An Overtime Win Sends Penn State Hockey to Its First Frozen Four

The game was a gem, as UConn, playing in its first NCAA Tournament, took leads of 1-0 and 2-1, only to relinquish both to the Nittany Lions. Both teams had terrific chances in overtime, hitting posts and churning breakaways. Sergeev was at his best turning away UConn's Tristan Fraser midway throgh overtime.

UConn chased Penn State for the last seven minutes of regulation, taking 18 of the third period's final 22 shots. The Huskes controlled the puck through multiple lines, caused havoc in front of Sergeev and maingained relentless pressure.

Penn State also caught a break. With 6:53 remaining, a UConn shot drifted between Sergeev's pads, which slowed it enough to pause four inches from the goal line. Sergeev gently leaned back without moving the puck to stop play. Tung, who made 16 first-period saves, faced just six shots in the third period, as Penn State went more than 4 minutes without a shot.

The teams skated a full-rink game in the second period, trading juicy offensive chances and breaks. Penn State still pushed the offensive pace, taking five shots during one 33-second stretch. Tung stopped three before losing his stick, which the Nittany Lions hit with a wide shot.

The Huskies reclaimed the lead on a fluttering-puck goal, as Tabor Heaslip tapped a low floater past Sergeev for the 2-1 advantage. As it has done this postseason, though, Penn State re-tied the game within a minute. Thirty seconds later, in fact, freshman JJ Wiebusch scored his seventh goal in five games, calmly collecting the pass and wristing it past Tung.

Penn State allowed the first goal for the fourth consecutive playoff game, leaving UConn's Joey Muldowney, the nation's second-leading scorer, alone between the circles. Muldowney beat Sergeev high, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead just over 4 minutes into the game.

The Nittany Lions owned the first period thereafter, outshooting UConn 17-6 and not allowing the Huskies their next shot for more than 13 minutes. Penn State tilted the ice with two steals, a few turnovers and some odd-man breaks that UConn deftly detoured with sticks or blocked shots. Dane Dowiak broke finally pierced that defense with 6:33 left in the first, gathering a crisp feed from Tyler Paquette from behind the net.

Tung stood high in the first, making 16 saves, including a few nervy stops with his pads amid traffic. Penn State finished the first period with four shots in the final minute, three of which Tung turned away.