ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Second-ranked Michigan built a three-goal cushion in the first 6:06 on Friday, Nov. 13, then fought off a Penn State push for a 6-3 win in the opener of a Big Ten series at Yost Ice Arena.
At 9-1-0 overall, with a 2-1-0 mark in league play, Michigan has now gone 9-1 out of the gate for the second straight season they have opened 9-1, something the program had never done before. Penn State fell to 2-8-1 and is still looking for its first Big Ten win at 0-4-1.
Jack Nesbitt got Michigan on the board 1:42 in by tipping a Ben Robertson shot. Drew Schock redirected a Landon DuPont pass at 3:29, and Malcolm Spence scored on the power play at 6:06 for a 3-0 lead. Spence finished with three points, the third time in his career he has done that.
Penn State answered with a power-play goal from Justin Poirier late in the first period and a Shea Busch goal 83 seconds into the second to make it 3-2. Sophomore Aidan Park, with his first goal of the season, restored a two-goal edge at 10:01 of the second, but Reese Laubach pulled the Nittany Lions within 4-3 early in the third.
Penn State appeared to tie it at 7:06 of the third, but Michigan challenged for offside and the goal came off the board. Nick Moldenhauer added a goal at 18:01, and Robertson sealed it with an empty-netter in the final minute.
Sophomore goalie Jack Ivankovic stopped 28 shots and leads the nation with nine wins. Michigan now holds a 35-21-2 edge in the all-time series with Penn State.
From the HERE City State Desk.
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