Penn State hockey: First month brings success, concerns for star-studded squad

With last weekend’s sweep of Stonehill, Penn State hockey wrapped up the first quarter of its season. Aside from one series against RIT in January, the nonconference slate is all but complete, and the Nittany Lions will face the Big Ten gauntlet the rest of the way. 

Despite a near perfect 7-1 record, early concerns may be starting to slip through the cracks of this star-studded Nittany Lions team. Are these concerns justified for a squad with massive expectations placed on their heads to begin the 2025-26 campaign?

Penn State opens the year with a high-powered road sweep

The most highly-anticipated season in Penn State hockey history started with a bang: a road trip to then-top-15 Arizona State. The eyes of the entire hockey world were glued on this series and the debut of Canadian superstar Gavin McKenna. Fans didn’t have to wait long for McKenna to make himself known, notching two assists in the first period of the season opener. However, Game 1 was dominated by junior forward Matt DiMarsico, who took over the contest with a hat trick en route to a 6-3 win.

The next night saw a third period comeback win for the Nittany Lions, the first of what has become a bit of a theme during the first month of play. Down 2-0 headed into the period, Penn State rallied to tie the game. With under two minutes, McKenna scored his first college goal, a snipe on a power play. Riding the momentum to a 4-2 victory, the Blue and White secured an impressive opening weekend road sweep against a solid opponent. 

Nittany Lions get first taste of adversity in home opener

The vibes were off the charts headed back to Pegula Ice Arena the following week for the home opener against Clarkson. Another nationally televised game, a Frozen Four banner unveiling, and the home faithful’s first chance to get a look at this year’s Nittany Lions created an even more raucous arena than usual.  

However, the Golden Knights spoiled the party. Penn State blew a 4-2 lead en route to a 6-4 loss. JJ Wiebusch scored all four goals for the Nittany Lions, setting a new program record. But it wasn’t enough to avoid the stunning upset. 

The next night, Penn State found itself in a familiar position: trailing. Down 2-0 after the first, it looked as if the first home weekend of the year would end in a disastrous sweep. But the Nittany Lions showed their patented resilience and scored five unanswered to down Clarkson, a team that is likely better than most people give it credit for. 

October closes with more brushes with nonconference upsets

The following weekend brought another home series and another run-in with potential disaster for the Nittany Lions. In the opening game against LIU, Penn State had to erase deficits of 2-0 and 3-1, and eventually found itself in its first overtime of the season. Aiden Fink was able to deflect a puck in during the sudden death frame, helping the Nittany Lions to avoid an epic upset. 

Penn State handled business more comfortably the second night, picking up a 3-0 shutout victory in a sloppy, penalty filled contest. 

Penn State hockey closed out the early nonconference slate against Division I newcomer Stonehill. However, the Nittany Lions again got everything they could handle, trailing 2-1 entering the third period of Game 1. Gavin McKenna scored his first Pegula Ice Arena goal to tie the game midway through the period. A power play goal with under 30 seconds left was all that separated Penn State from going to overtime for a second straight weekend.

Game 2 was more comfortable, a 4-2 victory, but still much closer than fans would have liked against a team of Stonehill’s caliber. 

November brings massive tests for Penn State hockey

© Heather Weikel / Basic Blues Nation, 2025.

Overall, Penn State hockey did what it needed to do through the first month of the season. The Nittany Lions are currently No. 4 in the USCHO.com Poll and No. 8 in the all-important NPI computer rankings.

A record of 7-1 is a great start, and the stat sheet has looked great so far. Wiebusch leads the nation with 9 goals, while DiMarsico isn’t far behind with 7. The top two point-getters in the nation wear the Blue and White, with Charlie Cerrato and Wiebusch having 17 and 15 points, respectively. The power play is in the top-15 in the country at 25.6%, while the penalty kill is fourth-best in the country. The new goalie tandem of Kevin Reidler and Josh Fleming has done a nice job of replacing the NHL-bound Arsenii Sergeev. But the duo has yet to truly show the ability to steal games like Sergeev did down the stretch a year ago. 

But as great as the stats look, Penn State has spent a lot of time trailing teams that pale in comparison to, not only its talent level, but also the talent levels of the teams it will be face the rest of the season. There is the argument to be made that players are still trying to find synergy with their new linemates and that some of the big name newcomers, like McKenna and Jackson Smith, are still trying to adjust to differences between the open ice of the CHL and the more physical and tighter NCAA.

Only time will tell if the Nittany Lions early-season issues are overblown. Regardless, the Blue and White will get thrown right into the fire to start Big Ten play, heading to No. 17 Ohio State for a tough road trip this upcoming weekend. Then, it’s off to East Lansing to take on No. 1 Michigan State in one of the biggest series of the year in college hockey. The Nittany Lions will finally return home to Pegula, only to find the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines waiting for them. A trip to Minnesota looms after that. 

While the Nittany Lions are still listed as national title favorites, things are about to get really, really hard for this group. In the coming weeks, much will be learned about this iteration of Penn State hockey.

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