No. 8 Penn State Men’s Hockey Sweeps Notre Dame 6-3
No. 8 Penn State men’s hockey (16-6-0, 8-4-0 Big Ten) finished off a weekend sweep of Notre Dame (4-17-1, 0-12-0 Big Ten) at Pegula Ice Arena on Saturday night, 6-3.
Despite playing two players short, Penn State got out to a quick lead on a goal by JJ Wiebusch early and rebounded from a run by Notre Dame, with help from Gavin McKenna’s first multi-goal game of the season.
How It Happened
Kevin Reidler made his 12th start of the season, continuing the season-long goaltending platoon.
The Fighting Irish won the opening faceoff and moved into the offensive zone, but didn’t hold the puck for long. Matt DiMarsico took the puck away, and Jarod Crespo hit Wiebusch on an outlet pass for a clean breakaway, which the sophomore buried for his 12th goal of the season just 17 seconds into the game, giving Penn State a quick 1-0 lead.
Reidler was tested for the first time just over four minutes in, as Notre Dame sprung a 2-on-1 and got a high-danger chance on Evan Werner, but the Nittany Lion goaltender got over to the left post quickly and kept it out.
The physicality that was prevalent last night bled over into the first period tonight, as the teams exchanged thunderous hits in the Penn State end. Nolan Collins lit up a Leprechaun, only for Matt DiMarsico to be crunched into the boards seconds later.
After a dangerous bouncing puck threatened Notre Dame goaltender Nicholas Kempe, Penn State kept it in the offensive zone, and Crespo fed Jackson Smith for a thunderous one-timer from the blue line at 7:06 of the first period for the freshman’s sixth goal of the season, making it 2-0.
A SMITTY BOMB!!
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) January 18, 2026#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/HblaTfUhX1
33 seconds later, Lev Katzin took the game’s first penalty when he went off for holding at 7:39. Notre Dame managed just one shot on net, a clean drive to the net by captain Danny Nelson, but he was stopped by Reidler. Penn State took another penalty at 10:57 on a hook by Carter Schade, but it was negated 18 seconds later when Danny’s brother, Hunter, went off for interference.
Aiden Fink started the 4-on-4 strong with a hard drive to the net through multiple defenders, but lost the puck on the way. Penn State dominated the action four-aside, but failed to capitalize on that or the ensuing 18-second power play.
The Fighting Irish got close again at the 14-minute mark, when a shot from the left faceoff circle got through to Reidler, and the rebound came free. However, the Swedish netminder was able to sprawl out and keep a stuff-in attempt by Henry Nelson out and pushed it to the corner.
Notre Dame got on the board at 18:23, when Sutter Muzzatti found Brennan Ali for a shot that rang off the post and into the net. Just 16 seconds later, a pass from Danny Nelson found Cole Knuble on a breakaway. Reidler saved the initial shot, but Knuble deposited the rebound to tie the game in the blink of an eye.
The game was tied heading into the second period, with Notre Dame leading 11-10 in shots.
Both teams started the second frame with opportunities, but were one completed pass away from a high-danger chance. Just under five minutes in, Penn State carried into the offensive zone, and Smith delivered a beautiful cross-ice feed to Gavin McKenna, who buried his fifth goal of the season at 4:54 to give the Nittany Lions a 3-2 lead.
The goal energized the Nittany Lions, who threatened further over the next few minutes on shots by Ben Schoen and Carter Schade. JJ Wiebusch brought out a filthy toe-drag at 7:28 that was stopped by Kempf.
On the other end, a post-stoppage scrum at 7:56 led to dueling minors, as Smith went off for cross-checking and Knuble went off for roughing. After 90 seconds of 4-on-4 hockey, Penn State got its first power play when Jaedon Kerr went off for interference.
Penn State got numerous chances on the power play, from a drive to the net by McKenna to a one-timer that went wide from Aiden Fink. The next goal, however, would be scored by Notre Dame, as Muzzatti came flying up the right side and sniped one over the shoulder of Reidler to tie the game on a shorthanded goal at 11:11.
Notre Dame got a fourth power play when Laubach boarded Muzzatti at 13:31, much to the dismay of the crowd at Pegula. Fortunately for the crowd and the Nittany Lions, Nic Chin-DeGraves would be taken down just 42 seconds later on a 2-on-1, sending Muzzatti to the box for hooking.
The 4-on-4 action provided big chances for both teams, as Michael Mastrodomenico rang one off the post on one end, while Nick Fascia missed the net after a great feed from McKenna on a 3-on-1. Shortly after, Mastrodomenico went off for interference at 15:28.
That set up an unenviable situation for the Fighting Irish, as Penn State began a 5-on-3 just four seconds later when Laubach got out of the box. The 5-on-3 would be short-lived, however, as a shot from Wiebusch lingered in the crease, only to be stuffed in the back of the net by DiMarsico in a scramble for his 14th of the season, making it 4-3 Penn State.
Because of the timing, Penn State still had 93 seconds of power play time left over and nearly doubled its lead on a few occasions. McKenna missed Fink in the bumper on a slap-pass and then rang the post late in the power play. Shortly after it expired, Schoen went off for cross-checking after taking down Drew Mackie at 18:02.
Reidler had to deal with multiple bouncing pucks off deflections during the ensuing Notre Dame power play, but he was able to keep the puck out of the net as Penn State effectively killed off the penalty with the expiration of the second period.
Notre Dame would be right back on the power play early in the third, however, as Wiebusch took a bad hooking penalty at 1:35 to send the Fighting Irish to their fifth power play. The Nittany Lions were able to deliver a strong kill, though they had to carefully navigate some bad bounces along the way.
Penn State would go back to the man advantage at 6:40, when Kerr went off for hooking in the Notre Dame offensive zone. Not much happened on the power play, which ended early when Smith lit up Carter Slaggert behind the net after Reidler mishandled the puck, going off for interference at 7:59.
A smattering of boos echoed through Pegula again when Notre Dame got on the power play, as Chin-DeGraves was smoked in the same spot as Slaggert, but there was no call. Penn State killed off the penalty, limiting Notre Dame to two low-danger shot attempts.
Luke Misa took a shift with Fink and McKenna midway through the period, and the highly-talented trio of forwards struck. Fink fed Misa, who fired a shot off Kempf that trickled out to McKenna, who deposited his second goal of the game at 10:57 to make it 5-3.
Notre Dame made its push to get back in the game as the third period ticked on, but Maddox Fleming took a brutal high-sticking penalty at 16:27 to give Penn State a late power play. With the clock on their side, the Nittany Lions were content to play conservatively and bleed the clock.
The parade to the penalty box continued shortly after, however, as Wiebusch went off for boarding with 1:26 left to give the Irish life. Head coach Brock Sheahan pulled the goalie on the ensuing faceoff in a last-minute desperation move, but Notre Dame got absolutely nothing on the 6-on-4 and surrendered a game-clinching empty net (and shorthanded) goal by Dane Dowiak with 12 seconds left.
Takeaways
- The tandem of Jackson Smith and Jarod Crespo has been sensational for the Nittany Lions since the team returned from holiday break. The two have been remarkably present on offense, combining for five points today and combining for six goals and six assists in the last six games.
- Penn State was about as shorthanded as possible to field a hockey team on Saturday night, with six skaters out with injury. Teams are allowed to dress 19 skaters in college hockey; Penn State could only dress 17 after Mac Gadowsky’s injury on Friday night.
- Was that the Gavin McKenna breakout game? The freshman phenom registered his first collegiate multi-goal game and has six points in four games since the break. He also hit the post and made some crisp passes that didn’t result in anything, but this was a game that makes you remember why he’s likely to go No. 1 overall in Buffalo this June.
- With the sweep, Penn State has won five straight conference games and is now alone in second in the Big Ten. They also sit at No. 6 in the NPI, and as they continue to take care of business against teams like Notre Dame, their odds of going dancing increase.
Up Next
The men’s hockey team goes on the road to the Kohl Center to take on No. 2 Wisconsin at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 23. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
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