Penguins defense prospect Clayton Phillips scored his first goal of the season Tuesday night in Penn State's 7-3 loss to Wisconsin.
Phillips skated through the Wisconsin defense on the power play and put a shot over the glove of the Badgers' goaltender:
Phillips now has one goal and one assist through four games in his senior season.
Phillips, 21, was the Penguins' third-round pick in 2017. He began the 2017-18 season in the USHL committed to the University of Minnesota, and was began his collegiate career midseason when Minnesota brought him in early, looking to provide a spark to its offense. He only played 11 games that season but he burned his freshman year of eligibility.
In Phillips' first full collegiate season the following year, he played some top-pairing minutes and quarterbacked Minnesota's power play, and scored one goal and nine assists in 34 games. He transferred to Penn State that summer and was granted a one-time transfer exception that allowed him to begin playing for Penn State immediately, rather than sit out for a transfer year.
“Clayton is an elite skating defenseman who will add depth and experience to our roster with his previous NCAA participation,” Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said when Phillips transferred. “He moves pucks extremely well and likes to get up in the play, making him a great addition to our back end.”
Last season, Phillips scored two goals and seven assists in 27 games with Penn State.
Phillips will look to sign his first professional contract after his senior year ends and then presumably begin the 2021-22 season in the AHL. The Penguins only retain his exclusive signing rights until Aug. 15 , 2021, which means that if he does not receive an offer from the Penguins by then or if he wishes to enter the free agent market, he could wait until that date and be free to sign with any team.