(Photo Courtesy of Penn State Athleltics)

For the first time since February, the Penn State Nittany Lions are back in the win column as they took down the Michigan Wolverines 9-8 in overtime on Friday night to snap what was a five-game losing streak.

Mac Costin was the hero of the night with his second goal of the day being the game-winner. That final goal at the 2:34 mark of the overtime period was the product of Costin’s second shot on the possession as just seconds before he first was blocked. He subsequently picked up the ground and put a bow on what was a Friday night thriller in Happy Valley.

Dan Reaume also had two goals on the night for the Nittany Lions while Will Peden had two assists. On the other end, Aleric Fyock made 15 saves to anchor a Penn State defense that held the Wolverines to just two goals in the first half of play.

Justin Brown made his formal introduction to the lacrosse world on Friday night, scoring five goals to not only lead the way for the Michigan offense, but also provide a significant spark where there was none. Brown scored each of the Wolverines’ first half goals and then ad two during their 4-0 fourth quarter.

Down 8-4 entering that final stanza of regulation, Michigan finally found their groove. A man-up score from Isaac Aronson off a Josh Zawada feed began that aforementioned late-game spark. Zawada then ended the run with a score at the 3:03 mark to force overtime. Brown scored consecutive goals, both off assists from either Michael Boehm or Zawada, during the middle of that run.

Michigan had opportunities late to possibly win it in regulation, getting off 14 shots to Penn State’s four in the fourth quarter alone. They even got off two shots following Zawada’s game-tying score, but Fyock was there on the first one for his 15th save of the day and the second one sailed wide. Fyock stopped four other Wolverine shots during the fourth, giving him five saves during that frame alone.

Prior to that late-game spurt, it was all Penn State. The Nittany Lions took a 4-1 lead at the end of the first and 6-2 lead at the half with six different goal scorers. A Mark Sickler man-up score early in the third gave them their largest lead of the game at 7-2, but soon the Wolverines would be able to settle in and the Nittany Lions had to adjust from building their lead to protecting their lead.

Shane Carr made 11 saves (8 in first half) to anchor the Michigan defense on Friday night and Nick Rowlett went 12-for-20 (60%) at the faceoff dot.

High Point Tops VMI in SoCon Tilt

The High Point Panthers defeated the VMI Keydets 16-5 on Friday night in a conference tilt.

Asher Nolting had a seven-point performance (4G/3A) while Brayden Mayea had four points off three goals and one assist. Jake Blevins went 14-for-18 at the dot and Parker Green made nine saves.

Nolting’s big day moves his career point-total to 329 (138G/191A) as he continued to march upward in the record books.