ROSSI'S FOUR GOALS HELPS PSUA UPSET CAL, MCGOLDRICK SCORES GAME WINER

Saturday, January 29, 2011

THE MOTTO FOR THE PSUA LIONS THIS SEASON HAS BEEN NEVER QUIT. AND ON SATURDAY NIGHT, THE LIONS UPSET CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY 7-6 IN PROBABLY THE PROGRAMS BIGGEST WIN IN TEAM HISTORY. "TO SAY THIS IS OUR BIGGEST WIN IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. WE HAVE NEVER BEATEN CAL IN EIGHT SEASONS, AND THIS IS A GREAT WIN FOR THESE KIDS." CAL WAS CURRENTLY UNBEATEN IN THE CHE AND RANKED FIRST IN THE ATLANTIC DIVISION OF THE ACHA. TWO MINUTES INTO THE GAME CAL CAPITALIZED ON TWO DEFENSIVE TURNOVERS, AND IT LOOKED AS IF THE LIONS WERE HEADED TOWARDS YET ANOTHER LOSS TO THE VULCANS. SOPHOMORE JAMSEY ROSSI WOULD SCORE THE NEXT TWO GOALS AND IT LOOKED LIKE THE LIONS WERE HEADED TO THE LOCKER ROOM TIED AT TWO AT THE END OF THE FIRST. HOWEVER, ALL THREE FORWARDS GOT GOT DEEP IN THE OFFENSIVE ZONE, AND CAL TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE MISTAKE AND SCORED WITH SEVENTEEN SECONDS REMAINING. THE LIONS WOULD BE AWARDED A FIVE ON THREE POWER PLAY FIVE MINUTES INTO THE SECOND PERIOD AND THEY WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY SCORING TWICE. FRESHMAN ANDREW PLATE WOULD GO TOP SHELF ON CAL'S GOALTENDER AND ROSSI WOULD TALLY HIS THIRD OF FOUR GOALS TO GIVE THE LIONS A 4-3 LEAD. THE VULCANS WOULD TIE THE GAME AT FOUR WITH FOUR MINUTES TO PLAY IN THE SECOND. SOPHOMORE ROB MATTERN WOULD SCORE A THIRD LIONS POWER PLAY GOAL, AND PENN STATE WOULD TAKE A 5-4 LEAD INTO THE LOCKER ROOM. RYAN EDWARD JONES WOULD TIE THE GAME EARLY IN THE THIRD PERIOD AND CAL WOULD TAKE THE LEAD 6-5 WITH 11:37 REMAINING. ROSSI, WOULD SCORE HIS FOURTH GOAL OF THE NIGHT TO TIE THE GAME FOR THE LIONS. THEN WITH 2:50 REMAINING, SENIOR CAPTAIN, JOE MCGOLDRICK WOULD SCORE PROBABLY THE BIGGEST GOAL OF HIS CAREER GIVING PSU A 7-6 LEAD. COACH LANTZ SAID "THIS WAS A GREAT WIN FOR THE PSU PROGRAM, AND FOR JOEY TO GET THE GAME WINNER WAS A PERFECT ENDING, AS HE HAS BEEN ON SO MANY LOSING OUTCOMES AGAINST CAL. THIS WAS A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT." ROSSI WOULD FINISH THE NIGHT WITH FOUR GOALS AND TWO ASSISTS. GREG "JANSEN" JOHNSON WOULD HAVE THREE ASSISTS. JR GEARHART AND TYLER BAGAROZY WOULD ALSO HAVE TWO HELPERS. ROB MATTERN WOULD ALSO HAD A GOAL AND AN ASSIST. CHRIS RYAN WOULD HAVE THE GAME OF HIS LIFE STOPPING 39 OF 45 SHOTS. THIS VICTORY MEANT THE MOST TO THE SENIORS WHO WERE IN TEARS AFTER THE GAME. THE LIONS CLOSE OUT THE SEASON NEXT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AGAINST ROANOKE AND THEN SET THEIR SIGHTS ON REGIONALS.