Penn State Men’s Hockey Completes Sweep of Notre Dame in Hostile Clash

No. 8 Penn State returned to Pegula Ice Arena on Saturday night to close out a five-game homestand and two-game series against Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions had previously defeated the Fighting Irish 4-1 in a physically intense game the night before, but this time they were without six key skaters: Casey Aman, Mac Gadowsky, Keaton Peters, Charlie Cerrato, Braedon Ford, and Shea Van Olm.

Despite the absence of several players, Penn State showcased their resilience and physicality in a match that saw both teams trade blows. The game featured a combined 15 penalties, but it was Penn State who came away with a 6-3 victory, completing the sweep.

How It Happened

The game started at a blistering pace, with Penn State taking an early lead just 17 seconds into the contest. JJ Wiebusch scored on the first shot of the game with a backhand goal. Minutes later, Jackson Smith added to the lead with his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Jarod Crespo and Aiden Fink, making it 2-0 before Notre Dame even registered two shots.

After a penalty-filled game the previous night, Lev Katzin became the first player to draw a penalty, picking up a minor for holding. Penn State killed off the penalty with ease. However, Carter Schade was called for hooking, giving Notre Dame a power play. The advantage was quickly neutralized when Henry Nelson was called for interference, resulting in 1:43 of 4-on-4 action that yielded no scoring.

Notre Dame finally broke through when Brennan Ali found the back of the net, sneaking a shot over the stick-side shoulder of goaltender Kevin Reidler. Cole Knuble responded 16 seconds later on a defensive turnover, tying the game at 2-2 heading into the first intermission.

Head coach Guy Gadowsky reflected on the first period, saying, “One is a bit of a miscommunication in defending the rush, but the other is something — you always get good information, whether you win or lose. We happened to win, but we have really good information (on how to fix it).”

Second Period: Momentum Shifts

Gavin McKenna broke the stalemate midway through the second period with his fifth goal of the season, assisted by Smith and Fink. The game remained tight as Smith and Knuble exchanged penalties after some extra-curriculars, leading to more 4-on-4 action. A subsequent interference call on Notre Dame defenseman Jaedon Kerr shifted the momentum to 4-on-3 play, allowing Sutter Muzzatti to score an unassisted goal and tie the game once again.

Reese Laubach delivered a thunderous hit along the boards, drawing cheers from the fans but disapproval from the referees, who sent him to the penalty box for boarding. On the penalty kill, Nic Chin-Degraves found daylight and darted into the attack zone before being hooked from behind by Muzzatti, setting up another 4-on-4 situation.

Just before Laubach returned to the ice, Notre Dame’s Michael Mastrodomenico was called for interference, creating a brief 5-on-3 opportunity. Despite the challenges, Penn State maintained control, with Matt DiMarsico scoring a rebound goal, assisted by Wiebusch and Fink, to take a 4-3 lead.

Ben Schoen was sent to the sin bin for the final two minutes of the period, but Reidler stood tall, making several point-blank saves to protect the lead. Gadowsky praised his performance, saying, “He was awesome … we let up grade-A chances and he was awesome. He was really ready to go.”

Third Period: Final Push

The third period began with Wiebusch picking up a penalty, which sparked heavy protests from the crowd. Notre Dame managed just two shots before the teams returned to even strength. Penn State capitalized on the next power play after a hooking call on Kerr, but Smith was penalized for cross-checking, balancing the scales for 42 seconds before a Notre Dame power play.

Nick Chin-Degraves was hit with a violent check behind the net, mirroring a previous boarding call against Penn State, but this time there was no whistle. This led to loud chants from the crowd, including “ref you suck” and “you still suck.”

Despite not having a power play, McKenna scored again moments later for his second goal of the game, assisted by Luke Misa and Fink. Gadowsky noted, “McKenna would much rather set up a teammate for a goal and get one himself, but it was nice to see him get a little hungry to shoot the puck and I think that’s part of the success.”

With under four minutes left, Notre Dame’s Maddox Fleming was called for high sticking, preventing them from pulling their goaltender for an extra skater. Shortly after, Wiebusch was called for boarding, and Nicholas Kempf came out for a 6-on-4 advantage. However, Dane Dowiak scored an empty-net goal, sealing the 6-3 victory.

Team Leaders

• Goals: Gavin McKenna, 2
• Assists: Aiden Fink, 4
• Saves: Kevin Reidler, 27/30

Up Next

Penn State will head on the road for a series against No. 2 Wisconsin next weekend, with games scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24.