For the opening 10 minutes Friday night, Penn State looked like a team ready to put its early-season struggles behind it.
By the end of the first period, the Nittany Lions were chasing the game.
No. 8 Quinnipiac erased a two-goal deficit with six unanswered goals, including four on the power play, to hand Penn State a 6-3 defeat in its home opener at Pegula Ice Arena.
The loss dropped Penn State to 0-3-0, marking just the second time in the program’s 15-year NCAA Division I history that it has opened a season with three consecutive defeats. The only other occurrence came during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.
For a team replacing 13 players from last season, Friday offered another reminder that promising stretches mean little without consistency over 60 minutes.
Penn State couldn’t have asked for a much better opening.
Freshman Justin Larose gave the Nittany Lions their first lead of the season just 4:36 into the contest.
Junior Nick Fascia poked the puck through Quinnipiac’s defense, springing Larose on a breakaway. The freshman patiently moved from his forehand to his backhand before lifting the puck over goaltender Christian Kirsch.
Kale Dach also earned an assist on the play.
Penn State doubled its advantage at 9:53 when senior defenseman Mac Gadowsky collected a bouncing puck between the circles and fired a wrist shot past Kirsch’s glove.
Kaden Pitre and Lev Katzin assisted on Gadowsky’s first goal of the season.
With a 2-0 lead less than halfway through the opening period, Penn State appeared positioned to make an early statement against a nationally ranked opponent.
Instead, penalties and defensive breakdowns quickly changed the direction of the game.
Quinnipiac’s Antonin Verreault capitalized on a power play at 11:02, collecting a rebound after Penn State goaltender Josh Fleming stopped consecutive opportunities from Chris Pelosi.
Just 2:20 later, Ethan Wyttenbach slipped behind Penn State’s defense and lifted a backhander over Fleming’s pad to tie the game.
The Bobcats completed their first-period comeback with 52 seconds remaining.
Mason Marcellus finished a passing sequence with Aaron Schwartz during another Quinnipiac power play, giving the visitors a 3-2 advantage entering the intermission.
Penn State had surrendered three goals in just over eight minutes, turning an encouraging start into another uphill battle.
Quinnipiac continued exploiting Penn State’s penalty kill in the second period.
Jack Stockfish extended the lead to 4-2 at 6:02, blasting a one-timer from the point for the Bobcats’ third power-play goal.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.The Nittany Lions had opportunities to respond, including two second-period power plays, but couldn’t solve Kirsch.
Quinnipiac delivered another damaging blow with just 14 seconds remaining in the period.
Markus Vidicek finished a passing sequence involving Wyttenbach and Marcellus, sending the Bobcats into the second intermission holding a commanding 5-2 advantage.
The visitors weren’t finished.
Graham Sward scored Quinnipiac’s fourth power-play goal at 10:42 of the third period, extending the advantage to 6-2.
The numbers illustrated Penn State’s problems.
Quinnipiac finished 4-for-7 on the power play, while Penn State converted just once in four opportunities.
The Bobcats also controlled the shot differential, outshooting the Nittany Lions 46-33.
Fleming finished with 40 saves, including 14 in the third period, but Penn State’s defensive breakdowns and penalty trouble repeatedly left him facing difficult situations.
Penn State finally ended Quinnipiac’s six-goal run when sophomore Luke Misa scored at 12:57 of the third period.
Misa carried the puck coast-to-coast before collecting his own rebound and beating Kirsch for his first goal of the season.
The power-play tally was Penn State’s first through three games.
Defenseman Jackson Smith and Fleming earned assists.
Kirsch finished with 30 saves, improving to 3-0-0, while Fleming fell to 0-2-0.
Wyttenbach led Quinnipiac with a goal and two assists, while Marcellus contributed a goal and two assists.
Quinnipiac improved to 4-1-0 and remained unbeaten in two all-time meetings with Penn State.
For the Nittany Lions, the concern extends beyond another defeat.
Penn State demonstrated it can generate offense against a top-10 opponent. What it hasn’t demonstrated is an ability to sustain that performance while limiting costly mistakes.
Three games into the season, that remains the challenge facing Guy Gadowsky’s rebuilt roster.
