No. 5 Penn State men’s hockey (9-4-0, 2-3-0 Big Ten) was blown out by No. 2 Michigan (11-2-0, 4-1-0 Big Ten) 7-1 on Friday night at Pegula Ice Arena.

The Nittany Lions committed numerous defensive zone turnovers and struggled to get anything going offensively. What started as a highly anticipated matchup in Hockey Valley turned into a rude awakening for head coach Guy Gadowsky’s squad.

How It Happened

Kevin Reidler started in net for the Nittany Lions. Dane Dowiak, Nic Chin-DeGraves, and Reese Laubach were the starting forwards for Penn State, while Jackson Smith and Jarod Crespo served as the starting blueliners. Charlie Cerrato was notably separated from Matt DiMarsico and JJ Wiebusch. He would play between Gavin McKenna and Shea Van Olm for a majority of the game.

Penn State controlled the opening faceoff. The defense had a strong opening shift, with Smith blocking a shot right off the bat. The Nittany Lions were able to apply some early pressure, with DiMarsico, Luke Misa, and Casey Aman each recording a shot. Michigan goalie Jack Ivankovic stood tall for the Wolverines to keep the score even at zero.

Four minutes into the action, DiMarsico dangled around a defender while entering the zone, ripping a shot into the chest of Ivankovic. Penn State would win the offensive zone faceoff, with McKenna firing a shot immediately following the draw. Michigan would regain possession and turn up ice.

With 13:49 remaining in the first period, Penn State would head to the power play following a roughing call on first-line winger Will Horcoff. After a McKenna turnover at the Nittany Lion blue line, Michigan would take advantage as Josh Eernisse scored shorthanded and unassisted at 7:15. The Wolverines would take a 1-0 lead and kill off the remainder of the man-advantage.

Penn State nearly responded right away at even strength, as Misa’s close-range missile was saved by Ivankovic. A few minutes later, Cerrato and McKenna found themselves in a 2-on-1 rush. Cerrato attempted to go five-hole but was denied.

Michigan followed up with offensive intensity of its own. After a failed Nittany Lion clear, TJ Hughes caught Reidler out of position, but the Penn State goaltender just got a piece of his clapper to make the crucial save.

Another defensive zone giveaway for Penn State subsequently led to Horcoff doubling Michigan’s advantage with an unassisted goal at 14:43. The Wolverines would take a 2-0 lead.

Just over 30 seconds after the goal, Penn State was called for too many men on the ice after a poor change. JJ Wiebusch would serve the penalty. The Nittany Lions would successfully kill it off, but the momentum didn’t last long.

Michigan would take a 3-0 lead after Nick Moldenhauer wrested a shot past Reidler. Kienan Draper was credited with the assist at 17:53. Penn State would head to the locker room for the first intermission trailing by three.

Michigan controlled the faceoff to begin the second period. The Wolverines had two great chances in the opening minute to extend their lead. Reidler appeared to lose sight of a loose puck on both occasions, but Penn State knocked it out of the air and behind the net.

The Nittany Lions continued their first-period theme of turning the puck over in the defensive zone. After winning the faceoff, Penn State immediately gave Michigan possession of the puck. It was able to recover, however, as the team stole it back and gained the zone with speed.

Braedon Ford nearly put the Nittany Lions on the board, as he received a cross-ice pass from Lev Katzin and fired one off the crossbar.

Less than two minutes later, Michigan found the back of the net yet again. Garrett Schifsky ripped a one-timer right by Reidler with help from the Cole McKinney assist coming from behind the net. The time of the goal was 4:19, as the energy in Pegula Ice Arena became relatively non-existent.

Penn State was in desperation mode with over half the game still left to play. A DiMarsico shot was knocked down by Ivankovic as the Nittany Lions showed some fight on the attack. The blue and white were getting restless, as Crespo and Valentini were sent to the box for roughing following some shenanigans after the whistle. The teams would each have four skaters for two minutes.

Nothing seemed to go right for Penn State. Just 25 seconds into the 4-on-4, Cerrato was sent to the box for tripping. Carter Schade, Aman, and Dowiak would begin the 4-on-3 kill. The trio was able to clear the puck after just under a minute, with the second unit taking the ice. Penn State would successfully kill off both Michigan penalties.

Momentum was in the home team’s favor. Penn State mustered four consecutive rushes but was unable to capitalize. The Wolverines and Nittany Lions would exchange periods of offensive pressure, with both defenses making huge blocks at key moments. Reidler made a handful of impressive saves during the high-intensity sequence. DiMarsico, Crespo, Cerrato, and Ben Schoen all mustered shots in the three minutes, with McKenna having a good opportunity as well.

With 5:10 to go in the period, Malcolm Spence was called for hooking. Penn State would attempt to get one back on the power play, a unit that has faltered as of late.

Michigan immediately cleared the puck on the Penn State man-advantage. After the Nittany Lions regained the zone, Mac Gadowsky and McKenna fired shots that were saved by Ivankovic. Once again, the Wolverines were able to kill off the power play. Guy Gadowsky’s squad was just unable to get anything going as the second period neared its close.

In the closing minute of the frame, Van Olm entered the zone with speed and tried to sneak one past Ivankovic. His strong effort paid off in the end, as he ripped a one-timer for a goal off a pass from Cerrato from behind the net. The time of the goal was 19:36, as Penn State cut the Michigan lead to 4-1.

Starts with one!#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/NisYCzEshv

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) November 15, 2025

The Nittany Lions would attempt to carry momentum over to the final frame as the second period drew to a close.

Michigan won the faceoff to begin the third period. Just 30 seconds into the action, Penn State would find itself in another penalty kill situation after Dowiak was called for interference. This time, it was unsuccessful on the effort. Valentini found the back of the net following a cross-ice pass from Matthew Mania. The time of the power play goal was 0:51, as Michigan extended its lead, now 5-1.

The Nittany Lions sought an immediate response, as a shot by Gadowsky hit the side of the pipe. But they were unable to find one. Four minutes after Michigan’s fifth goal, it recorded its sixth. TJ Hughes dangled around defenders and snuck the puck past Reidler for a highlight reel effort. Jayden Perron was credited with the assist at 4:29. The team from Ann Arbor now led 6-1, as the blowout was officially on in Hockey Valley.

In the second shift following the goal, Schade turned the puck over in the defensive zone yet again. Penn State continued to show weakness with the puck chasing five.

The game saw little action for the next seven minutes. With just under nine minutes left in the game, Smith rocketed a shot up the center and right at Ivankovic. Penn State’s frustration grew visible. With under five minutes remaining, Van Olm was sent to the box for holding.

Michigan scored its seventh goal of the night on the power play. McKinney scored off the assist from Ben Robertson at 17:35. The Wolverines now led 7-1 by a whopping six-goal advantage.

Takeaways

• Turnovers and poor defensive play were the story of the first period for Penn State, and it continued to be a theme throughout the game. Soft play with the puck directly led to all three of Michigan’s goals in the opening frame. The Nittany Lions were noticeably less physical than the Wolverines, proving costly.
• The Nittany Lion power play continues to struggle. Penn State lacked structure on the majority of its opportunities with the man-advantage. The team went 0-3 in this category.
• Shea Van Olm scored the lone goal for Penn State. In a game with relatively no offensive production for the Nittany Lions, Van Olm’s score was the lone bright spot.
• The second period was one of the most exciting periods of hockey Penn State has been involved in this season. Despite trailing by four goals, the sequence that featured multiple odd-man rushes was an electric moment in the hockey game.
• Kevin Reidler did not have his best game, but many of the Michigan goals were a product of ineffective defense. Reidler was left out to dry at many points throughout the contest.

What’s Next?

Penn State will conclude its series with No. 2 Michigan at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, November 14, at home. The game will air on Big Ten Plus.