The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines defeated Penn State 6-3 in the first game of their series on Friday night, according to “Yahoo Sports.”
Michigan established an early lead by scoring three consecutive goals within the first ten minutes of the opening period.
Jack Nesbitt opened the scoring less than two minutes into the contest, followed by a goal from Drew Schock.
Malcolm Spence extended the lead to 3-0 on a power play before Justin Poirier scored for the Nittany Lions.
The visiting team attempted a comeback in the second period when Shea Busch narrowed the deficit to 3-2 with a wrist shot, as noted in “social media updates from the Penn State Men’s Hockey team.”
Aidan Park later deflected a shot past goaltender Josh Fleming to restore a two-goal cushion for the Wolverines.
Reese Laubach pulled Penn State within one goal early in the third period, which the team described as a “beautiful zone entry and pretty finish” per the Penn State Men’s Hockey team.
Despite the pressure, Michigan goaltender Jack Ivankovic stopped several quality chances from the Nittany Lions throughout the game.
A potential game-tying goal by Justin Larose was disallowed due to an offside ruling with 13 minutes remaining in regulation.
Nick Moldenhauer eventually scored to ice the game for the Wolverines after a shot by Landon DuPont was blocked.
Ben Robertson added an empty-net goal in the final minute to finalize the 6-3 result.
The loss drops Penn State to a 2-8-1 record on the current season.
The two teams are scheduled to meet again on Saturday night for the second game of the series.
Puck drop for the upcoming rematch is set for 7 p.m. on Big Ten Plus.
The Nittany Lions continue to search for consistency as they look toward the remainder of their schedule.