Penn State had the power-play production, a two-goal night from Shea Busch and a chance to turn an encouraging start into a much-needed home victory.
What it didn’t have was a finish.
Notre Dame erased a two-goal deficit and handed the Nittany Lions a 5-4 overtime loss Friday at Pegula Ice Arena, with Evan Werner scoring the winner to cap three unanswered Fighting Irish goals.
Penn State fell to 2-6-1 overall after playing beyond regulation for the fourth consecutive game.
For the second straight outing, overtime ended with the Nittany Lions watching their opponent celebrate.
This one will sting because of how much Penn State did well before letting it slip away.
The Nittany Lions converted twice on three power-play opportunities and added a shorthanded goal. Busch scored his first two collegiate goals, while Justin Poirier and Lev Katzin each contributed a goal and an assist.
But that production couldn’t overcome the problems around Penn State’s net, where rebounds and redirections helped Notre Dame work its way back.
Penn State opened with energy, winning races to loose pucks and moving the puck crisply through the offensive zone. Passes found sticks, possessions developed into pressure, and the Nittany Lions looked comfortable dictating the early pace.
Notre Dame scored first anyway.
Hagen Burrows redirected a Paul Fischer shot past Ryder Fetterolf, giving the Fighting Irish an early advantage despite Penn State’s promising start.
The Nittany Lions answered through their power play.
Poirier pulled Penn State even with a sharp-angle shot over Patrick Quinlan’s blocker, finding room high in the net when there appeared to be little available.
Another Notre Dame penalty brought another opportunity, and Penn State again made it count.
Poirier delivered a cross-crease pass to Katzin, who finished from the circle for his first goal of the season. The sequence rewarded the puck movement that had stood out from the opening minutes and sent Penn State into the first intermission ahead 2-1.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.The lead didn’t survive long into the second.
Within the opening three minutes, a shot glanced off Fetterolf’s glove and dropped near the crease. Dashel Oliver finished the loose puck, bringing Notre Dame even and exposing the net-front trouble that would follow Penn State throughout the night.
Busch supplied an immediate answer.
Nolan Collins put a shot on goal during a rush, and Busch collected the rebound to score his first collegiate goal and restore Penn State’s lead.
His second came courtesy of a Notre Dame mistake.
With Penn State shorthanded, Quinlan left the puck behind his net for a teammate. Busch reached it instead, stealing possession and wrapping the puck into the vacated goal for a 4-2 advantage.
Penn State had breathing room, but couldn’t keep it.
Brennan Ali’s power-play goal late in the second period changed the feel of the game heading into intermission. His shot from near the blue line found its way through, cutting Notre Dame’s deficit to one.
Danny Nelson completed the comeback midway through the third, redirecting a puck into the upper portion of the net to make it 4-4.
The crowd remained engaged, but the Nittany Lions’ two-goal cushion was gone. Once again, regulation would not be enough.
Werner delivered the final blow in overtime, finishing a sequence assisted by Nelson and Fischer to give Notre Dame the victory.
For Penn State, the offensive progress was real. So was the opportunity lost.
A productive power play and Busch’s breakthrough gave the Nittany Lions enough offense to win. Their inability to protect the front of the net, and ultimately a two-goal lead, left them with another frustrating result in a season already carrying too many of them.
