Grannan and Dzhaniyev shine, but Penn State ties Notre Dame in Big Ten opener

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A heavily physical Big Ten opener resulted in a tie between No. 17 Penn State and Notre Dame.

Noah Grannan got the start, which was his second of the year, over Liam Souliere.

“At the end of the day, I’m here to take his job and he’s there to make sure I don’t,” Grannan said to the media earlier in the week.

Opposing Grannan, Ryan Bischel was in net for Notre Dame, who was named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year for the 2022-23 season.

Notre Dame jumped out first for the early lead, as Brennan Ali scored 1:30 into the game.

With two minutes left in the first, Danny Dzhaniyev hit the equalizer, tying the game at one.

With that goal, Dzhaniyev scored four goals in his last four games.

“With Danny [Dzhaniyev], it’s in my mind 100% a factor of him playing the right way. Everybody knows his talent… he does the little things for the team,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said about Dzhaniyev’s hot streak.

Trevor Janicke scored in the second to put Notre Dame ahead 2-1, but Dylan Lugris capitalized on the power play to tie it up 2-2.

Xander Lamppa joined the party, hitting his first goal of the season to end the second period with Penn State in the lead.

The third period was tumultuous, and back-to-back penalties by Reese Laubach and Chase McLane allowed Maddox Fleming to take advantage and tie the game.

The game then went into overtime and a shootout, where Cole Knuble snuck one past Grannan for the extra Big Ten point.

Penn State totaled 26 penalty minutes, including Xander Lamppa ending up in the sin bin three times.

“Can’t have it. Surprised. It’s not pattern for him,” Gadowsky said, and it is a surprise since Penn State was the least penalized team in college hockey coming into tonight.

Additionally, Aiden Fink was sent off of the ice in overtime for launching a puck into the stands, a 10-minute major for delay of game.

Grannan played all 65 minutes and stopped 26 of 29 shots.

In postgame media, Gadowsky noted that normal starter Souliere recognized his shortcomings between the pipes and “agrees with the premise of creating internal competition for the team.”

When asked about the starter for the second game of the series, Gadowsky said that it would be something he and his staff would talk about in the locker room following postgame media.

Veterans Christian Sarlo and Jacques Bouqout did not play and were ruled as scratches.

Gadowsky said Sarlo “will not be playing for a while” and noted that Bouqout is also injured. There is no specification or timetable for either player.

With Sarlo and Bouqout out for the foreseeable future, Penn State needs to rely on its standout players like Dzhaniyev, Lamppa, Ryan Kirwan, Tanner Palocsik and others, as well as Grannan and Souliere in net, to stay strong heading into the depths of conference play.

Game 2 of the series will begin with puck drop slated for 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5.

Adrianna Gallucci is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.