UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State men's hockey senior goaltender PJ Musico (Orange, Calif.) became the eighth different Nittany Lion to win a Big Ten weekly award when he was named the Third Star of the Week Tuesday morning.
The conference tabbed Musico's performances that helped Penn State (15-7-4, 7-2-1-0 Big Ten) sweep Wisconsin. Musico registered a .954 save percentage over the course of the two games, topping all other Big Ten netminders who played two games.
Musico made 35 saves in Friday's 5-2 victory, saving the final 28 shots that came his way as the Nittany Lions came from behind to beat the Badgers. The Californian had 17 saves alone in the third period.
In Saturday's game, Musico had 27 stops in a 4-1 victory to secure the sweep and win his third straight decision. Musico is 4-0-1 in his last five appearances, posting a .947 save percentage and a 1.68 goals-against average dating back to Jan. 23.
Musico's rise to being the current Penn State starter was rather innocuous after starting the season as the third-string goalie. Musico's first appearance of the season came Dec. 30 against Western Michigan in a reserve role.
He slowly earned more time with each appearance, earning his first start against No. 14 Vermont, which turned out to be a 4-2 victory in Philadelphia behind 33 saves. For the season, Musico (4-1-1) has a 1.92 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage in 281 minutes of play.
With Musico's award, Penn State has the distinction of all three goaltenders winning Big Ten weekly honors this season. The Nittany Lions have had eight different players win a weekly award with nine total mentions.
Penn State is currently on an eight-game unbeaten streak (6-0-2), which is tied for the nation's longest active stretch. The Nittany Lions play at Michigan State this weekend trying to claw their way back into the Big Ten title race. Friday's game is slated for 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Detroit and BTN2Go, while Saturday's game is a 6 p.m. puck drop on Big Ten Network and BTN2Go.