Penn State finished last season at the No. 8 spot.
The Nittany Lions and Panthers will meet for the 149th time in program history.
The Nittany Lions will raise their championship banner on September 5 against Kentucky.
Dowd is tied for the most assists by a defenseman in program history.
"I think our goal is to always win, and these guys have really high expectations."
The right-handed setter becomes the fourth recruit in the class of 2027.