UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The LIU women's ice hockey team returned to game action after a two-week hiatus and put a scare into the nation's 12th-ranked team.

Bidding for the program's first-ever win against a ranked opponent, Jeannie Wallner had a pair of goals, including the equalizer on a penalty shot early in the third period. However, the Sharks ultimately fell to host Penn State, 4-3, on Friday afternoon at Pegula Ice Arena.

Tessa Janecke scored the game-winner for the Nittany Lions with 2 minutes, 7 seconds remaining in regulation.

Goaltender Tindra Holm, returning from national team action in her native Sweden, made 60 saves for the Sharks.

The Sharks were outshot 64-20.

LIU trailed 2-0 at the first intermission, but Wallner's power-play goal less than two minutes into the second period narrowed the deficit to one. Then, after Penn State retook a two-goal lead, Stella Scott's goal midway through that period again sliced the deficit to one.

That set up Wallner's penalty-shot goal — which narrowly found its way over the goal line despite Josie Bothun getting a skate on the puck — to pull the Sharks even at 3.

The game marked LIU's game action first since Dec. 17. And the solid performance came despite the Sharks missing defensive pair Emma Mörtl and Lisa Schröfl, who are finishing up action with the Austrian national team.

LIU has been competitive on Day 1 of back-to-back action against ranked opponents this season.

In the season-opener against then-No. 5 Minnesota Duluth, LIU trailed 2-1 into the game's final minute. Then, against then-No. 3 Northeastern in the following series, the teams were knotted at 1 until midway through the third period.

The Sharks and Nittany Lions meet again on Saturday at Saturday at 1 p.m. in University Park.