UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Peyton Jones stared up at the video board, trying to figure how the puck squirted through his legs and into the net.
That goal gave No. 2 Notre Dame a 5-3 lead in the third period, one the Fighting Irish wouldn't relinquish as Penn State's home crowd was silenced. On a night where the No. 17 Nittany Lions (13-12-4, 6-9-4-2 Big Ten) had everything to gain, a trip up the Pairwise rankings was not in the cards as Penn State's 2-0 first-period lead was quickly forgotten.
"Other than the result it was a great night," Guy Gadowsky said. "Excellent team, phenomenal atmosphere and I just feel really bad that we couldn't pull this one off."
This game also spoke to the strength of this conference, one that will continue to give Penn State ample opportunities in terms of quality opponents that ultimately could lead to more NCAA appearances, but the Big Ten is a talented, jumbled mess. When it comes time for the conference tournament next month anyone can win it. In spurts Friday night the Lions certainly looked like they could hang.
"I thought we played them really well for spurts of time. I think we proved we can play with them,"said Chase Berger, who scored two goals. "You can't be really good for three quarters of a game or good teams are going to capitalize on that. I guess they showed us that if you want to beat them you've got to beat them for 60 minutes."
With six Big Ten teams in the top-20 in the Pairwise rankings the margin of error will be so small on any night, a lesson Penn State learned within the past month as Gadowsky’s team is now winless in the past six games. That lesson was magnified again Friday night against Notre Dame (21-5-1, 15-2-0-0), another blow to the Lions' season, this one coming with extra heartache after Penn State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period.
“You can play well and lose in this league right now,” Gadowsky said this week. “It’s a benefit in the long run because it makes it very difficult to end up making the tournament as an at-large team though because the margin is so, so slim where you can play well and lose but we wouldn't want it any other way.”
That benefit might be hard for Penn State to see after Notre Dame rallied to drop the Lions on their home ice in front of a White-Out crowd.
The Lions looked poised to climb in the Pairwise rankings -- where the Irish are ranked No. 1 -- during the first period Friday night as the Pegula Ice Arena crowd was amped up and had their white pom-poms out for Notre Dame’s first visit to Happy Valley since the Irish joined the Big Ten.
Alec Marsh put the Lions on the board first, getting the just settled into their seats crowd on their feet with his second goal of the season. Marsh’s goal, with 12:29 left in the first period, was followed up by one from Berger 12 minutes later.
A Penn State student flashed a sign that read 'grand opening' behind the Irish goaltender after the Lions jumped ahead two goals, but if anyone thought even for a minute that this one would be a runaway one way or the other they were mistaken. Shots were fired at both nets one after the other, each goaltender withstanding an ambush of 88 shots in all. The Lions held the edge with 51.
But, Penn State’s 2-0 lead after the first period was washed away within seven minutes of the second period as the Irish stormed back to tie the game and then added a third goal later in the period. It was a reminder to Gadowsky’s group that no lead is safe in this conference. That’s something the Lions experienced last weekend at Wisconsin too as they were hammered in the third period, surrendering another three-goal period.
Gadowsky said the team isn't "mentally tough enough" to have a short memory and rebound in these types of situations.
"In the last three games a couple leads have been blown in every game so I think we have to really learn how to not let our highs get too high and stay focused," said Andrew Sturtz, who had three assists.
As fans sporting gold and navy popped up around the arena to watch the Irish mount a comeback, the Lions rallied to the tune of another goal from Berger. And of course the Irish answered back, as was the theme of the night. With Jones caught leaning Notre Dame's Bo Brauer netted his third goal of the season, part of a wild second period where four goals were scored.
Notre Dame's Cale Morris recorded 48 saves, 21 of which came during the Lions' hot first period where a would've been third goal was wiped off the board after review.
There were lessons learned within the Lions' past three games, ones where Gadowsky has been pleased with the performance yet in this conference it just hasn't been enough. Friday night's first period according to Gadowsky might've been the team's best to date. That surpassed last Saturday's highlight period against the Badgers that again yielded the same result.
Perhaps this past month also provides a little more perspective about what Penn State was able to accomplish last season as the Lions surprised many in the conference by winning the Big Ten tournament and knocked on the door of a Frozen Four bid. Winning in this conference certainly isn't easy.
With the Irish in the mix now that only makes the Big Ten an even stronger force. The back-and-forth display Friday night likely was a preview of some intense Big Ten hockey that will be played between these two in the years to come.
"Tonight was a tale of two games," Gadowsky said. "But, we have a tremendous opportunity (Saturday). They are the No. 1 team in the nation in the Pairwise and we have a great opportunity ahead of us. We've got to forget this quickly and prepare to play our best game more consistently."
The Lions finish the two-game series at 4 p.m. Saturday in Pegula. Penn State is off next weekend and hits the road the following weekend for two games at Michigan State.
WORTH NOTING
• Denis Smirnov exited the game late in the third period and did not return. Gadowsky did not have an update on his availability for Saturday's game.