Icers use Nine Goals to Cruise by Rhode Island

The Penn State Icers defeated the Rhode Island Rams 9-3 on Friday night at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion. The win brings the Icers record to 16-3-1 on the season.

The first period began with few scoring chances but plenty of hard hitting. Rhode Island started the trend early on, and Tommy Olczyk and Rich O’Brien were just a few of the Icers who were able to counter the Rams physical play. Penn State notched the game’s first goal when Dan Meiselman received a pass from Paul Daley off the faceoff and beat Rhode Island goalie Andrew Sherman top shelf at 10:58 to give the Icers a 1-0 lead. Daley’s assist was a special one, as the senior recorded his 100^th point as a Penn State hockey player. The Icers would add to their lead when Michael Longo found a trailing Michael McDonagh in the slot, who beat Sherman at 15:26 to make it 2-0. Rhode Island would cut the Penn State advantage to 2-1 just before the end of the period when Robert Beggi beat Penn State goalie Matt Madrazo top shelf at 18:48.

Penn State wasted no time once the second period started to get back on the board. After a Rhode Island penalty gave the Icers a power play towards the end of the first period, Olczyk played give-and-go with Justin Kirchhevel and beat Sherman on the doorstep to give Penn State a 3-1 lead just 58 seconds into the period. Rhode Island would quickly respond when A.J. Chua scored at 3:47 to make it 3-2 Icers. After that, it was all Penn State in the period as the Icers would net four more goals. Taylor Holstrom started the onslaught at 4:15 when he poked home a loose puck in front of the net that was not covered up by Sherman to make it 4-2 Icers. Kirchhevel would then score on the power play at 7:02 off a feed from Holstrom to make it 5-2. The veterans on the team then got into the action, as Eric Steinour made it 6-2 Icers at 7:53, followed by a goal from George Saad via a pass from Steinour at 14:09 to make it 7-2 Penn State.

In the third period, Penn State picked up right where they left off. Kirchhevel made it 8-2 Icers at 2:34 when he deked Sherman and slid the puck underneath his right skate. At 7:14, Steinour picked up his second of the game when he beat Sherman top shelf on the Penn State power play to make it 9-2. Beggi would add his second of the game for Rhode Island at 9:35 to cut the Ram’s deficit to 9-3, but the Icers would prove to be too much.

Penn State outshot the Rams 58-16. The Icers were 3-7 on the power play and were able to kill all five power plays that Rhode Island had.

The Icers and Rams are back in action tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door or can be ordered through the Penn State Hockey Ticket Office at 814-867-5522.

There will also be a public skate session at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion tomorrow before the game from 12-3. A portion of the proceeds from the event will go towards THON, Penn State’s student-run philanthropy event that raises money for pediatric cancer.