Penn State men’s hockey (2-4-1, 0-0-1 Big Ten) beat No. 18 Minnesota (2-3-2, 0-0-1 Big Ten) 2-1 in shootout fashion on Friday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

After falling behind early, the Nittany Lions clawed their way back behind a great effort by Josh Fleming, tying the game in the third period, before Dane Dowiak scored the game-winner in the shootout.

How It Happened

Josh Fleming got the start in goal for the Nittany Lions with Luca Di Pasquo netminding for the Golden Gophers at home.

Minnesota won the opening draw, and Evan Murr fired the game’s first shot that deflected off the pad of Fleming.

Both teams continued to trade possessions, with Kale Dach and Shea Busch registering Penn State’s first shots of the contest in rapid succession. Di Pasquo turned away the two opportunities, and it remained tied through the early portion of the game.

Nearly eight minutes into play, Javon Moore took control of a blocked shot in front and buried it five-hole to give Minnesota the lead.

The Gophers felt the momentum and poured it on offensively. Fleming made huge saves on Jacob Rombach and Tanner Henricks to keep his team’s deficit at one.

The puck stayed in the Nittany Lion zone as the period progressed, with Fleming needing to make several key stops to keep Minnesota from widening its lead.

With under a minute left in the first, Penn State had its best offensive push of the game to that point. Di Pasquo made a nice save on Marco Mignosa.

Soon after his shot, Mignosa committed a trip, giving the Gophers a power play that was mostly played out in the second period.

Despite conceding a couple of good looks, Penn State killed the penalty to begin the middle frame.

Fleming continued a strong but busy start with a larcenous save on LJ Mooney, who tried to go high glove-side.

Shortly following the save, the Nittany Lions were shorthanded once again after Jackson Smith was sent to the box for tripping.

Two big stops by Fleming highlighted another Penn State penalty kill as the game reached its halfway point.

Minnesota continued to control the pace of play, with Mooney being robbed again by the glove of Fleming, this time on a breakaway.

In the latter part of the second, Penn State showed more life on offense, but Di Pasquo remained tough to beat, preserving the Gophers lead as the middle period neared its close.

With a little over two minutes to play in the second, the Nittany Lions got their first power play opportunity after a cross-checking minor on Tarin Smith.

Minnesota’s penalty kill did a great job of suffocating Penn State’s power-play unit as the Gophers survived being shorthanded and took their lead into the locker room.

Early in the third, Beckett Henrickson was tripped by Reese Laubach on an odd-man break, sending Minnesota on its third power play.

Another kill followed for Penn State, with Fleming making another save in the shorthanded effort.

Possessions were traded by both teams as the clock ticked, before Justin Poirier snapped one by Di Pasquo for the equalizer.

SHORTSIDE SNIPE!! #WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/R6FCPkf2N7

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) October 31, 2026

Soon after the goal, Lev Katzin was rung up for holding while trying to prevent a Minnesota breakaway. The Gophers were sloppy on the advantage, failing to register a shot as they struggled to maintain zone time.

With just under three minutes left in regulation, Tate Pritchard benefitted from a Penn State turnover before being stonewalled by Fleming on the breakaway.

Minnesota controlled possession as regulation expired, as the Gophers were unable to solve Fleming with a late offensive push.

A lack of offense began sudden death overtime, with neither team making much headway in the opening minute.

Fleming made yet another robbery, this time on Murr on a redirection right in front of the net to continue play.

Four more great saves were added to Fleming’s tally as overtime expired, sending the game to a shootout.

Laubach began the shootout, backhanding the puck past Di Pasquo. Mooney buried it with the Gophers’ third shot to keep the home team alive.

Later in the shootout, Dane Dowiak found the back of the net, allowing Fleming to end it with a save on Christian Humphreys.

Takeaways

• A tale of two halves, with Minnesota dominating early play, at one point outshooting the Nittany Lions 15-6. Penn State flipped the tables in the latter half of the game, making the shot tally a more respectable 36-29 by the end of the contest.
• Josh Fleming was outstanding in net for the Nittany Lions. The game could’ve gotten out of hand early but the netminder kept Penn State in it, making 35 saves to spark the comeback.
• Justin Poirier continued his hot streak, scoring the game-tying goal in the third period.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will conclude their series with Minnesota on Saturday, October 31. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Folks can stream the game on Big Ten Plus.

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