Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547107
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 6 4 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M player of that stature on our team, and we're all better off for it. He was awe- some at handling the noise, and we're a much better program because of it, from what we learned." Penn State will be looking to put those lessons to good use this winter. Despite losing a number of offensive mainstays to the professional ranks, the Nittany Lions aim to show that their recent NCAA Tournament success — three tourney appearances in the past four seasons, including a sprint to the Frozen Four in 2025 — can survive a substantial roster overhaul. Coming off a 21-14-2 season that ended with a 3-1 loss to Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA Albany Regional semifinals, Penn State landed at No. 17 in the preseason USCHO poll heading into the 2026-27 campaign. That rank- ing places Gadowsky's team firmly in the national conversation, but with 18 of his 25 players holding either fresh- man or sophomore eligibility, there's plenty to prove. The team's losses were significant. In addition to McKenna, who produced a team-leading 51 points, Penn State also saw forwards Aiden Fink, Matt DiMar- sico and Charlie Cerrato turn pro, along with goaltender Kevin Reidler. Their exits have left PSU with considerable production to replace, but Gadowsky is determined to preserve the Lions' at- tacking personality. "We're going to keep our stripes the way we play," he said at the team's Oct. 6 media session. "I think what you're going to see is scoring by committee." Senior co-captains Reese Laubach and Dane Dowiak provide an experi- enced foundation. Laubach contributed 12 goals and 16 assists last season, push- ing his career totals to 37 goals and 80 points. Dowiak had 9 goals and 9 assists in 27 games before an injury ended his campaign. Sophomore Luke Misa is another key returnee after collecting 8 goals and 11 assists in 37 games, and there's cause for optimism with the arrival of several newcomers. Sophomore Justin Poirier has transferred from Maine after scor- ing 18 goals and totaling 29 points in 27 games last season, giving Penn State a proven finisher. Freshman Kale Dach arrives after a 75-point season with the Western Hockey League's Calgary Hit- men. While the personnel have changed, the approach is the same. The Nittany Lions are going to push the pace on of- fense. "That's Penn State's identity," Dow- iak said. "We want to play fast off the rush. We want to defend the rush, and we want to create transition and go play offense. That's been a thing since the start of the program, and that's one thing we're going to continue doing." On defense, sophomore Jackson Smith is Penn State's cornerstone. His 11 goals last season set a program record for a defenseman, and he finished with 26 points while earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. Seniors Mac Gadowsky and Casey Aman also return to the defense and will look to provide dependable cover- age while maintaining the team's ag- gressive approach. In goal, sophomore Josh Fleming is coming off a season in which he posted a school-record .924 save percentage and 2.61 goals-against average in 20 appear- ances, with one start. Freshman Ryder Fetterolf adds strong competition af- ter earning Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year honors while playing for the Ottawa 67's last season. Penn State opened its season Oct. 9 with a 3-1 loss at No. 15 Connecticut. A 6-3 setback followed at Sacred Heart the next night, setting the stage for PSU's home opener Oct. 16 against No. 7 Quinnipiac. The Big Ten figures to be as tough as ever. Michigan opened at No. 2, Michi- gan State at No. 3, Wisconsin at No. 6 and Minnesota at No. 14. Penn State will be tested early, with road series against the Gophers, Wolverines and Badgers all on tap before Thanksgiving. The front-loaded nature of the schedule will make for a daunting start to the season, but there's a payoff wait- ing in February and March, with six of Penn State's final eight games set to take place at Pegula Ice Arena. Whether the Lions are in NCAA Tournament contention at that point will likely depend on how quickly they can develop their scoring depth. But the long-term future looks bright, in part because of the impact that McK- enna made in his lone season with the program. "I went back to Canada for recruiting, and I never saw more Penn State jerseys in my life than I did this summer," Gad- owsky said. "That's a good thing." ■ 2026-27 ICE HOCKEY SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time/Result Oct. 9 at Connecticut* L, 3-1 Oct. 10 at Sacred Heart* L, 6-3 Oct. 16 QUINNIPIAC 7 p.m. Oct. 20 ROBERT MORRIS 7 p.m. Oct. 23 CANISIUS 7 p.m. Oct. 24 CANISIUS 5 p.m. Oct. 30 at Minnesota TBA Oct. 31 at Minnesota TBA Nov. 6 NOTRE DAME TBA Nov. 7 NOTRE DAME TBA Nov. 13 at Michigan TBA Nov. 14 at Michigan TBA Nov. 20 at Wisconsin TBA Nov. 21 at Wisconsin TBA Nov. 27 PRINCETON 5 p.m. Dec. 10 at Army 7 p.m. Dec. 12 ARMY 5 p.m. Dec. 31 NIAGARA 7 p.m. Jan. 2 at Niagara 7 p.m. Jan. 8 OHIO STATE TBA Jan. 9 OHIO STATE TBA Jan. 15 at Michigan State TBA Jan. 16 at Michigan State TBA Jan. 21 WISCONSIN TBA Jan. 22 WISCONSIN TBA Jan. 29 at Notre Dame 7 p.m. Jan. 30 at Notre Dame TBA Feb. 7 at Robert Morris 2 p.m. Feb. 12 MINNESOTA TBA Feb. 13 MINNESOTA TBA Feb. 19 MICHIGAN STATE TBA Feb. 20 MICHIGAN STATE TBA Feb. 26 at Ohio State TBA Feb. 27 at Ohio State TBA Mar. 4 MICHIGAN TBA Mar. 5 MICHIGAN TBA * Ice Breaker Tournament