The 2024–25 Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey season was the 19th season of play for the program and 12th in the Big Ten Conference. The Nittany Lions represented Penn State University in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, played their home games at Pegula Ice Arena and were coached by Guy Gadowsky in his 13th season.
| 2024–25 Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| NCAA Tournament, National Semifinal | |
| Conference | 5th Big Ten |
| Home ice | Pegula Ice Arena |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | #5 |
| USA Hockey | #5 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 22–14–4 |
| Conference | 9–11–4 |
| Home | 10–4–2 |
| Road | 9–9–1 |
| Neutral | 3–1–1 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Guy Gadowsky |
| Assistant coaches | Keith Fisher Juliano Pagliero Andrew Sturtz |
| Captain | Simon Mack |
| Alternate captain(s) | Jimmy Dowd Carson Dyck |
| Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey seasons « 2023–24 2025–26 » | |
Season
editUnknown quantity
editAfter a forgettable season in '24, Penn State entered this year without much fanfare.[1] While the Nittany Lions did lose several pieces in the offseason, there was hope that the team's biggest weakness, goaltending, had been resolved. Arsenii Sergeev transferred in from Connecticut with the expectation of not only being the starting netminder, but the solution to PSU's problem in goal.
Early on, the returns were good. Sergeev looked like the quality netminder her was billed as throughout October. Penn State went 4–1 with their only loss being a 1-goal defeat at the hands of perennial power Quinnipiac. Once the team began its conference schedule, the Lions first ran into one of the championship favorites in Minnesota. Sergeev performed well in the series, allowing 3 goals on 45 shots. Unfortunately, Penn State's offense failed to provide him any support and the team lost both games. Sergeev's first blemish came the following week when he was lit up by Wisconsin in an overtime loss but that was hardly enough to cause him to lose his starting job.
Injury
editIn the rematch with the Badgers, Sergeev allowed two early goals and was removed just 4:14 into the match. He was later revealed to have suffered a lower body injury and would be out until the beginning of January.[2] Noah Grannan assumed control of the crease but he proved ill-suited to the role. Grannan surrendered a further 4 goals to the Badgers in the club's fourth consecutive loss. After a week to prepare for being a starter, Grannan continued to stumble in goal, allowing 6 to Michigan in the first game. The rematch was even worse with the Wolverines collecting 7 goals before the backup was pulled in favor of John Seifarth, who only recently been promoted from the school's club team. Seifarth allowed the final three goals of the match but was finally able to arrest PSU's slide by winning both games the following weekend.
Seifarth retained control of the goal for the rest of the first half and proved to be a stabilizing force in goal. However, the offense once more failed to appear and the Lions were swept by Ohio State at the beginning of December. Though the team managed to go into the break with a win in the inaugural Capital Hockey Classic,[3] the Nittany Lions' season was already on life support. Penn State lost all eight of their conference games in the first half and that left them wallowing at the bottom of the standings. The only saving grace for the team was that they had compiled a stellar non-conference record (7–1) which kept them hovering near the middle of the PairWise rankings. However, with the team facing down a heavy dose of Big Ten teams in the second half, Penn State was going nowhere unless they figured out how to overcome their conference rivals.
Sergeev returns
editPenn State was back on the ice at the beginning of January at Wrigley Field as part of the Frozen Confines series. Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, Sergeev had recovered from his injury on time and he was ready to go for the second half of the year. From that point on, PSU's season was largely in the hands of the Russian netminder and he did everything he could to keep their faint postseason hopes alive. After backstopping the team to their first conference win on the 5th, Sergeev was able to resist one of the strongest team's in the country and earn a partial split against Michigan State.
Around this time, Penn State started seeing improvements on the offensive side as well. Aiden Fink had been a consistent contributor throughout the year, posting 23 points in the first half, but he was beginning to get additional aid in after the new year. Two freshmen, Charlie Cerrato and J. J. Wiebusch, had recorded respectable numbers over the first half of the year as the two grew accustomed to the college game (23 combined points). After getting a semester under their belts, the two exploded in the second half of the year and together added an additional 52 points to finish 2nd and 3rd in team scoring behind Fink. The increased scoring paired well with the stable goaltending the team was receiving and Penn State was soon one of the hottest teams in the nation.
Resurrection
editThe Nittany Lions completely turned their season around in the second half, piling up win after win against several ranked teams. Over the final seven weeks of the year, PSU went 10–2–2, which included a 6–2–2 record against ranked opponents. The stretch allowed Penn State to jump in the PairWise from the mid-30 up into the top-16 by the end of the regular season. When their schedule was complete, Penn State had a golden opportunity to earn an at-large bid but they still had some work to do. Due to their horrid start, the Lions finished 5th in the Big Ten standings and would have to start their postseason chase on the road. While being matched against Michigan was hardly advantageous, it did give the Lions their best chance to assure themselves of a postseason berth. At the time, Penn State was 14th in the rankings, putting them in the final open spot for the tournament, barring tournament upsets. Michigan was three placed ahead, meaning that not only would Penn State receive a sizable boost to their ranking if they won the series, but they could also leap frog the Wolverines with a win in the quarterfinals.
Big Ten Playoffs
editWith both teams knowing that their seasons could be on the line, the Lions got off to a quick start and scored three goals in the opening period. Knowing how potent Michigan's offense was, Penn State tried to outskate their opponents and limit the Wolverines opportunities. Unfortunately, even Penn State got into penalty trouble and Michigan was able to tie the match by the early part of the third. Wiebusch tried to be the hero by scoring two goals in the middle of the period but Michigan managed to tie the game in less than 7 minutes and forced the match into overtime. PSU got back onto the power play in the extra session and Wiebusch was able to finish off his hat-trick with Cerrato and Fink assisting on the winning goal.[4]
After escaping with a win, Penn State looked far better in the rematch and they were able to overpower Michigan in the first two periods. The Nittany Lions double up the Wolverines in goals and had a sizable advantage in shots (31–19). The team pulled back in the third, playing a defensive game that forced Michigan into having to settle for low-percentage shots, all of which Sergeev was able to stop. The final goal of the match came from Cerrato on a penalty shot and the Lions skated away with a huge result for their playoff aspirations.[5]
In the semifinals, Penn State faced Ohio State and got off to a sluggish start. After falling behind in the first, PSU was able to get into the lead thanks to Wiebusch and their power play in the second. However, the Buckeyes refused to knuckle-under and just past the midpoint of the third, OSU was back in front. Matt DiMarsico's 14th of the year knotted the score for the fourth time that night and the two continued to battle for the winning tally but overtime was ultimately required. Ohio State's defense was smothering in the extra session, holding Penn State to just a single shot in over 14 minutes of game time. With the team completely unable to get its offense going, there was little chance the Lions had to win the match and, sure enough, the Buckeyes were able to collect the winning goal on their 42nd shot of the match.[6]
NCAA tournament
editWhile the loss didn't help Penn State, the team's sweep of Michigan earned them the #12 spot in the final PairWise rankings. More, the Big Ten and Hockey East championship games both were full of teams ahead of Penn State in the rankings. This meant that the Penn State was assured a spot in the tournament regardless of the conference tournament results.[7] After such an arduous stretch of games, Penn State was able to relax for a week and prepare themselves for a run at the national title.
With Penn State serving as the host for the Allentown Regional, they were automatically placed in that bracket and set against #3 overall-Maine. The team looked a little rusty at the start, allowing the Black Bears to open the scoring thanks to a crazy bounce. After that, Penn State took control of the match an remained in charge for the rest of the match. The Lions scored three goals before the end of the first, two on the power play, and prevented the Bears from getting anything going on offense. The Lions were able to sit back and wait for their chances thanks to their lead and scored twice more over the final two periods to win the game with relative ease.[8]
Their second match saw the team pitted against Connecticut, giving Sergeev a chance to face off against his former club. Penn State shot out of the gate and fired a barrage on the UConn cage in the first but they were only able to get out of the period with a 1–1 draw. The Huskies got into the lead midway through the second but Wiebusch was quick to respond, tying the match just 30 seconds later. After that, the Huskies slowly began to take over the game and forced Sergeev to make save after save just to keep the Lions in the match. Fortunately for PSU, their goaltender was up to the task and no further goals were scored in regulation. Connecticut continued to dictate the pace of play in overtime and doubled the Lions' shot total. Sergeev was kept busy, stopping several quality scoring chances in the extra frame. Nearing the end of the period, the Cerrato was able to turn the puck over at the UConn blueline ad skate into the zone. He found DiMarsico in the high slot with a behind-the-back pass and the sophomore ripped a shot into the cage for the game-winner.[9]
Frozen Four
editThe victory sent Penn State to the program's first Frozen Four and gave them a showdown with Boston University for the right to head to the championship game. The Terriers, however, had not only ben to the past two national semifinals but were a much more talented team, at least on paper. Penn State who had won so many of their recent games thanks to the speed and tenacity of their lineup, found themselves struggling with the even greater tempo used by BU. The Lions were only able to fire 15 shots on goal in the first two periods and entered the final period down 0–2. The Lions threw everything they had at Boston University in the third. Nicholas DeGraves cut the lead in half just over 2 minutes into the frame and proceeded to pump shot after shot towards the BU cage. The Terriers bent but never broke and, as time began to wind down, the Nittany Lions were forced to pull their goaltender for an extra attacker. DiMarsico nearly found the tying goal under the arm of the opposing netminder but it was not to be for the Nittany Lions. WIth about a minute to play, BU was able to collect an empty-net goal that put the match out of reach and the best season in the short history of the program was over.[10]
Departures
edit| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Berger | Defenseman |  United States | Graduation (signed with Maine Mariners) |
| Jacques Bouquot | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Reading Royals) |
| Doug Dorr | Goaltender | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Dylan Gratton | Defenseman | United States | Transferred to Omaha |
| Ryan Kirwan | Forward | United States | Transferred to Arizona State |
| Xander Lamppa | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Maine Mariners) |
| Chase McLane | Forward | United States | Graduate transfer to Colorado College |
| Tanner Palocsik | Defenseman | United States | Graduation (signed with Toledo Walleye) |
| Christian Sarlo | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Maine Mariners) |
| Liam Soulière | Goaltender |  Canada | Graduate transfer to Minnesota |
Recruiting
edit| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Cerrato | Forward | United States | 19 | Fallston, MD |
| Cade Christenson | Defenseman | Canada | 19 | Edmonton, AB |
| Nicholas Degraves | Forward | Canada | 21 | Edmonton, AB |
| Nicholas Fascia | Defenseman | United States | 19 | Blackwood, NJ |
| Braedon Ford | Forward | United States | 20 | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Jason Gallucci | Defenseman | United States | 20 | Robbinsville, NJ |
| Andrew Kuzma | Forward | United States | 19 | New York, NY |
| Keaton Peters | Forward | United States | 20 | Sussex, WI |
| John Seifarth | Goaltender | United States | 21 | Pittsburgh, PA; joined from club team |
| Arsenii Sergeev | Goaltender |  Russia | 21 | Yaroslavl, RUS; transfer from Connecticut |
| J. J. Wiebusch | Forward | United States | 20 | River Falls, WI |
Roster
editAs of September 5, 2024.[11]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  |
Carter Schade | Junior | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-03-07 | Mars, Pennsylvania | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 3 | |
Casey Aman | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-01-15 | Johnstown, Pennsylvania | Powell River Kings (BCHL) | — |
| 4 | |
Simon Mack (C) | Senior | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-03-29 | Brockville, Ontario | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | — |
| 6 | |
Jimmy Dowd Jr. (A) | Graduate | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 161 lb (73 kg) | 2000-07-09 | Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey | Chicago Steel (USHL) | — |
| 7 | |
Carson Dyck (A) | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-06-07 | Lethbridge, Alberta | Okotoks Oilers (AJHL) | — |
| 8 | |
Alex Servagno | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2002-06-16 | Gibsonia, Pennsylvania | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — |
| 9 | |
Keaton Peters | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2004-05-01 | Sussex, Wisconsin | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 10 | |
Nick Fascia | Freshman | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2005-04-28 | Blackwood, New Jersey | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) | — |
| 11 | |
Andrew Kuzma | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2005-01-29 | New York, New York | Madison Capitols (USHL) | — |
| 12 | |
Ben Schoen | Senior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 150 lb (68 kg) | 2002-05-18 | Maumee, Ohio | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — |
| 13 | |
Danny Dzhaniyev | Senior | F | 5' 5" (1.65 m) | 150 lb (68 kg) | 2002-09-15 | Brooklyn, New York | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | — |
| 14 | |
Matt DiMarsico | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2004-01-07 | Wexford, Pennsylvania | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — |
| 15 | |
Charlie Cerrato | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2005-03-10 | Fallston, Maryland | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | — |
| 16 | |
Dylan Lugris | Senior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2001-06-23 | Buffalo, New York | New Jersey Hitmen (NCDC) | — |
| 17 | |
Nicholas DeGraves | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2003-05-19 | Edmonton, Alberta | Brooks Bandits (BCHL) | — |
| 18 | |
Aiden Fink | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 2004-11-24 | Calgary, Alberta | Brooks Bandits (AJHL) | NSH, 218th overall 2023 |
| 19 | |
Dane Dowiak | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-03-27 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — |
| 20 | |
J. J. Wiebusch | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2004-02-20 | River Falls, Wisconsin | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | — |
| 21 | |
Braedon Ford | Freshman | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 168 lb (76 kg) | 2004-01-19 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | — |
| 22 | |
Jason Gallucci | Freshman | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2004-04-22 | Robbinsville, New Jersey | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — |
| 23 | |
Tyler Paquette | Graduate | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2001-03-18 | Collegeville, Pennsylvania | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — |
| 24 | |
Jarod Crespo | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-04-30 | Seven Lakes, North Carolina | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — |
| 27 | |
Cade Christenson | Freshman | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2004-11-02 | Edmonton, Alberta | Sherwood Park Crusaders (BCHL) | — |
| 29 | |
Reese Laubach | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2003-11-20 | San Jose, California | Omaha Lancers (USHL) | SJS, 217th overall 2022 |
| 30 | |
John Seifarth | Junior | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2003-11-13 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Avonworth High School (USHS–PA) | — |
| 33 | |
Noah Grannan | Junior | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-04-27 | Germantown, Wisconsin | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | — |
| 35 | |
Arsenii Sergeev | Junior | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2002-12-16 | Yaroslavl, Russia | Connecticut (HEA) | CGY, 205th overall 2021 |
Standings
edit| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | |||
| #6 Michigan State †* | 24 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 92 | 60 | 37 | 26 | 7 | 4 | 129 | 77 | ||
| #9 Minnesota † | 24 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 87 | 62 | 40 | 25 | 11 | 4 | 154 | 101 | ||
| #11 Ohio State | 24 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 72 | 62 | 40 | 24 | 14 | 2 | 127 | 106 | ||
| #17 Michigan | 24 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 36 | 76 | 83 | 36 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 112 | 118 | ||
| #5 Penn State | 24 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 33 | 78 | 88 | 40 | 22 | 14 | 4 | 139 | 120 | ||
| Wisconsin | 24 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 27 | 64 | 77 | 37 | 13 | 21 | 3 | 108 | 110 | ||
| Notre Dame | 24 | 4 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 60 | 97 | 38 | 12 | 25 | 1 | 102 | 127 | ||
| Championship: March 22, 2025 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll | ||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
edit| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| October 5 | 11:07 pm | at Alaska* | Carlson Center • Fairbanks, Alaska | FloHockey | Sergeev | W 4–3 OT | 2,242 | 1–0–0 | |||
| October 6 | 9:07 pm | at Alaska* | Carlson Center • Fairbanks, Alaska | FloHockey | Sergeev | W 5–0 | 1,925 | 2–0–0 | |||
| October 12 | 7:00 pm | at #8 Quinnipiac* | M&T Bank Arena • Hamden, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Sergeev | L 2–3 | 3,477 | 2–1–0 | |||
| October 25 | 7:00 pm | St. Lawrence* | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | W 3–2 | 6,292 | 3–1–0 | ||||
| October 26 | 4:00 pm | St. Lawrence* | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | W 3–1 | 6,141 | 4–1–0 | ||||
| November 1 | 8:00 pm | at #4 Minnesota | #18 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | Sergeev | L 1–3 | 8,351 | 4–2–0 (0–1–0) | |||
| November 2 | 8:00 pm | at #4 Minnesota | #18 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | Sergeev | L 0–1 | 8,872 | 4–3–0 (0–2–0) | |||
| November 15 | 7:00 pm | Wisconsin | #18 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | L 4–5 OT | 6,315 | 4–4–0 (0–3–0) | |||
| November 16 | 7:00 pm | Wisconsin | #18 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Grannan | L 3–6 | 6,348 | 4–5–0 (0–4–0) | |||
| November 22 | 7:00 pm | #5т Michigan | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Grannan | L 5–6 | 5,592 | 4–6–0 (0–5–0) | ||||
| November 23 | 7:30 pm | #5т Michigan | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Grannan | L 6–10 | 5,919 | 4–7–0 (0–6–0) | ||||
| November 26 | 6:00 pm | Colgate* | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Seifarth | W 2–3 | 5,165 | 5–7–0 | ||||
| November 27 | 4:30 pm | Colgate* | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Seifarth | W 7–1 | 5,376 | 6–7–0 | ||||
| December 6 | 7:30 pm | at #17 Ohio State | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | BTN | Seifarth | L 0–4 | 3,875 | 6–8–0 (0–7–0) | |||
| December 7 | 7:00 pm | at #17 Ohio State | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | Seifarth | L 2–4 | 4,934 | 6–9–0 (0–8–0) | ||||
| December 12 | 8:00 pm | vs. Army* | Capital One Arena • Washington, D. C. (Capital Hockey Classic) | Seifarth | W 4–1 | 3,000 | 7–9–0 | ||||
| January 3 | 8:30 pm | vs. Notre Dame | Wrigley Field • Chicago, Illinois (Frozen Confines) | BTN | Sergeev | T 3–3 SOL | 25,709 | 7–9–1 (0–8–1) | |||
| January 5 | 5:00 pm | at Notre Dame | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana | Peacock | Sergeev | W 3–0 | 5,027 | 8–9–1 (1–8–1) | |||
| January 10 | 7:00 pm | #1 Michigan State | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | L 6–4 | 5,665 | 8–10–1 (1–9–1) | ||||
| January 11 | 6:00 pm | #1 Michigan State | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | T 2–2 SOW | 6,020 | 8–10–2 (1–9–2) | ||||
| January 17 | 7:00 pm | Canisius* | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | W 4–0 | 6,310 | 9–10–2 | ||||
| January 18 | 5:00 pm | Canisius* | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | W 3–2 | 6,573 | 10–10–2 | ||||
| January 24 | 7:00 pm | #9 Ohio State | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | T 6–6 SOW | 6,569 | 10–10–3 (1–9–3) | ||||
| January 25 | 5:00 pm | #9 Ohio State | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | W 3–2 OT | 6,604 | 11–10–3 (2–9–3) | ||||
| January 31 | 7:00 pm | at #13 Michigan | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | Sergeev | W 5–4 | 5,800 | 12–10–3 (3–9–3) | ||||
| February 1 | 6:00 pm | at #13 Michigan | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | Sergeev | L 3–7 | 5,800 | 12–11–3 (3–10–3) | ||||
| February 7 | 8:00 pm | at #19 Wisconsin | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | Sergeev | W 2–0 | 10,071 | 13–11–3 (4–10–3) | ||||
| February 8 | 7:00 pm | at #19 Wisconsin | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | Sergeev | W 6–2 | 12,446 | 14–11–3 (5–10–3) | ||||
| February 14 | 7:00 pm | Notre Dame | #18 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | W 5–3 | 6,606 | 15–11–3 (6–10–3) | |||
| February 15 | 5:00 pm | Notre Dame | #18 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | Sergeev | W 3–2 | 6,589 | 16–11–3 (7–10–3) | |||
| February 21 | 6:00 pm | at #1 Michigan State | #18 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan | Sergeev | T 2–2 SOW | 6,555 | 16–11–4 (7–10–4) | |||
| February 22 | 6:00 pm | at #1 Michigan State | #18 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan | Sergeev | W 3–2 | 6,555 | 17–11–4 (8–10–4) | |||
| February 28 | 8:30 pm | #2 Minnesota | #15 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | Sergeev | W 4–3 OT | 6,577 | 18–11–4 (9–10–4) | ||
| March 1 | 8:00 pm | #2 Minnesota | #15 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | Sergeev | L 3–5 | 6,570 | 18–12–4 (9–11–4) | ||
| Big Ten Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 7 | 7:00 pm | at #11 Michigan | #15 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, MI (Quarterfinals Game 1) | B1G+ | Sergeev | W 6–5 OT | 4,734 | 19–12–4 | ||
| March 8 | 7:00 pm | at #11 Michigan | #15 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan (Quarterfinals Game 2) | B1G+ | Sergeev | W 5–2 | 5,341 | 20–12–4 | ||
| March 15 | 8:30 pm | at #10 Ohio State | #11 | Nationwide Arena • Columbus, Ohio (Semifinals) | BTN | Sergeev | L 3–4 OT | 2,900 | 20–13–4 | ||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 28 | 8:30 pm | vs. #4 Maine* | #12 | PPL Center • Allentown, Pennsylvania (Regional Semifinal) | ESPN2 | Sergeev | W 5–1 | 7,358 | 21–13–4 | ||
| March 30 | 4:30 pm | vs. #7 Connecticut* | #12 | PPL Center • Allentown, Pennsylvania (Regional Final) | ESPN2 | Sergeev | W 3–2 OT | 6,933 | 22–13–4 | ||
| April 10 | 8:30 pm | vs. #8 Boston University* | #12 | Enterprise Center • St. Louis, Missouri (National Semifinal) | ESPN2 | Sergeev | L 1–3 | 22–14–4 | |||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source:[12] | |||||||||||
NCAA tournament
editRegional semifinal
edit| March 28, 2025 8:30 pm | (1) Maine | 1–5 (1–3, 0–1, 0–1) | (4) Penn State | PPL Center Attendance: 7,358 |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albin Boija | Goalies | Arsenii Sergeev | Referees: C. J. Hanafin Cameron Lynch Linesmen: Patrick Dapuzzo John Rey | |||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 min | Penalties | 4 min | ||||||||||||||||||
| 27 | Shots | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Game summary |
| The final game of the First Round began fast with both teams looking to prove themselves early. After a few rushes by both sides, the puck came to into the Maine zone about 2 minutes in. While no scoring chance occurred, Reese Laubach took a high crosscheck and crashed to the ice next to the net. After he skated off with an apparent injury, the Bears pushed the puck up the ice and established themselves in the zone. They got the puck to the front of the net and while the puck was slapped away by Keaton Peters, it deflected up into the air, arced over the shoulder of Arsenii Sergeev and landed in the net. The goal had a lengthy official review and determined that the hit on Laubach was not worthy of a major penalty and allowed the goal to stand. When play resumed, Penn State got right into the offensive zone and Albin Boija was forced to stop a pair of chances in quick succession. Just before the 50-minute mark, the PSU attack drew the game's first penalty when Thomas Freel was handed a boarding minor. Less than 10 seconds later, a cross crease pass gave J. J. Wiebusch a clear shot at a goal and he quickly tied the game. The fast pace continued after the goal and the teams alternated chances and both forechecked hard. Near the middle of the frame, Maine once again went a little over the line and Charlie Russell was handed a boarding penalty. The Nittany Lions carried the play in the early part of the man-advantage but Maine was able to keep them from scoring. In the second half of the penalty, Maine was able to get a glorious shorthanded chance but Owen Fowler's shot was deflected wide. A few seconds later, Charlie Cerrato was handed a boarding penalty and ended the PSU power play 30 seconds early. The brief 4-on-4 play saw both teams try to gain the upper hand but the defenses held. Once the Maine power play began, the Bears quickly got set up in the offensive zone but they had trouble getting the puck through to the net. Sergeev only had to make one save late and the Lions killed off the remainder of the time. Shortly afterwards, Taylor Makar rushed the puck deep into the Black Bears' end but he took a spill and crashed into the boards. Luckily, he got right back to his feet and looked to have escaped injury. With about 6 minutes to play, the referees missed what appeared to be a high-sticking penalty by Maine. Instead of complaining, Penn State skated right down the ice and got the puck to a streaking Matt DiMarsico. The forward fought off a hook from the defense and then fired the puck high into the far corner. On the return to action, Dylan Lugris was handed a minor for slashing to give Maine its second man-advantage. Furious work from both sides saw the Bears fire several shots on goal but in their zeal to keep the pressure on, Freel committed a hooking penalty on an attempted clear and it was Maine's turn to lose it power play early. The Lions spent most of their man-advantage struggling to find room but, just as it was winding down, Penn State fired the uck towards the net and the puck deflected in off of Dane Dowiak skate. Maine challenged the play for offsides but the officials allowed the goal to stand. Once play resumed the speed increased, if anything. Both teams played hard until the horn sounded but it was Penn State that carried the balance of play.
The second period began with Maine skating fast and trying to break into the Penn State zone while the Nittany Lions countered with a more reserved attack. PSU was content to wait for their opportunities and they were rewarded with a breakaway just two minutes in but Boija was able to stop Aiden Fink with his glove. The Black Bears shook off the near-miss and continued to pressure Penn State but were unable to find the net. Just past the 5-minute mark, David Breazeale threw a blind pass behind his own net but the only one in the area was Charlie Cerrato. The Lion forward found DiMarsico in front of the net and the sophomore made no mistake, burying his second of the night into the top corner. With a 3-goal lead now, Penn State had little reason to go away from their defense-first game even with half of the match still to be played. Despite Maine pressing hard in the offensive zone, the Lions counterattack was getting the better chances and Boija had to work just to keep his team in the match. Maine was almost able to get one back with about 7 minutes to play when the puck bounced out of Sergeev's glove but it slid past the outside of the post. Physical play afterwards saw both teams throwing the body around and Dowiak was slow to get up. Shortly after, Cerrato crashed into Boija, hitting the goaltender high and nocking his head into the post. After an injury stoppage, the Swede was able to continue. Neither team shied away from contact as Manie tried to force their way into the Penn State end but the Nittany Lions would not oblige. PSU's patience continued to be rewarded with the best chances and Cerrato was inches away from finding a goal with 2 minutes to play but the angle on his shot was just a little off. The final moments passed by with little effect and had Penn State up by three going into the final period. Almost as soon as the players got back onto the ice the hitting resumed. Early on, Maine was finally able to establish some offensive zone time and on their second entry they were able to get some scoring chances on goal. Penn State nearly countered with a 2-on-0 but the puck ended up rolling into the corner. Past the 5-minute mark, Bodie Nobes crashed into his own net, taking out Boija and Fink in the process, but no one was injured on the play. As time ticked away, Maine's chances at getting back into the game became increasingly remote. As the period progressed, Penn State seemed to be getting stronger and didn't allow Maine to stay in their zone for long. Near the middle of the period, Nicholas DeGraves got the puck right in the slot in front of the Maine net. His shot went wide but concurrent with the chance he was hit hard by Makar and crashed to the ice in pain. Despite protests from the Penn State bench, no penalty was called on the play. Maine began upping their offensive pressure and was able to get the puck deep into the PSU zone but the Nittany Lions' defense blocked a pair of opportunities. About a minute later, Josh Nadeau took a slashing penalty, costing Maine vital time that they could ill afford. However, just like Penn State had earlier, Maine was able to get a few solid shorthanded chances on Sergeev As they were going for a third scoring chance, Harrison Scott was called for crosschecking and put Maine on the defensive for another 2 minutes. Boija was forced to make several stellar saves during the extended power play but did not allow the Lions to score. Back at even strength, Maine had just 6 minutes remaining to find 3 goals but still found it difficult to fight through the Penn State defense. After forcing an offensive zone draw, Boija was pulled for an extra attacker giving the Bears 6 skaters with just over 4 minutes to play. However, despite their best efforts, Penn State was able to turn over the puck and Dowiak was able to skate down the ice and deposit his second of the night into an open goal. The game calmed down a little after the marker but Maine continued to skate, refusing to knuckle under in spite of the score. The final minutes were completed without too many fireworks and ended with Penn State as the clear victor. |
Regional final
edit| March 30, 2025 4:30 pm | (2) Connecticut | 2–3 (OT) (1–1, 1–1, 0–0, 1–0) | (4) Penn State | PPL Center Attendance: 6,933 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callum Tung | Goalies | Arsenii Sergeev | Referees: Ryan Hersey Nathan Wieler Linesmen: Eric Contino Tyler Liffrig | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| 4 min | Penalties | 4 min | |||||||||||||||
| 44 | Shots | 41 | |||||||||||||||
| Game summary |
National semifinal
edit| April 10, 2025 7:30 pm | (T2) Boston University | 3–1 (0–0, 2–0, 1–1) | (A4) Penn State | Enterprise Center Attendance: 16,814 |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikhail Yegorov | Goalies | Arsenii Sergeev | Referees: Ryan Hersey Nathan Wieler Linesmen: Tyler Liffrig Erik Contino | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| 4 min min | Penalties | 6 min min | ||||||||||||
| 33 | Shots | 33 | ||||||||||||
| Game summary |
Scoring statistics
edit| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Fink | RW | 40 | 23 | 30 | 53 | 12 |
| Charlie Cerrato | C | 38 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 58 |
| J. J. Wiebusch | F | 40 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 14 |
| Matt DiMarsico | F | 39 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 30 |
| Danny Dzhaniyev | F | 40 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 4 |
| Reese Laubach | C | 35 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 59 |
| Simon Mack | D | 40 | 3 | 27 | 30 | 6 |
| Dane Dowiak | C/LW | 40 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 20 |
| Ben Schoen | C | 37 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 27 |
| Dylan Lugris | F | 34 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 6 |
| Jimmy Dowd | D | 27 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 21 |
| Nicholas Degraves | F | 33 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Cade Christenson | D | 39 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
| Carter Schade | D | 35 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 26 |
| Tyler Paquette | C/RW | 38 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 12 |
| Jarod Crespo | D | 36 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| Casey Aman | D | 36 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| Keaton Peters | F | 35 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Carson Dyck | F | 28 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Nicholas Fascia | D | 27 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| Arsenii Sergeev | G | 33 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Braedon Ford | F | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| Alex Servagno | F | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Jason Gallucci | D | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Noah Grannan | G | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Seifarth | G | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 139 | 239 | 378 | 389 |
Goaltending statistics
editRankings
edit| Poll | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 (Final) | |
| USCHO.com | RV | RV | RV | RV | 18 | 19 | 18 | RV | RV | RV | NR | NR | – | NR | NR | NR | RV | RV | RV | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 12 | – | 5 |
| USA Hockey | RV | RV | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 | RV | NR | NR | NR | NR | – | NR | NR | NR | NR | RV | RV | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 5 |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 12 or 26.[14]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.
Awards and honors
edit| Player | Award | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Aiden Fink | AHCA All-American West Second Team | [15] |
| Aiden Fink | All-Big Ten First Team | [16] |
| Arsenii Sergeev | All-Big Ten Second Team | [16] |
| Simon Mack | ||
| Cade Christenson | Big Ten All-Rookie Team | [16] |
| Charlie Cerrato | ||
| J. J. Wiebusch | Big Ten All-Tournament Team | [17] |
Players drafted into the NHL
edit| Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Jackson Smith † | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| 2 | 49 | Charlie Cerrato | Carolina Hurricanes |
| 4 | 128 | Shea Busch † | Florida Panthers |
| 7 | 201 | Kale Dach † | Pittsburgh Penguins |
† incoming freshman [18]
References
edit- ↑ "Big Ten Conference Announces Hockey Preseason Honors". Big Ten. September 20, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Second Half Momentum Fueled by Record-Setting Season from Goaltender Arsenii Sergeev". Penn State Nittany Lions. February 14, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Hockey Falls 4-1 to Penn State in Inaugural Capital Hockey Classic". Army Black Knights. December 12, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Michigan vs Penn State - NCAA College Hockey - Highlights - March 07, 2025". YouTube. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Michigan vs Penn State - NCAA College Hockey - Highlights - March 08, 2025". YouTube. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Penn State vs. Ohio State - Highlights - Big Ten Hockey - 03/15/2025". YouTube. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Men's Division I PairWise Rankings". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ↑ "Penn State vs Maine - NCAA College Hockey - Highlights - March 28, 2025". YouTube. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Penn State vs UConn - NCAA College Hockey - Highlights - March 30, 2025". YouTube. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Boston U. vs. Penn State: 2025 Men's Frozen Four semifinal highlights". YouTube. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ↑ "2024–25 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ↑ "2024-25 Men's Ice Hockey Schedule". Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ↑ "Penn State Univ. 2024-2025 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ↑ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ↑ "Men's CCM/AHCA Hockey Division I All-Americans Announced". ACHA. April 11, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Big Ten Conference Announces Hockey Postseason Awards". BigTen.org. March 18, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Michigan State Wins the Big Ten Hockey Tournament". BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. March 23, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ↑ "NCAA player rankings, selections in 2025 NHL Draft". USCHO.com. Retrieved June 29, 2025.