Gophers hockey returns from break with shutout loss at Penn State

Minnesota looked rusty in its first regular-season game in more than a month.

LJ Mooney (18) skating with the puck on Friday, Jan. 9 against Penn State. | Picture credit: Brad Rempel

Gophers men's hockey was thrown into the Big Ten deep end in their first series after winter break against No. 9 Penn State on the road. They struggled on Friday night with a 3-0 shutout loss.

Friday night was Minnesota's first regular-season game in 34 days, and it looked rusty. Penn State had a tune-up series last weekend against Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and it looked like the much sharper team.

The Nitanny Lions opened the scoring just over five minutes into the game. They added two more before the end of the first period, which was highlighted by a goal with just 5.6 seconds left on the clock. They took a commanding 3-0 lead after 20 minutes.

5.6 seconds left in the 1st period? Plenty of time for Matt DiMarsico to light the lamp 😌🚨@PennStateMHKY leads Minnesota, 3-0, after the 1st. pic.twitter.com/9XP3q3DIbT

— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) January 10, 2026

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The Gophers had 27 shots, but Penn State goaltender Josh Fleming stopped all 27. The Nittany Lions had 40 shots as a team, and they really just controlled the pace all night and cruised to a comfortable 3-0 lead.

Friday's shutout loss is Minnesota's third of the 2025-26 season, and first since Nov. 1 against Wisconsin at the Kohl Center. The Gophers are now 8-11-1 on the season, as they look to continue to pull themselves out of the early-season hole they fell into.

Saturday night's series finale will start at 5 p.m. CT again, and it will be broadcast on Big Ten Network (BTN). The Gophers will return to Minneapolis next weekend against Michigan on Friday and Saturday night.