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Penn State Hockey Live Updates From the NCAA Hockey Regionals

The Nittany Lions face Minnesota-Duluth in a first-round game of the NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions ice hockey players enter Beaver Stadium for a top-five Big Ten game against Michigan State.
Penn State Nittany Lions ice hockey players enter Beaver Stadium for a top-five Big Ten game against Michigan State. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State begins its quest Friday for a second straight Frozen Four appearance. The Nittany Lions face Minnesota-Duluth in the Albany Regional of the NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament, the first stop on the road to Las Vegas.

We're updating the game live, so follow the action as the Nittany Lions chase their first Division I national championship. Here's what to know before faceoff Friday from MVP Arena in Albany, New York.

GOAL: Penn State 1, Minnesota-Duluth 1

The Bulldogs sent extended pressure into Penn State's zone, forcing goalkeeper Josh Fleming into a pair of key saves. But Fleming couldn't stop a Max Plante back-door shot via a lovely pass from his brother Zam for the equalizer with 4:59 remaining in the first period. The goal was Max Plante's 25th of the season.

GOAL: Penn State 1, Minnesota-Duluth 0

Freshman Shea Van Olm somehow squeezed a wrister past Bulldogs' goalkeeper Adam Gajan on the short side, giving the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead 8:37 into the first period. A wide-open Van Olm corralled a sharp cross-ice pass from Casey Aman, and his shot snuggled past Gajan's shoulder.

No gentle runway for the goaltenders

Penn State's Josh Fleming and Minnesota-Duluth Adam Gajan are under fire early, Gajan made six saves in the first five minutes, keeping the Nittany Lions from scoring during a net-front scramble. And Fleming saved a goal with a nifty glove save against the Bulldogs' Max Plante after a turnover.

Some quick early action

Gavin McKenna snagged a juicy chance in the first minute, getting open on a slick dish from Aiden Fink. McKenna gave it a good rip but directly at Bulldogs goaltender Adam Gajan. Less than a minute later, Penn State keeper Josh Fleming needed to make a point-blank stop on a shot following a turnover.

Penn State sets its lines

Goaltender Josh Fleming gets the start for Penn State tonight against Minnesota-Duluth. Fleming (10-6-2 on the season) brings a 2.64 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage into the game. Fleming gave up four goals to Michigan in the Big Ten semifinals March 14, and his GAA has been above 2.5 in his last four starts.

Penn State's offensive coordinator can skate

Taylor Mouser has become a quick hockey fan since arriving at Penn State in December as the football team's offensive coordaintor. Turns out, Mouser has some stick skills as well.

Penn State has crafted a fun Hobey Baker Trophy campaign for Gavin McKenna, which includes the above skating session with Mouser. Not bad for an Arizona native who played Division II football at Adams State in Colorado.

Penn State hockey preview

Penn State Nittany Lions defenseman Jackson Smith skates during a Big Ten hockey game vs, Michigan State in Beaver Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions defenseman Jackson Smith skates during a Big Ten ice hockey game against Michigan State in Beaver Stadium . | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions and Minnesota-Duluth face each other for the first time. They're playing Game 2 of the Albany Regional, following the opener between Michigan and Bentley. The Penn State game is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Check out the full broadcast and streaming schedule.

Penn State enters the postseason with a 21-13-2 record and seeded third in the four-team regional field. Minnesota-Duluth (23-14-1) is the No. 2 seed after falling to Denver in double overtime in the NCHC title game. The Bulldogs won 10 more games than they did last season.

Minnesota-Duluth has a proud postseason history. The program made seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2015-22 (there was no tournament in 2020) and has played in four Frozen Fours since 2017. Minnesota-Duluth has won three national championships, including back-to-back titles in 2018-19.

The Nittany Lions, under head coach Guy Gadowsky, are making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth overall. Penn State made a superb run to the Frozen Four last season, falling to Boston University 3-1.

Penn State is 4-4 all-time in eight NCAA Tournament games, going 2-1 last season. The

Nittany Lions have made the regional final three times dating 2017, when they beat Union 10-3 in their first tournament game. Penn State shut out Michigan Tech 8-0 in the 2023 regionals, the most lopsided shutout in NCAA Tournament history.

Players to watch

All eyes will be on Penn State's Gavin McKenna, who has been the team's dominant offensive player over the past month. The freshman forward brings a nine-game points streak to regionals and is just the second Penn State player to be named a Hobey Baker Award top-10 finalist.

McKenna is Penn State's first Big Ten scoring champion (38 points) and is the team's first freshman to reach 50 points overall. He ranks second in the nation in points per game (1.5).

Despite missing eight games with an injury, Aiden Fink ranks third on the team in points (38). He is third in the nation among active players with 125 points (48 goals, 77 assists) in 103 games.

Minnesota-Duluth's top players are brothers. Max Plante (49 points) is a top-10 Hobey Baker Award finalist with McKenna and brings 24 goals into the game. His brother Zam has 47 points, including 20 goals.

In goal, Josh Fleming is Penn State's likely starter. Fleming is 10-6-2 with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. The Bulldogs' Adam Gajan, who played for Gadowsky at the Spengler Cup, is 18-12-1 with a 2.28 GAA and .908 save percentage.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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