State College Icers fall to North Allegheny

By Kenny Varner
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Updated: January 17, 2015

By Kenny Varner

UNIVERSITY PARK – After falling behind by as many as five goals early in their game against Pittsburgh powerhouse North Allegheny Thursday night, the State College Ice Hockey team refused to give up and lay down for the Tigers.

Looking at a 7-2 deficit going into the third period, the Little Lions took control of the final period posting three goals while holding North Allegheny to two.

However, it would be too little too late as State College fell to the Tigers 9-5 at Penn State University’s Pegula Arena Complex.

Opening the contest, State College got its first possession of the game when Andrew Mascone took the puck down the ice and shot a blast which was caught by the Tigers goalie.

After a back and forth first period, the Tigers got on the board first when Mike Helo put one through the pipes, making it 1-0 with 5:53 left in the period.

Less than a minute later, North Allegheny and its high tempo offense put its second goal through the net thanks to a Mike Cramer breakaway, upping the lead to two.

Cramer found nothing but net at the 2:33 mark to give him his second goal of the game and his team a comfortable 3-0 advantage going into the second period.

The Tigers led in shots on goal in the period by a 15-12 margin. State College goalkeeper, Chris Rosselot tallied 12 saves in the period.

After scoring two more goals early in the second, North Allegheny kept the Little Lions at bay as its stingy defense and high tempo offense kept State College off balance for most of the second period.

However, the tide start to change late in the second. Michael Mascone cut into the Tigers’ lead when he got free and was able to fire a jet into his opponents goal, making it 5-1 with 3:51 left.

But the Tigers rallied back, scoring its sixth and seventh goal in consecutive trips down the ice.

That did not deter the Little Lions as it notched a late period goal by Andrew Skipper with 11 ticks on the clock, ending the period scoring at 7-2.

Coming out of the intermission, State College rose to the occasion, seemingly re-engerized and ready to finish the game out in a blaze of glory.

Robby Jacobs, Glen Wild and a buzzer goal by one of their teammates, gave them a respectable 9-5 tally at the end of the contest.