expired, sending the contest into overtime with a power-play opportunity still available.
The Nittany Lions needed only 15 seconds to finish the job.
After Canisius threatened immediately off the opening faceoff, Smith scored the game-winner at the other end, with Poirier and Fetterolf credited with assists.
Smith earned first-star honors, while Fetterolf was named the second star and Poirier received third-star recognition.
For Penn State, the victory represented a resilient response after surrendering an early advantage, with its freshman defenseman providing the decisive moment to complete the comeback.
