No. 9 Penn State Men’s Hockey Bests Minnesota 5-2
No. 9 Penn State men’s hockey (14-6-0, 6-4-0 Big Ten) pulled off a sweep of Minnesota (8-12-1, 4-6-0 Big Ten) on Saturday night in Pegula Ice Arena, winning 5-2. It’s the first sweep of the Golden Gophers for Penn State since November 2019.
Lev Katzin and Braedon Ford scored their first goals of the season, with Kevin Reidler rebounding after allowing an early goal to make 32 saves.
How It Happened
Kevin Reidler got the start in net for the Nittany Lions, continuing the season-long platoon in net after Josh Fleming’s shutout on Friday night.
The action went back and forth for the first three minutes, but neither team got a shot on net until a long shot by Cade Christenson was easily stopped by Nathan Airey. However, despite winning the following faceoff, Penn State turned it over, and Mac Gadowsky got out-hustled to the puck on the other end by Brodie Ziemer, who sniped a clean shot past Reidler for his 13th goal of the season at 3:27.
Minnesota rode that momentum to control play for the next two minutes, getting two more chances on net, including one through a screen and a quick rebound. While the Golden Gophers held the zone, a blocked shot fell onto the stick of Gavin McKenna, who unleashed a sweet between-the-legs outlet pass to a streaking Braedon Ford, who stuck one through the five-hole for a game-tying goal at 5:33.
The game heavily slowed down from there, with neither team able to get out in transition and settling for deep shots, looking for a rebound. Christenson and Carter Schade got shots on net, but they didn’t squeak through Airey.
Minnesota took its first penalty of the series at 10:24 when Teddy Townsend tripped DiMarsico in Penn State’s offensive zone, giving the Nittany Lions their first power play. Penn State held possession in the offensive zone for the entire first minute, getting big chances on shots by McKenna and Aiden Fink, as well as a tap-in attempt by Dane Dowiak on a pass through the crease, but the Golden Gophers killed it off.
Nick Fascia went off for high-sticking at 13:03 to give Minnesota its first power play. Just like Penn State, Minnesota was able to hold the offensive zone for much of its first power play, but Reidler made one save and the Nittany Lions blocked multiple shots, keeping the Golden Gophers to the perimeter.
Both teams played sloppy in their own ends towards the end of the period. A bad giveaway gave Minnesota a 2-on-0 in deep, but John Mittelstadt tried one too many moves and was stopped by Reidler.
On the other end, after persistent pressure threatened Airey several times, Fink took the puck away from Ziemer and sent it in front of the net, where Matt DiMarsico picked up a bouncing puck and put it into the back of the net at 17:15 for his 10th goal of the season, with Nolan Collins additionally picking up an assist.
Minnesota played extremely aggressively to create turnovers and odd-man rushes after they generated few on Friday night. It worked from time to time, but other times it put them in precarious positions. A choppy zone entry in the final minute saw Luke Misa feed Ben Schoen for a shot, which trickled out of the reach of Airey and onto the stick of Lev Katzin, who scored his first collegiate goal with 16 seconds left in the period to make it 3-1.
Minnesota made a goaltending change to start the second period, inserting Luca Di Pasquo for Airey. The early pressure in the period was by Penn State, constantly hanging around the goal crease and even getting a high-danger chance on a quick shot by DiMarsico. Minnesota was able to capitalize on a blue-line takeaway just over two minutes in, as Townsend fed Javon Moore on a 2-on-1 for a wicked one-timer to cut the Penn State lead to 3-2 at 2:28.
On the other end, Fink and McKenna led a rush that nearly generated a similar goal to Katzin’s, when Fink’s shot bounced off the pad of Di Pasquo, but McKenna was beaten to the puck by Brody Lamb, who saved a sure goal. Minnesota regained possession, and Lamb nearly scored a game-tying deflection, but Reidler sprawled out and barely kept the puck out with his stick.
DiMarsico got crunched into the boards by Mittelstadt at 6:47 to draw a boarding penalty, but Laubach was also sent off due to a retaliatory hit. Penn State would benefit from the scrum; however, Mittelstadt received a five-minute major.
The teams played four aside for the next two minutes while Laubach was in the box. LJ Mooney got a point-blank chance early for Minnesota, but ran out of room in front of Reidler. Due to some sloppy play, Minnesota dominated the 4-on-4.
Penn State then got a three-minute power play, which started choppy but got going as McKenna and DiMarsico got shots on net. Poor puck-handling by the Golden Gophers allowed Penn State to maintain the goal on the ensuing faceoff. After a scramble in front of Di Pasquo, the puck squeaked into the back of the net at 10:43, only to be called back for goaltender interference on DiMarsico after a challenge by Minnesota.
Penn State had nine shots on goal on the extended power play, but Di Pasquo kept them all out. Ford went off for hooking at 12:56, but took a nasty hit from Townsend as he touched the puck to stop play, eventually needing to be helped off the ice. Townsend was not assessed a penalty, sending Pegula Ice Arena into a loud cascade of boos.
The ensuing Minnesota power play saw a few shots, but the highlight was a thunderous hit by Collins on Tanner Ludtke that fired up the crowd. After play settled down following the penalty kill, things got chippy again when Lamb collided with Reidler and knocked the goalpost off with just over a minute left in the period.
In the final seconds, Minnesota got a 2-on-1 rush that nearly tied the game, but Reidler was able to stop Beckett Hendrickson to keep Penn State in front after two periods.
Katzin got the first big chance of the third period, nearly beating Di Pasquo’s short side in the opening seconds. Neither team produced a big chance for the next eight-plus minutes, only exchanging low-danger shots.
Minnesota maintained possession for an extended period around the nine-minute mark, creating multiple chances that Reidler had to stop. The next penalty would come at 11:33, when August Falloon went off for slashing to give Penn State a third power play. Despite three shots on net and plenty of zone time, Di Pasquo stayed strong in net.
Reidler continued to deny good chances on the other end, including another one from Hendrickson at 14:02. An odd play occurred with 4:20 to go, when the goalposts came off briefly and topped Reidler in the net, but play wasn’t stopped due to them remaining in its bearings.
Minnesota turned its pressure to the maximum as the game entered empty net territory, coming close to the game-tying goal on multiple occasions, only to be stopped by Reidler or the stick of a Nittany Lion. A big hit from Schoen in the defensive zone seemed to spring an odd-man rush the other way, where Jackson Smith dangled around a defender and sniped a dagger of a goal at 17:35 to make it 4-2.
Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko pulled Di Pasquo almost immediately after the faceoff, and the Golden Gophers got one last gasp when JJ Wiebusch got too aggressive pursuing an empty netter and went off for cross-checking with 1:51 left.
Minnesota had a 6-on-4 power play for the remainder of the game, which got them plenty of offensive zone time, but not another goal. Dane Dowiak scored his fifth goal of the season in the empty net with 11 seconds left, one that also counted as a shorthanded goal.
BINGOOOOOOOO!!!
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) January 11, 2026#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/LeASfkBPgV
Takeaways
- Charlie Cerrato exited in the first period of Friday night’s victory and was not in the lineup tonight. Reese Laubach replaced him, centering Matt DiMarsico and JJ Wiebusch. Shea Van Olm did not play in the series after exiting in the first period of last Sunday’s win over RIT.
- Here’s to depth scoring. Lev Katzin and Braedon Ford both scored their first of the season in the first period, lengthening a lineup that had been too reliant at times on the top-six. Penn State got offensive contributions up and down the lineup in the series.
- The officiating was controversial, to say the least. A goal called back due to goaltender interference and an uncalled severe hit that injured Ford in the same period made Pegula hostile for much of the game.
- Minnesota came out and played like a desperate team all night, often out-hustling the Nittany Lions to loose pucks and being aggressive in all phases. It was not enough to prevent yet another loss.
- Aiden Fink got an assist on the team’s fourth goal, making him the fastest Nittany Lion to 100 career points, doing so in just 87 games. He is ninth on the all-time scoring list.
Up Next
The men’s hockey team continues its homestand at Pegula Ice Arena against Notre Dame at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 16. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
Your ad blocker is on.
Please choose an option below.
Purchase a Subscription!
About the Author
Penn State Wrestling Sets New NCAA Record With 78 Consecutive Dual Victories
There are kids in first grade who have not seen Penn State wrestling lose a dual.
Penn State Wrestling’s Aaron Nagao ‘Probably’ Needs Surgery After Suffering Injury In Early-Season Tournaments
Nagao was ranked as high as No. 7 in the country at 141 pounds this season.
No. 1 Penn State Wrestling Shuts Out No. 16 Rutgers 46-0
Braeden Davis burned his redshirt after filling in for the injured 141-pound starter Aaron Nagao.
Former Penn State Football Safety Kolin Dinkins Transfers To Temple
Dinkins has one year of eligibility remaining.