Vermont Falls To Penn State, 4-2, At Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff
Sophomore forwards Brady Shaw and Malcolm McKinney each score two goals for Catamounts

Sophomore forward Mario Puskarich had a goal and an assist for the Catamounts
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
2nd 12:57  VER1-0 EV Brady Shaw (9)Jake Fallon/10, Mario Puskarich/12
2nd 14:50  VER2-0 PP Mario Puskarich (11)Mike Stenerson/7, Brady Shaw/9
2nd 15:04  PSU1-2 EV Casey Bailey (18)Luke Juha/12, Taylor Holstrom/19
3rd 4:08  PSU2-2 PP Scott Conway (6)Eric Scheid/7, Erik Autio/7
3rd 16:51  PSU3-2 EV GW David Thompson (1)Ricky DeRosa/5, Patrick Koudys/5
3rd 18:52  PSU4-2 EV EN David Goodwin (11)Casey Bailey/11, Patrick Koudys/6
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Penn State  0134
Vermont  0202
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Penn State  1291839
Vermont  1214935
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Penn State (13-7-4)  1/3 6/12 0
Vermont (15-9-2)  1/6 3/6 0
Penn State Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
PJ Musico (W, 2-1-1)60:002 1212933
Vermont Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Mike Santaguida (L, 5-6-0)59:163 1281535
Empty Net0:441     

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Penn State scored three unanswered goals in the third period and came back from 2-1 down to beat 14th-ranked Vermont 4-2 in the third annual Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Catamounts dropped to 15-9-2 (7-6-1 HEA) and closed their non-conference schedule with a record of 8-3-1, while the Nittany Lions improved to 13-7-4 (5-2-1 BIG 10) and moved to 2-1-0 in the series against UVM.

Brady Shaw had the best two chances of the first period for the Catamounts. He fanned on a loose puck at the right side of the crease, and later rolled an attempt off the outside of the right post after locating a rebound on the doorstep.

Mike Santaguida (35 saves) followed with his best save of the frame, robbing Penn State with a right pad stop on a quick one-timer from the slot. Santaguida also punched out a high Taylor Holstrom shot with his blocker to keep the game scoreless.

UVM thought it had taken the lead in the second period after a net-front scramble was ruled no-goal on the ice. Brendan Bradley jammed the puck across the goal line, but after video review the call on the ice was upheld.

After 33 minutes of scoreless hockey, the game opened up late in the middle frame with three goals in the span of 2:07.

Shaw opened the scoring at the 12:57 mark of the frame as Jake Fallon found the sophomore in the left edge of the slot. Shaw wristed a shot toward goal and it deflected inside the right post, beating P.J. Musico (33 saves) low glove side. Mario Puskarich collected the second assist on the game's first tally.

Puskarich doubled the lead less than two minutes later on a UVM power play. The sophomore pounced on a loose puck at the right doorstep and fired a wrister into an open net before Musico could slide back across the crease. Mike Stenerson and Shaw had the assists as the Catamounts extended their cushion.

Casey Bailey responded for Penn State just 14 seconds later, beating Santaguida blocker side with a wrist shot from inside the right faceoff dot. Santaguida got a piece of the shot but it found a way under his armpit for Bailey's team-high 18th goal of the year.

UVM began the third period with a 5-on-3 power play for 1:16 but couldn't capitalize. Santaguida preserved the one-goal advantage with two shorthanded saves on Tommy Olczyk from the right side of the zone.

Scott Conway knotted the score just over four minutes into the period, stuffing in his own rebound at the left post off a behind-the-net pass from Eric Scheid. The Nittany Lions then took their first lead with 3:09 remaining in regulation when David Thompson's shot from the right point beat Santaguida through traffic.

The Catamounts called their timeout with 1:26 remaining in the game and pulled Santaguida for an extra skater. Musico made a save on a left point one-timer from Mike Paliotta, and David Goodwin sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 18:52.

Vermont returns to Gutterson Fieldhouse next weekend to host New Hampshire in a Hockey East series on Friday (Feb. 6) and Saturday (Feb. 7) at 7:05 p.m. Both games will be streamed online for free in high definition at CatamounTV.com, and pre-game radio coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com with Alastair Ingram on the call.

Tickets can be purchased online at UVMathletics.com/Tickets, in person at the UVM Athletic Ticket Office in Patrick Gym, or over the phone by calling 802-656-4410. Friday is $1.00 Hot Dog Day presented by Sodexo/University Dining Services. On Saturday, the team will host a Post-Game Catamount Kids Conference presented by the DoubleTree.