Penn State's Locker Room Struggles to Process NCAA Hockey Tournament Loss

ALBANY, New York | Penn State forward Gavin McKenna leaned back on his wooden locker Friday night, staring teary-eyed into the distance. The freshman, still wearing his game pads, was crying as Nittany Lions captain Dane Dowiak sat to his left to console him.

A couple of lockers to the right, junior Aiden Fink sat hunched over, covering his face and sobbing into his jersey. Pan two teammates to Fink’s left, and redshirt senior Ben Schoen had tears streaming down his flushed face.

“I’ve definitely experienced some tough losses in my life,” McKenna said. “Yeah. I think, obviously, this one sucks when you become so close with the team, and then it all comes to an end. You know that sucks, leaving your brothers. It sucks.”

The Nittany Lions lost 3-1 to Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, ending a rollercoaster season that many would call a disappointment. Despite the talent acquired and resources spent, Penn State lost its final two postseason games, went 3-8-2 in its last 13 and failed to make a return trip to the Frozen Four.

Even while returning the core of last year’s team while adding world-class talent in McKenna, the presumptive No. 1 selection of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft; Jackson Smith, a Columbus Blue Jackets first-round pick; and six other Canadian Hockey League skaters, Penn State did not win an NCAA Tournament game.

So what went wrong? How did a team that made the Frozen Four last season, added a plethora of high-end talent and returned a significant part of its core, not capitalize on the opportunity? The consensus answer for Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky and his players was injuries.

“We have to play high octane, high tempo, and once we lost [center Charlie Cerrato] and had to juggle lines, it's a lot more difficult to do that,” Gadowsky said late Friday night. “It's been difficult to play Penn State hockey because of the short lines that we've had. So no, I mean, it's not quite the stripes that we're used to. But I give the guys a ton of credit for digging down and trying to do it in a way that we're not accustomed to, without the high tempo that we need to have to play Penn State hockey.”

Charlie Cerrato injured again

Penn State Nittany Lions forward Charlie Cerrato celebrates a goal with goaltender Josh Fleming against Clarkson. — Penn State Nittany Lions forward Charlie Cerrato (15) celebrates a goal with goaltender Josh Fleming (34) against the Clarkson Golden Knights in the third period of a game at Pegula Ice Arena. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The loss of Cerrato, who missed significant time in the season’s second half with an injury, was a game-changer Friday. After his exit in the second period, Minnesota-Duluth did not let Penn State play to its strengths. The Bulldogs were strong in the neutral zone and halted a majority of the Nittany Lions’ rushes.

So Penn State had to play Minnesota-Duluth's style of hockey: a low-scoring, high-intensity battle in which the next mistake could cost the Nittany Lions their season. And that mishap came late in the third period via McKenna, when he was pressured along the boards and turned the puck over in his defensive zone, leading to the Bulldogs’ game-winning goal.

“We had to adjust the lines and couldn't roll forward anymore,” Gadowsky said. “So it's tough to play at the tempo that we want to play at. I give [Cerrato] a ton of credit for trying. He's gone through a lot in the last few months. Really wanted to give it everything to help this team win, and he did, just couldn't make it through the whole game. But I give him a lot of credit. … I still thought we generated some really good chances. It just didn't go in.”

Cerrato’s injury punctuated a 2025-26 season overwhelmed by them. Fink was out for two months and Dowiak, forwards Keaton Peters and Alex Servagno, and defenseman Nick Fascia were unavailable for the playoffs.

“I mean, yeah, it sucks losing our captain. Really f– really hard,” Smith said. He's such a big piece to us, and [Cerrato] being hurt, playing through injury, trying to play through injury, really messes up the lines. Like, we got guys playing different roles than they played all year. It's definitely a tough place to be, but no excuses. We wanted to win. We wanted to win bad. But next year we're gonna remember this, and next year we're gonna win a [national championship].”

Was effort an issue?

Tough ending. Hard fought game. Good season. pic.twitter.com/83tUCBQocq
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) March 28, 2026

Was effort another issue? Penn State entered the postseason losing two games to Wisconsin by a combined score of 12-5. After Game 1 of that series, center Reese Laubach tried to prod the Nittany Lions by saying, “I feel like guys are starting to check out.”

After Friday’s loss, Fink and forward Matt DiMarsico said that everyone was locked in through the entire season.

“I don't think anyone checked out,” Fink said. “We battled hard. Puck luck was half of it. I don't think that's puck luck, but also that's the game of hockey, and it sucks. Everyone played their hearts out, and I'm so proud of these guys. Till that buzzer, everyone was playing their hearts out. And we had a lot of adversity this year.”

“Everyone's goal is to win a national championship,” DiMarsico added. “And sometimes you don't, you don't get your bounce. We got it last year in Allentown [at regionals]. Today, we didn't get our bounce. And yeah, it's hockey at the end of the day.”

What's next for Penn State?

Hang it in the Louvre!! 🏒🖼️ #WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/gyjoAzmFsL
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) January 31, 2026

What happens now is uncertain. McKenna, whose points streak ended at nine games, said Friday that if the NHL team that drafts him in June wants to sign him, he will play professionally. Fink said he has not thought about his future yet, but an entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators, which drafted him in 2023, could be forthcoming.

Cerrato, a second-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2025, might sign a contract sooner than later, considering how well he has played the past two seasons. One certainty is Smith, who confirmed that he will return to Penn State for his sophomore season.

“[I] can’t wait,” Smith said. “This place means so much to me after one year. I can only imagine after two. I know I’ll remember this feeling, and I'm not gonna let it happen again.”

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