Penn State secured a shootout victory over Minnesota in their Big Ten opener on Friday night, highlighted by 35 saves from Josh Fleming and a decisive shootout goal from Danny Dowiak in the fifth round, according to gopsusports.com reporting.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Goaltending Stock: Josh Fleming moved to a 1-2-1 record on the year, stopping 35-of-36 shots in regulation and overtime plus 4-of-5 in the shootout.
- Scoring Streaks: Sophomore Justin Poirier extended his point streak to four games with a crucial third-period goal, while teammate Jackson Smith saw his career-long point streak snapped.
- Conference Momentum: The Nittany Lions improved to 7-5-2 all-time in Big Ten openers.
Early Deficit and Third-Period Equalizer
The Gophers opened the scoring at 7:33 of the first period. A blocked shot in the slot found Javon Moore skating through the crease, and he redirected the puck past a sprawled-out Josh Fleming for the 1-0 edge. Penn State answered near the midpoint of the third period. Freshman Justin Larose executed a strong keep in the offensive zone, setting up sophomore Justin Poirier for a short-side snipe from the left dot at the 9:03 mark to tie the game 1-1.
GOOD GOALLLLLLLL!!! pic.twitter.com/funv2rrjQi
Goaltending Duel and Overtime Stalemate
Minnesota held a 36-29 advantage in shots on goal through regulation, including a 5-0 clip in the extra five-minute session. Neither side broke the deadlock in overtime, sending the conference opener to a shootout. Fleming turned away 35-of-36 shots, while Gopher netminder Luca Di Pasquo collected 28 saves to move his record to 1-3-2.
| Goaltender | Saves / Shots | Save Percentage | Shootout Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Fleming (PSU) | 35 / 36 | .972 | 4-of-5 (Game) |
| Luca Di Pasquo (MIN) | 28 / 29 | .965 | 3-of-5 (Game) |
Decisive Shootout Heroics
Senior Reese Laubach opened the shootout with a goal for Penn State before LJ Mooney answered for Minnesota in the bottom of the third round. That setup paved the way for Dowiak’s heroics in the fifth round. Dowiak pulled the puck past the pad of Di Pasquo as the Gopher goaltender went for a poke check, lifting it over the pad for the shootout winner.
FLEM SAYS GOODNIGHT!!#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/3ZVvbhGodb
Special teams played a disciplined role as Penn State went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and 0-for-1 on the power play. The Nittany Lions are 4-4-1 on the road. Fleming improved his shootout record to 2-1, having stopped 8-of-10 chances all-time.
Upcoming Halloween Rematch
The two teams return to Mariucci tomorrow night to conclude the weekend series with a Halloween tilt. Puck drop is slated for 6 p.m. CT.
Worth a look
