Shootout Friday Highlighted by No. 2 Michigan's Showdown with No. 6 Penn State: Puck Drop

Was there something in the air with college hockey on Friday night? Ok, how about in the ice? With the the regular season winding down and push coming to shove in the pursuit of conference championships, 11 games were decided in a shootout, with another seven won in overtime between the men and women combined.

That included the marquee matchup of the night, No. 6 Penn State at No. 2 Michigan, neither team could afford to miss out on any points with No. 1 Michigan State having the cleaerest path to finishing first in the Big Ten.

Michigan's Michael Hage scored on Michigan's first attempt, and goaltender Jack Ivankovic turned aside all three Penn State shooters including Gavin McKenna to give the Wolverines the second point in the standings. With it, Michigan moved back into first place with 40 points in 19 Big Ten games, while MSU, which is off this weekend, has 39 points in 18 games, and Penn State has 33 in 17.

On the final weekend of the Big Ten season, Michigan State will be at Minnesota for a final series knowing exactly how many points it'll need, while Michigan is off.

Hage had three assists while T.J. Hughes scored twice to lead Michigan (23-5-1, 14-4-1 Big Ten). Ivankovic made 38 saves. Shots were almost even, 38-37 in favor of the Nittany Lions (18-8-1, 10-6-1), but Penn State was called for 31 penalty minutes compared to just 14 for the home team.

Jackson Smith scored twice to set the Penn State single-season record for goals buy a defenseman (10). Reese Laubach and Nicholas Chin-DeGraves also scored for the Nittany Lions.

No. 2 @umichhockey survives the shootout vs. No. 6 Penn State with three straight saves from Jack Ivankovic 👏 pic.twitter.com/yJZbQxnmxx
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) February 14, 2026

Puck Drop: Saturday, February 14, 2026

• Grace Dwyer's overtime goal gave Cornell a 4-3 overtime victory over St. Lawrence, but with No. 8 Princeton losing to Yale the No. 11 Big Red clinched its third straight and 18th Ivy League title. However, with the 2-0 victory Yale won its 14th straight game and with one game remaining in the regular season moved into first place in the ECAC with 45 points. The Bulldogs play at No. 7 Quinnipiac (43 points) on Saturday, while Princeton (44 points), hosts Brown.

NO BETTER FEELING.#YellCornell x #LGR pic.twitter.com/KFpdtT1cKF
— Cornell Women's Ice Hockey (@CornellWHockey) February 14, 2026

• If you think the ECAC standings are tight on the women's side, check out the men. Following Friday's games, Quinnipiac, Cornell and Dartmouth were all tied for first with 38 points. They're ranked No. 5, 9, and 12, respectively, in last week's polls, but No. 7, 9 and 8 in the National Collegiate Percentage (NPI) Index.

• New Hampshire received a commitment from left wing Nicky Romeo, who has 19 goals and 17 assists in 43 games this season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL). ... Defenseman Parker Alcos, a 2024 draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks, committed to Quinnipiac. He has 22 points in 46 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings and Kelowna Rockets (WHL) this season ... Meanwhile, Ryan Sikes of Puck Preps reported that goaltender Will Prowse is no longer committed to Princeton. He has a 2.54 GAA and .913 save percentage in 32 appearances with the Lincoln Stars.

Some other commitments:
Connor Dale, C, Tri-City Americans (WHL), Merrimack College
Melvin Ekman, C, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL), Minnesota State
Luka Rohloff, D, Tri-City Storm (USHL), Bemidji State
Måns Toresson, C, Frölunda HC U20, Lake Superior State
Hudson Darby, RW, Swift Current Broncos (WHL), Ferris State
Will Tomko, C, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL), Ohio State
Neilan Johnson, G, The Hotchkiss School, Northeastern
Benjamin Brunelle, LW, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL), Canisius
Noah Mazzola, D, Seacoast Performance Academy 16U, Quinnipiac
Weston Cameron, C Kitchener Rangers (OHL), UMass
Niklas Gudmundson, C, Winkler Flyers (MJHL), Northern Michigan

• Semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award, for most outstanding goaltender in college hockey, were announced:

Trey Augustine, Jr., Michigan State
Alexis Cournoyer, Fr., Cornell
Emmett Croteau, Jr., Dartmouth
Michael Hrabal, Jr., Massachusetts
Jack Ivankovic, Fr., Michigan
Josh Kotai, Jr., Augustana
Tyler Muszelik, Sr., Connecticut
Jan Spunar, Fr., North Dakota
Alex Tracy, Sr., Minnesota State
Lawton Zacher, Jr., Northeastern

Men's College Hockey Friday Scores

AHA
Niagara 5, Robert Morris 2
Holy Cross 4, Canisius 3
Sacred Heart 4, Bentley 0
Mercyhurst 3, Air Force 3 (SO, Mercyhurst wins shootout 3-2)

Big Ten
No. 6 Penn State 4, No. 2 Michigan 4 (SO, Michigan wins shootout 1-0)
No. 13 Wisconsin 4, Ohio State 2
Minnesota 2, Notre Dame 2 (SO, Minnesota wins shootout 2-1)

CCHA
Northern Michigan 4, Ferris State 4 (SO, Ferris St. wins shootout 1-0)
No. 17 Michigan Tech 2, Lake Superior 2 (SO, Lake Superior wins shootout 1-0)
No. 16 Minnesota State 1, Bemidji State 0
Bowling Green 1, No. 18 Augustana 0

ECAC
Harvard 2, Brown 2 (SO, Brown wins shootout 2-1)
No. 9 Cornell 1, RPI 1 (SO, Cornell wins shootout, 2-1)
Union 7, Colgate 6
No. 12 Dartmouth 4, Yale 4 (SO, Dartmouth wins shootout 1-0)

Hockey East
No. 11 Connecticut 2, Maine 0
Merrimack 4, No. 14 Boston College 2
New Hampshire 4, Boston University 1
Northeastern 4, No. 7 Providence 2
UMass Lowell 4, Vermont 2

NCHC
St. Cloud State 6, Colorado College 5 (OT)
No. 4Western Michigan 6, Arizona State 2
No. 3 North Dakota 1, No. 20 Miami 0
No. 8 Denver 5, Omaha 2

Non-Conference
Stonehill 3, Long Island 1
Alaska-Anchorage 5, Lindenwood 4

Women's College Hockey Friday Scores

AHA
Syracuse 2, No. 13 Mercyhurst 2 (SO, Syracuse wins shootout 1-0)
RIT 3, No. 4 Penn State 2 (OT)
Lindenwood 3, Robert Morris 2 (OT)

ECAC
RPI 4, Harvard 1
Union 1, Dartmouth 0
No. 12 Clarkson 4, 15 Colgate 3 (OT)
No. 9 Yale 2, No. 8 Princeton 0
No. 7 Quinnipiac 5, Brown 2
No. 11 Cornell 4, St. Lawrence 3 (OT)

Hockey East
Vermont 2, Maine 2 (SO, Vermont wins shootout 2-1)
No. 14 Holy Cross 1, Merrimack 1 (SO, Merrimack wins shootout 2-0)
No. 6 Connecticut 5, New Hampshire 1
No. 5 Northeastern 5, Boston University 2
Providence 2, Boston College 1 (OT)

NEWHA
Sacred Heart 3, Long Island 1
Assumption 5, Saint Anselm 3
Franklin Pierce 6, Saint Michael's 0
Stonehill 2, Post 1 (OT)

WCHA
St. Cloud State 6, Bemidji State 2
No. 1 Wisconsin 4, Minnesota State 1
No. 10 Minnesota Duluth 3, St. Thomas 0
No. 2 Ohio State 4, No. 3 Minnesota 2

Games between ranked opponents are bolded. All times are local to where the game is being played.

Men's College Hockey Saturday Schedule

AHA
Holy Cross at Canisius, 4 p.m. ET
Mercyhurst at Air Force, 5:05 p.m. MT
Sacred Heart at Bentley, 6 p.m. ET
Niagara at Robert Morris, 7 p.m. ET

Big Ten
No. 6 Penn State at No. 2 Michigan, 5 p.m. ET
Minnesota at Notre Dame, 6 p.m. ET
No. 13 Wisconsin at Ohio State, BTN, 7:30 p.m. ET

CCHA
Northern Michigan at Ferris State, 6 p.m. ET
No. 17 Michigan Tech at Lake Superior, 6 p.m. ET
Bemidji State at No. 16 Minnesota State, 6 p.m. CT
Bowling Green at No. 18 Augustana, 6 p.m. CT

ECAC
No. 12 Dartmouth at Brown, 4 p.m. ET
Princeton at No. 5 Quinnipiac, 7 p.m. ET
Colgate at RPI, 7 p.m. ET
No. 9 Cornell at Union, 7 p.m. ET
Harvard at Yale, 7 p.m. ET

Hockey East
Northeastern at No. 7 Providence, 5:30 p.m. ET
New Hampshire at Boston University, 6 p.m. ET
UMass Lowell at Vermont, 6 p.m. ET
No. 11 Connecticut at Maine, 7 p.m. ET
Merrimack at No. 14 Boston College, 7 p.m. ET

NCHC
Colorado College at St. Cloud State, 6 p.m. CT
Arizona State at No. 4 Western Michigan, 6 p.m. ET
No. 20 Miami at No. 3 North Dakota, 6 p.m. CT
No. 8 Denver at Omaha, 8 p.m. CT

Non-Conference
Stonehill at Long Island, 2 p.m. ET
Alaska-Anchorage at Lindenwood, 6 p.m. CT

Women's College Hockey Saturday Schedule

AHA
Syracuse at No. 13 Mercyhurst, 1 p.m. ET
Lindenwood at Robert Morris, 1 p.m. ET
RIT at No. 4 Penn State, 2 p.m. ET

ECAC
No. 11 Cornell at No. 12 Clarkson, 3 p.m. ET
Brown at No. 8 Princeton, 3 p.m. ET
No. 9 Yale at No. 7 Quinnipiac, 3 p.m. ET
Dartmouth at Rensselaer, SNY 3 p.m. ET
No. 15 Colgate at St. Lawrence, 3 p.m. ET
Harvard at Union, 3 p.m. ET

Hockey East
New Hampshire at Maine, 1 p.m. ET
No. 14 Holy Cross at Providence, 1 p.m. ET
No. 6 Connecticut at Boston University, NESN 4 p.m. ET

NEWHA
Stonehill at Post, 2:15 p.m. ET
Assumption at Saint Anselm, 3 p.m. ET
Franklin Pierce at Saint Michael's, 3:30 p.m. ET
Sacred Heart at Long Island, 7 p.m. ET

WCHA
Bemidji State at St. Cloud State, 1 p.m. CT
No. 1 Wisconsin at Minnesota State, 2 p.m. CT
St. Thomas at No. 10 Minnesota Duluth, 3 p.m. CT
No. 3 Minnesota at No. 2 Ohio State, 3 p.m. ET

Olympics Hockey Update

• Despite the efforts of Italian goalie Gabriella Durante (see below), who saw her team get outshot 51-6, the U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team advanced with a 6-0 victory in the quarterfinals at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Former Northeastern forward Kendall Coyne Schofield scored twice while Megan Keller (former Boston College), Laila Edwards (Wisconsin) and Britta Curl (former Wisconsin) all had a goal an assist. The U.S. won't find out its opponent for Monday's semifinals until the teams are reseeded after the conclusion of the quarterfinals on Saturday, but unless Germany can stun Canada the U.S. will face Sweden next. For more check out SI.com.

We'll be keeping this one on repeat 🔁#OlympiansMadeHere #NCAAHockey x 🎥 NBCpic.twitter.com/ztNfmOkhNy
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) February 14, 2026

• Former Boston University standout Macklin Celebrini scored his second goal in as many games, and Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid both had a goal and two assists as Canada clinched Group A in the men's tournament with a 5-1 victory over Switzerland. Former Massachusetts defenseman Cale Maker had two assists.

• Kevin Fiala of the Los Angeles Kings was removed from the ice on a stretcher late in the third period during Switzerland's loss to Canada at Santagiulia Arena. He was checked into the boards by Tom Wilson, who then fell on his left leg.

Team Switzerland has announced that Kevin Fiala will miss the remainder of #MilanoCortina2026 with a lower-leg injury. pic.twitter.com/uEbzGHjKtb
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 14, 2026

• Finland earned its first win over rival Sweden in Olympics with NHL players since 1998. Finnish goalie Juuse Saros made 34 saves, including 17 in the third period, while Nikolas Matinpalo, Anton Lundell, Armia and Mikko Rantanen scored for Finland. Heading into the final games of Group B, Slovakia (2-0-0-0) leads the group with six points. Sweden and Finland both have three points. For more see BreakAway On SI

Olympics Hockey Scores, Schedule

Friday's Scores
MEN
Group B
Finland 4, Sweden 1
Slovakia 3, Italy 2

Group A
Czechia 6, France 3
Canada 5, Switzerland 1

WOMEN
Quarterfinals
Sweden 2, Czechia 0
United States 6, Italy 0

Saturday's Schedule
MEN
Group B
Sweden vs. Slovakia, 6:10 a.m. ET
Finland vs. Italy, 10:40 a.m.

Group C
Germany vs. Latvia, 6:10 a.m.
United States vs. Denmark, 3:10 p.m. .

WOMEN
Quarterfinals
Canada vs, Germany, 10:40 a.m.
Finland vs, Switzerland, 3:10 p.m.

Hockey Quote of the Day

"Life without you is like a hockey game without a puck."
No idea, but Happy Valentine's Day

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We'll Leave You With This ...

Hokejistky Itálie čelí ve čtvrtfinále domácí olympiády největším favoritkám na zlato USA. I přes obrovský kolotoč prohrává domácí outsider po první třetině pouze 0:1. Brankářka Gabriella Durante totiž chytá i takovéhle věci 😲🎩 pic.twitter.com/9MGnlssREH
— Martin A. (@ogy_16) February 13, 2026