Penn State men’s hockey has named Simon Mack as its team captain for the 2024-25 season, while Carson Dyck and Jimmy Dowd Jr. will serve as alternates, the team announced Monday.

Mack, a senior defenseman, became the 11th Nittany Lion captain in program history, replacing Christian Berger. He becomes the fourth straight defensive player voted captain after Paul DeNaples in 2022 and 2023, and Berger in 2024. Mack had a career-high 16 points last season, leading all Penn State defensemen on four goals and 12 assists while ranking third on the team with 42 blocked shots.

“With the amount of leadership in our locker room, it is an absolute honor to be recognized as a captain of this program,” Mack said in a release. “This type of privilege is not something I take lightly and I’m looking forward to helping lead this team back to the postseason!”

Dyck appeared in a career-high 30 games last season and had two assists, along with 24 blocked shots. He has skated in 61 games over the past three seasons, collecting one goal and 12 assists.

Dowd returned to Penn State for a fifth season, bringing 123 games of experience to his leadership position. He enters the season in second on the all-time points list by a defenseman, 15 shy of Cole Hults’ record of 78.

The Nittany Lions are set to open their season in under two weeks, taking on Alaska Fairbanks at 11 p.m. on Saturday, October 5, in Alaska.