Penn State Hockey Rolls Into Beaver Stadium With a Big Win Streak

The hottest team in NCAA men's hockey returned home from Wisconsin ready to host one of the most unique events in NCAA hockey. Penn State, fresh from a weekend sweep of the fifth-ranked Badgers, will play in Beaver Stadium for the first time Saturday, hosting Michigan State on a winter weekend in State College.

No. 8 Penn State (18-6-0) took two games on the road from Wisconsin, running its win streak to seven games. On Friday, Gavin McKenna and Dane Dowiak each scored hat tricks in the Nittany Lions' 7-2 victory. A night later, the Nittany Lions scored three unanswered goals in the third period and got a 40-save game from goalkeeper Kevin Reidler in a 3-1 victory.

The sweep was Penn State's first of a top-5 team and its fourth of the season, tying a program record for conference sweeps. The Nittany Lions also have won seven straight Big Ten games, also the longest streak in school history, to move into a first-place tie with Michigan.

This is the Penn State hockey team fans expected to see when coach Guy Gadowsky unveiled it in October. And it sets up a fantastic matchup this weekend in State College.

Penn State hosts No. 2 Michigan State for a pair of games, the second of which is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Beaver Stadium. It's part of a weekend hockey doubleheader at the Penn State football stadium, as the fourth-ranked Penn State women's team will host Robert Morris on Friday. Both games are scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

Getting hockey ready. 🏒#WeAre pic.twitter.com/xLZHAUEMH8
— Beaver Stadium (@beaver_stadium) January 24, 2026

The Penn State men's team was the preseason NCAA favorite after reaching its first Frozen Four and then signing Gavin McKenna, the most high-profile new player in college hockey. McKenna has been a playmaker, leading the Nittany Lions in assists, and is part of a unique freshman class that is coming of age.

McKenna, the Big Ten Third Star of the Week, has points in eight of his last nine games and 29 points in 22 games. He ranks third in the Big Ten with 19 assists. Meanwhile, defenseman Jackson Smith scored goals in an eight-game stretch and Luke Misa entered the weekend with an eight-point run since the break.

Against Wisconsin on Saturday, JJ Weibusch and Reese Laubach gave the Nittany Lions a third-period lead, which McKenna extended with an empty-net goal. Reidler played a sensational game, saving 40 of 41 shots to improve to 9-3 on the season. Former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, now with the Green Bay Packers, loved every minute.

We had to get another look 🤩 https://t.co/kRAzcuk4IW pic.twitter.com/p8Op1JildI
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) January 25, 2026

As it did last year, Penn State is putting together a January run building toward the postseason. Last year, though, the Nittany Lions needed the rally to make the postseason. This team is building a resume to extend its postseason lifespan.

Gadowsky left the Frozen Four last year expecting the appearance to be a launchpad instead of a moment in time. Penn State spent significant resources in putting together this team, which needed a moment to gel, especially in the Big Ten.

After sweeping Ohio State, the Nittany Lions lost three straight conference games, two to Michigan State. Since then, the Nittany Lions are 9-2 in Big Ten play. This weekend's Michigan State series represents more than a marketing opportunity for the program. Penn State will stress test its roster with back-to-back series against the Spartans and Michigan, to which they lost three of four in November.

No. 8 @PennStateMHKY is heading home with a B1G series sweep 🧹 pic.twitter.com/L5gOoFpt3o
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) January 25, 2026

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