PSU LOSES HEARTBREAKER TO RMU

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

"I WANT TO START TODAYS ARTICLE BY SAYING NONE OF THESE BOYS SHOULD HANG THERE HEAD AFTER SATURDAYS GAME AGAINST RMU.  I AM PROUD OF EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM."  COACH LANTZ

FOR EIGHT YEARS RMU HAS DOMINATED THE NITTANY LIONS RUNNING UP THE SCORE WHENEVER THEY GOT THE CHANCE.  SATURDAY NIGHT SHOWED RMU THAT THIS LIONS TEAM CAN PLAY WITH THEM.  THROUGH THREE PERIODS THE LIONS WOULD DOMINATE THE PLAY AGAINST A TOUGH RMU TEAM AND EVEN HOTTER RMU GOALIE.  THE LION WOULD THROW 44 SHOTS AT CODY LEE WHO TURNED AWAY 41 OF THEM AND PRESERVED THE RMU COLONIALS VICTORY.  PSUA WOULD DOUBLE UP RMU IN SHOTS, BUT FOUR MENTAL MISTAKES WOULD BE THE LIONS UNDOING.  RMU PLAYING ON THEIR OLYMPIC ICE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A PSU PENALTY KILL THAT GOT CAUGHT CHASING AND ALLOWED A WIDE OPEN BACKDOOR PASS.  ROBERT MORRIS WOULD ADD TO THE LEAD WHEN AN ERRENT PASS SENT THE COLONIALS ON A TWO ON ONE SHORT HANDED GOAL TO TEND THE FIRST PERIOD 2-0.  THE LIONS WOULD ANSWER THE CALL AS SOPHOMORE DEFENSEMAN BRIAN KRUSER'S SHOT FROM THE POINT SLIPPED PAST CODY LEE.  LUK DEVORSKI AND NICK DELAURENTIS WOULD ASSIST ON THE GOAL.  THEN AS THE SECOND PERIOD DREW TO A CLOSE NICK DELAURENTIS WOULD FIRE A LASER UNDER THE CROSSBAR ON THE POWERPLAY FROM CONLAN SODROSKY.  THE LIONS CAME OUT IN THE THIRD AND CONTINUED PRESSURE ON THE COLONIALS WHEN A MISCUE AT THE LIONS BLUELINE RESULTED IN RMU TAKING THE LEAD 3-2.  RMU WOULD ADD A FOURTH GOAL WHEN PSUA WAS UNABLE TO CLEAR THE ZONE ALONG THE BOARDS AND THE PUCK WAS CENTERED TO A WIDE OPEN RMU PLAYER IN FRONT OF ZACH SHERIKO.  AFTER A LIONS TIMEOUT, FRESHMAN ANTHONY BERTONE WOULD SCORE HIS FIRST COLLEGIATE GOAL 40 SECONDS LATER PULLING THE LIONS TO WITHIN ONE, ASSISTED BY BEN KINCH AND KYLE LEES.    UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS AS CLOSE AS PSUA WOULD GET.  "WE HAD OUR OPPORTUNITIES TONIGHT AND WE MADE SOME CRITICAL MISTAKES AGAINST A GOOD RMU TEAM.  HOWEVER, THIS GAME INSTILLED CONFIDENCE IN THESE PLAYERS TONIGHT THAT THEY CAN SKATE WITH ANYONE."  THE LIONS GET THE WEEKEND OFF, THEN HEAD TO NY TO FACE FREDONIA AND PSU BEHREND IN A CRUCIAL CHE DIVISION SHOWDOWN.