Penn State hockey stuns UConn in OT to make program’s first Frozen Four

Two years ago, a dejected Guy Gadowsky sat in the PPL Center media room after Penn State hockey had fallen to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament Region Final. He was asked how he could get his program to the Frozen Four.

“Good question,” was the only response he could muster.

The first step in getting there was returning to Allentown. No one expected the Nittany Lions to be back so quickly. After the heartbreaking overtime elimination in 2023, Penn State lost its top-five goal-scorers.

Replacing that production was not easy. It showed all of last season and into the first half of this season. 

However, as young players grew up quickly in the second half of the season, Penn State hockey found itself in the same spot as two years ago: on the verge of history and the program’s first Frozen Four.

An upstart UConn team, making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, was the last obstacle for Penn State to finally reach the pinnacle of college hockey.

Penn State hockey fans understood the significance and responded in kind. Easily the biggest game in program history, Allentown was flooded with white sweatshirts as far as the eye could see, with lines forming around the arena nearly an hour before puck drop. 

And, just as they have nearly every game since January, the Nittany Lions rose to the occasion with a dramatic 3-2 win over the Huskies.

Penn State battles back after slow start

Even with the added boost from the capacity crowd, it was another slow start for the Nittany Lions. UConn fired a wrister home off a bad Penn State turnover just about three minutes into the contest. Just as it did Friday in the tournament opener, Penn State trailed very early. 

But unlike Friday, it took Penn State a little longer to respond. Despite coming up fruitless on an early powerplay, the ice continued to tilt in the Nittany Lions’ direction.

Finally, the Blue and White broke through. Dane Dowiak found a loose puck in the slot that he fired over the goaltender’s shoulder to tie the game with around six minutes left in the period. 

Penn State controlled most of the first period, heading to the locker room with a 31-14 shot advantage. 

Another Nittany Lions response

UConn played a much better second period. The Huskies’ forecheck started to give the Nittany Lions problems, and they struggled to get the puck in their zone as a result. The few times Penn State did get into the UConn zone, it couldn’t convert. Eventually, it cost the Nittany Lions when a fluky fluttering puck was redirected past goaltender Arsenii Sergeev to give the Huskies a 2-1 lead. 

However, this time, Penn State didn’t wait long to respond. Just 30 seconds later, JJ Wiebusch continued his hot stretch, picking the top corner to tie the game again. 

The rest of the period was more typical of what you’d expect in a playoff hockey game: a clogged neutral zone with limited offensive chances on the other side. And so, the do-or-die game headed to a do-or-die third period all tied up. 

Dominant UConn third comes up fruitless

UConn played better in the second period. But in the third, the Huskies were perhaps the best team the Nittany Lions had faced all season. The Huskies’ relentless forecheck hemmed Penn State in its own zone for most of the period. UConn kept the puck in its zone for minutes at a time.

Luckily for Penn State hockey, Sergeev stood strong. The Russian netminder and UConn transfer had multiple great saves to rob his former squad of the go-ahead goal. Without his third-period performance, the Nittany Lions would not have even gotten this game to overtime. 

Penn State hockey makes history in OT

© Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2025.

For the second time in three years, Penn State hockey headed to overtime in the NCAA Regional Final. And the way UConn had played over the final 20-plus minutes of game time, the 2025 season seemed destined for the same ending as 2023. Sergeev had to stand on his head – and get some help from the post behind him – to keep the Nittany Lions alive.

Then, during a sustained UConn possession, defenseman Nick Fascia laid a huge hit that exhilarated the Nittany Lions and shifted the momentum. Not long after, Charlie Cerrato used a nifty head fake to deke out a UConn defender and enter the zone. He found a cutting Matt DiMarsico in the slot with a backhand pass. DiMarsico made no mistake and ended the game, sending Penn State hockey to its first-ever Frozen Four. 

“I mean, words can’t really describe it,” a speechless DiMarsico said afterward. 

Now, Guy Gadowsky was able to answer that question from two years ago. He revived a faltering season and helped push the Nittany Lions further to new heights as a program.

“It took a lot of work from a lot of great people,” Gadowsky said.

Penn State hockey will continue its magical run on April 10 against Boston University. The NCAA Semifinal will be played at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, at 8:30 p.m. The winner of that contest advances to the national championship against either Denver or Western Michigan. 

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