A season that began with sky-high expectations ended unceremoniously on Friday night in Albany, New York.
In a battle of stellar goaltending, Penn State fell to Minnesota Duluth 3-1 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, ending its season abruptly.
With the loss, the Nittany Lions finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 21-14-2 record, failing to live up to preseason hype fueled by the addition of presumptive No. 1 overall draft pick Gavin McKenna.
How it happened
With its season hanging in the balance, Penn State came out with a sense of urgency, mounting an early 6-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Nittany Lions were effective with zone entries, using speed to cross the blue line with little resistance.
Penn State’s aggressiveness led to a costly turnover, giving Minnesota Duluth its first quality look. Star forward Max Plante — the team leader in goals and points — had a breakaway opportunity but was stonewalled by goaltender Josh Fleming.
Back on the attack, forward Shea Van Olm fired a short-side slapshot over the shoulder of netminder Adam Gajan for an early Penn State lead.
After an extensive delay to repair a glass board, action resumed, and Plante — off an assist from his brother Zam Plante — beat Fleming to the back door for a five-hole tally.
The Nittany Lions were caught with six skaters on the ice, leading to the first penalty of the game early in the second period. The Bulldogs power-play unit, which ranks among the best in the country, couldn’t convert despite quality chances.
Midway through the period, forward Charlie Cerrato left for the locker room with an apparent lower-body injury, though he quickly returned to provide a boost in the faceoff circle.
Though Minnesota Duluth severely outshot Penn State, 17-6, in the middle period, the Nittany Lions saw better chances, including a rocket from forward Reese Laubach that rang off the post and a miss from forward Aiden Fink in front of an open net.
Entering the final 20 minutes of play, both teams traded momentum, and each goaltender refused to yield. Even in the late stages of the game, both squads maintained a blazing pace, skating up and down the ice only to be met with stellar saves.
The Nittany Lions earned their first power-play opportunity after a hooking call on Max Plante, but Gajan weathered the ensuing onslaught.
With 5:13 to go, Penn State turned the puck over in the defensive zone, and forward Hunter Anderson buried the it for the eventual game-winner.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky pulled Fleming with under two minutes to play, allowing Max Plante to tack on an empty-netter in the waning seconds.
Team leaders
Goals: Shea Van Olm, 1
Assists: Casey Aman, Mac Gadowsky, 1
Saves: Josh Fleming, 36/38
Up next: Penn State’s season is over, while Minnesota Duluth will advance to face No. 1 overall seed Michigan for the regional championship, with a Frozen Four trip on the line.
