PSU BEATS FREDONIA 7-6 ON FEDENA'S OVERTIME GOAL

Sunday, December 8, 2013

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN 8-8 TEAM OR 9-7 TEAM?  ASK ANY MEMBER OF THE PSUA LIONS HOCKEY TEAM WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR A TOP 10 REGIONAL SPOT.  IN THEIR LAST GAME BEFORE WINTER BREAK, THE LIONS WOULD HAVE A REMATCH CONTEST AGAINST FREDONIA, WHO EARLIER IN NOVEMBER BEAT THE LIONS 5-2.  PENN STATE KNEW THE STAKES OF THIS GAME AND HOW IMPORTANT THESE TWO POINTS WOULD BE FOR RANKING PURPOSES IN THE ACHA AND CHE.  THE LIONS WOULD STRIKE FIRST BLOOD, WHEN STEVE FEDENA WOULD HIT A STREAKING  CONLON SODROSKY COMING OUT OF THE PENALTY BOX BEATING GOALTENDER STEVE SPEIS AT 15:30 OF THE FIRST PERIOD.  FREDONIA WOULD TIE THE SCORE 1-1 LESS THAN TWO MINUTES LATER.  ATM WOULD MAKE IT A POWER PLAY PAYDAY, WHEN SOPHOMORE  DEFENSMAN BRIAN KRUSER WOULD ONE TIME THE BISCUT PAST SPEIS FROM THE RIGHT CIRCLE, ASSISTED BY ADAM BADORREK AND CONLAN SODROSKY.  PSUA WOULD SURRENDER A SHORT HANDED GOAL AND FREDONIA WOULD TIE THE GAME ONCE AGAIN AT 4:50 OF THE FIRST PERIOD.  ATM WOULD STRIKE AGAIN WHEN FRESHMAN ADAM BADORREK WOULD DRIVE THE NET DOWN THE LEFT WING AND BEAT SPEIS, ASSISTED FROM KRUSER.  PSU WOULD LEAD AT THE END OF THE FIRST 3-2.  DURING THE INTERMISSION, THE LIONS DISCUSSED ABOUT KEEPING UP THE INTENSITY, NOT STARTING OUT FLAT, AND NOT HAVING ANY LETDOWNS.  HOWEVER, FOR THE FIRST TEN MINUTES, THE LIONS DID THE EXACT OPPOSITE.  WITH THE PUCK IN PENN STATE'S ZONE, FREDONIA WOULD WIN THE FACEOFF, THE WINGER FAILED TO PICK UP HIS MAN AND AT 14:26, FREDONIA TIED THE SCORE AT THREE.  TEN MINUTES LATER FEDENA, TUCKED THE PUCK UNDER THE GOALTENDERS PADS, AS THE LIONS WOULD RETAKE THE LEAD 4-3 AT THE END OF TWO.  AT THE 14:22 MARK OF THE THIRD PERIOD, BADORREK WOULD RIP A SHOT UNDER THE CROSSBAR, NETTING HIS SECOND OF THE GAME, AND GIVING THE LIONS A TWO GOAL LEAD.  LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER, FREDONIA WOULD CUT THAT LEAD TO ONE.  THEN FROM THE SAME SPOT, IT APPEARED THAT SODROSKY ALSO HAD RIPPED A SHOT PASSED SPEIS, BUT THE REFS AWARDED THE GOAL TO FEDENA, HIS SECOND OF THE GAME, RESTORING PENN STATE'S TWO GOAL LEAD.  PSU LOOKED LIKED THEY HAD EVERY THING IN CONTROL, BUT AS EVERYONE KNOWS THAT A TWO GOAL LEAD IN HOCKEY IS THE HARDEST TO PROTECT.  AND FREDONIA WOULD CUT THE LEAD TO ONE AT 3:32 ON THE POWER PLAY, WHEN PSU FAILED TO CLEAR THE ZONE.  THEN WITH FREDONIA'S GOALTENDER PULLED FOR THE EXTRA ATTACKER, FACE-OFF IN THE LION'S ZONE, PUCK WAS BOUNCING  OF SEVERAL PLAYER'S STICKS AND FREDONIA WITH THREE PLAYERS CRASHING THE NET TIED THE GAME WITH FIFTEEN SECONDS REMAINING. YOU COULD JUST FEEL THE AIR GO OUT OF THE BUILDING, SAGGING HEADS ON THE PSU BENCH, AND A REJUVENATED FREDONIA TEAM.  COULD THIS BE BRYN ATHYN ALL OVER?  A TRUE TEST OF A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM  IS HOW THEY RESPOND TO ADVERSITY.  WOULD THE LIONS BE UP TO THE CHALLENGE?  FREDONIA CONTROLLED THE OVERTIME PERIOD AND ZACH SHERIKO WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THREE HUGE SAVES TO KEEP THE BLUE DEVILS AT BAY.  THEN WITH FORTY-FOUR SECONDS REMAINING, SKATING FOUR ON FOUR, SODROSKY AND FEDENA WOULD END UP WITH A TWO ON ONE.  FEDENA WOULD TAKE THE PUCK FROM SODROSKY AND BEAT SPEIS THROUGH THE FIVE HOLE, FOR A LIONS 7-6 VICTORY, AND A HUGE WIN BEFORE WINTER BREAK.  "THIS WAS A GREAT WIN FOR THIS TEAM TODAY.  WE HAD SOME LETDOWN MOMENTS, BUT WE RESPONDED LIKE A PLAYOFF TEAM TODAY.  I THOUGHT SODROSKY AND FEDENA, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS HAD A GREAT GAME.  ADAM BADORREK REALLY GAVE THIS TEAM A HUGE LIFT TODAY AND I  ALSO THOUGHT TANNER BAYLOR PLAYED A VERY SOLID DEFENSIVE MINDED GAME AS WELL."  BADORREK WOULD WIN THE TEAMS MVP BELT.  ZACH SHERIKO WOULD FACE 26 SHOTS, STOPPING 20 FOR HIS 7TH WIN OF THE SEASON.  THIS PUTS THE TEAM AT 2 GAMES ABOVE FIVE HUNDRED AS THEY ARE NOW OFF UNTIL SPRING.  THE LIONS WILL PARTICIPATE TOMORROW IN THE WALLY WARMTH PROJECT,  SHOPPING FOR WINTER ESSENTIALS FOR CHILDREN.  THEIR NEXT HOME GAME WILL BE JANUARY 18TH AT HOME AGAINST PITT GREENSBURG AT 3:50PM.