{"id":104435,"date":"2020-02-22T21:42:58","date_gmt":"2020-02-23T03:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/?p=104435"},"modified":"2020-08-24T10:44:48","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T15:44:48","slug":"saturday-roundup-penn-states-late-rally-lift-no-11-penn-state-to-3-2-victory-over-no-18-extends-lead-atop-big-ten-hockey-standings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2020\/02\/22\/saturday-roundup-penn-states-late-rally-lift-no-11-penn-state-to-3-2-victory-over-no-18-extends-lead-atop-big-ten-hockey-standings\/","title":{"rendered":"SATURDAY ROUNDUP: Penn State’s late rally lifts No. 11 Nittany Lions to 3-2 victory over No. 18 Minnesota, extends lead atop Big Ten hockey standings"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Penn<\/a>
Penn State’s Kevin Wall celebrates his third-period goal that capped off a comeback from 2-0 down, giving the Nittany Lions a 3-2 win over Minnesota and a four-point lead first first in the Big Ten (Photo: Craig Houtz\/Penn State Athletics)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Penn State and Minnesota may have entered the weekend deadlocked, but for the Nittany Lions, it was in the back of their heads that they needed to have success if they wanted to keep their hopes alive for the Big Ten regular-season crown.<\/p>\n

See, Penn State is the odd man out in the final weekend of the Big Ten season, the only team that won’t play.<\/p>\n

And while two regulation wins would have been the best outcome, Penn State settled for the next best: a 3-on-3 OT win on Friday followed by a dramatic come-from-behind victory on Saturday over Minnesota for a 3-2 victory. Penn State now holds a four-point lead over the Golden Gophers and Ohio State, which bested Michigan State, 3-2, on Saturday to complete the weekend sweep of the Spartans.<\/p>\n

Things looked bleak early as Minnesota opened a 2-0 lead on first period goals by Sammy Walker and Jackson LaCombe. But Penn State cut the lead on Evan Barrett’s goal at 12:18 of the second.<\/p>\n

That set up the dramatic third where Nikita Pavlychev and Kevin Wall struck 31 seconds apart before the midway point in the period. Peyton Jones finished the win stopped all 10 shots he faced in the period.<\/p>\n

\n

Kevin Wall with the eventual game-winning goal. <\/p>\n

Huge win for @PennStateMHKY<\/a>. pic.twitter.com\/N9Ro9ahOkq<\/a><\/p>\n

— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) February 23, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n