Penn State advanced to the Frozen Four with a historic win in the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. With their first Frozen Four bid on the line, the Lions will take another shot at Michigan.
Penn State will face third-ranked Michigan in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals on Sunday in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
2023 Frozen Four regionals finals: Michigan vs. Penn State
- When: 6:30 p.m. EST Sunday
- Where: PPL Center, Allentown, Pa.
- TV: ESPNU
- Live Stream: GamePass
Michigan vs. Penn State Men’s Hockey Preview
With 16 hits, the Wolverines scored a season-high 13 runs against Penn State on Friday, just two days after scoring 10 runs in a narrow loss to Akron.
And the Michigan offense remained hot on Saturday. The Wolverines (11-11 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) extended their streak of double-digit run totals, defeating the Nittany Lions (12-7, 0-2) 12-3 and clinching their first Big Ten series victory.
The Wolverines wasted no time in turning their plate discipline into an early advantage. Travis Luensmann of Penn State walked the first two batters he faced, and a passed ball followed by an error scored graduate shortstop Cody Jeffris for Michigan’s first run. Before Luensmann could get the first out of the inning, sophomore designated hitter Joe Longo and senior right fielder Joey Velasquez hit back-to-back RBI doubles down opposite foul lines, plating three more runners.
The Wolverines left two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the second inning, but added one more run in the following inning thanks to a triple by junior catcher Gabe Sotres, extending their early lead to 5-0.
However, as Michigan’s loss to Akron on Tuesday demonstrated, high offensive output does not always equate to a win. Chase Allen, a junior right-hander, did his part to ensure that fate did not repeat itself, allowing nine hits but working his way out of trouble to stymie the Penn State lineup.
“The run support is fantastic,” Allen says. “Our bats have been fantastic.”
In the fourth inning, senior second baseman Ted Burton singled up the middle to bring Jefferis home. The Michigan offense chased Luensmann out of the game after only 12 outs — no small feat given his perfect record this season.
