Penn State men’s hockey (0-4-0, 0-0-0 Big Ten) lost to Robert Morris (1-4-0, 0-0-0 AHA) 5-2 on Tuesday evening at Pegula Ice Arena.

After falling behind 3-0 in the first period, the Nittany Lions nearly mounted a comeback behind two goals by Justin Poirier, but the effort came up just short, and Penn State is still without a win.

How It Happened

Ryder Fetterolf got the start in net for the Nittany Lions. Opposite him was Lucas Massie for Robert Morris.

Luke Misa won the opening draw, and Penn State controlled possession early. A blocked Jackson Smith from the blue line led to a Colonial breakaway that Patrick Johnson capitalized on, beating Fetterolf pad-side to give Robert Morris a 1-0 lead just 20 seconds into the game.

The Colonials continued to apply pressure, forcing Fetterolf to make two saves, keeping the game at 1-0 in the opening minutes.

The early struggles mounted for Penn State as Dane Dowiak was sent to the box for tripping in the offensive zone.

The Nittany Lions killed the penalty without much trouble, but were immediately shorthanded again after a too many men on the ice penalty.

Another kill followed, with Fetterolf making two saves in the effort.

Penn State got a chance with a power play of its own, with an interference call just over halfway through the opening period.

Justin Poirier fired the Nittany Lions’ first shot of the contest while on the man advantage, before the power play was cut short with Shea Busch being rung up for high-sticking.

Not much resulted from the four-on-four, and both teams returned to full strength.

After a couple of great Nittany Lion chances, the Colonials found themselves on an odd-man break, where Michael Felsing buried it behind Fetterolf.

Now down 2-0, it only got worse for Penn State, with Kaden Pitre serving a minor for head contact.

In the final moments of the period, a Ryan MacPherson shot was rebounded by George Krotiris, who went five-hole on Fetterolf, extending the Colonial lead to 3-0 and closing out the opening frame.

Penn State came out of the break with a strong offensive possession, but Massie stayed perfect in net.

Both teams traded chances in the early portion of the middle period, with Misa in particular drawing a slashing penalty after getting behind the Robert Morris defense.

The Nittany Lions had several good opportunities on the power play but still couldn’t find a way to beat Massie.

Shortly after the penalty expired, Justin Larose was robbed by the glove of Massie on a breakaway; nonetheless, Penn State drew a penalty on the play and headed on another power play.

Kale Dach cut the man-advantage short by committing interference, and the game headed to another four-on-four.

Bruce McDonald then interrupted the four-on-four when he was sent to the box for holding, putting Penn State up a man yet again.

The Colonial defense, along with Massie, came up huge for Robert Morris, killing off the penalties to stay up 3-0 as the game passed its midway point.

With a little over five minutes left in the period, Poirier finally solved Massie with a backhand from the slot that fluttered just over the outstretched pad of the Colonial goaltender.

OMG this was nasty by Poirier https://t.co/mF5JntFEck

— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 20, 2026

Soon after the goal, Lev Katzin drew a trip in the neutral zone, putting Penn State on the power play.

MacPherson had a chance at a shorthanded goal early in the penalty, but Fetterolf made the sliding save to keep the game at 3-1.

The Penn State power play came up short again, and Robert Morris responded with a quick push before the end of the period. A great play by Ethan Weber to cut off a pass and a glove save by Fetterolf stumped the Colonials, and it remained 3-1 into the break.

A couple of good looks for both teams began the third, with neither school converting. Misa drew another penalty as he sped around the boards, giving Penn State a man-advantage.

Sixth time proved to be the charm for the Nittany Lion power play as Poirier netted his second goal of the game just five seconds into the penalty.

Make that TWO for JP!!#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/jYJCJqEMfh

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) October 20, 2026

Penn State was forced to go on a kill of its own right after, with Smith being rung up for roughing. Fetterolf came up huge for the Nittany Lions while shorthanded, making two nice saves to keep Penn State within striking distance.

With hope in the air in Pegula, Penn State played its best hockey of the night as the game neared its close. Still, Massie proved to be tough to beat, making two key saves on Poirier with just over six minutes left in regulation.

Krotiris ended the Nittany Lion’s dream with just over three minutes remaining, as he beat Fetterolf glove side to make it 4-2.

Penn State attempted a miracle by pulling the goalie, but Jackson Reineke put the icing on the cake, burying a fifth Robert Morris goal to put the game to rest.

Takeaways

• It was an undisciplined game from both teams, with 12 total penalties and two power play goals.
• Lucas Massie was a man possessed in net for the Colonials. He made 31 saves in his teams victory.
• Justin Poirier was the clear offensive engine for Penn State. He netted two goals to spark a near-comeback.
• After falling behind 3-0, the Nittany Lions outshot Robert Morris 29-17 in the final two periods, but it just wasn’t enough as the team still searches for its first win.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will continue their home stand with a two-game series against Canisius. The first game is set for Friday, October 23, at Pegula Ice Arena, with puck drop at 7 p.m.