Penn State men’s hockey forward and captain Dane Dowiak will miss the remainder of the regular season and postseason with an upper-body injury, he announced on Instagram Tuesday afternoon.

Dowiak exited Friday’s game against Michigan in the second period and never returned. His absence leaves the team with just nine healthy forwards, as Charlie Cerrato, Alex Servagno, Keaton Peters, and Braedon Ford all remain out.

Before suffering the injury, Dowiak was on pace for a career-best season. He tallied nine goals and nine assists in 27 games, and boasted a plus/minus of 16. He also stepped into a leadership role this season, becoming the 12th captain in program history and the first junior captain in 12 seasons.

With Dowiak out for the year, Penn State must continue to navigate adversity during a pivotal stretch of its season. Casey Aman is already playing out of position, taking on a forward role in the wake of recent injuries. Guy Gadowsky must find a way to rearrange the lineup once again, with Ohio State set to arrive in Happy Valley this weekend for a series inside Pegula Ice Arena.

Alternate captains Ben Schoen, Reese Laubach, and Jarod Crespo will take on enhanced leadership responsibilities without Dowiak on the ice.