What We Learned From Penn State Hockey's Lackluster Big Ten Loss to Michigan

The No. 10 Penn State men’s hockey team clashed with the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines at Yost Ice Arena on Saturday in the Big Ten Hockey Tournament semifinals, looking to punch its first ticket to the championship game since 2019.

However, the Wolverines handled business, defeating the Nittany Lions 5-2 to exact revenge after last year’s quarterfinals sweep. Michigan handed Penn State its seventh loss in its last 12 games, giving the Nittany Lions a needed two-week break before the NCAA Tournament begins on March 26.

On the same day the Penn State women made their first Frozen Four, the men's team played a sloppy game. The Nittany Lions allowed an own goal and a short-handed goal, gave up a 5-on-3 goal and went 0-for-8 on the power play. Here’s what else we learned from Penn State’s semifinal loss to Michigan.

Penn State is not playing championship defense

Schifsky backhand finds a way in and it’s 1-0 Michigan pic.twitter.com/UFXhxNunIX
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) March 14, 2026

Penn State has a defensive problem entering the NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions have given opponents too many offensive chances throughout the past two months and did so again Saturday, even on the power play.

Goaltender Josh Fleming faced multiple breakaways and plenty of clean shots from the slot against the Wolverines. In the span of two seconds in the second period, Fleming dealt with a breakaway by Michigan forward Malcolm Spence and a wide-open one-timer from Kienan Draper from the slot.

The high-danger chances just kept coming, which Penn State must minimize if it wants any shot at a national championship. Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said after a 7-3 loss to Wisconsin on March 5 that the team’s defensive play is not good enough to win a championship.

“I don't think it's a systematic thing,” Gadowsky said. “I think that part of it is puck management, putting us in a bad defensive position. … We weren't tough enough in our 1-on-1 battles. So whatever you do, if you're not going to win 1-on-1 battles, you’re going to have troubles. It's not just a puck management issue. We're not hard enough defensively right now at all.”

Penn State isn’t capitalizing on special teams

A rip from the high slot and Hage makes it 4-2! pic.twitter.com/5cVj9o4VMG
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) March 14, 2026

The Nittany Lions earned a substantial eight power-play opportunities against the 41st-ranked Michigan penalty kill on Saturday. However, they did not convert a single one.

Despite owning an 8-5 edge in man-advantages, Penn State was outscored 2-0 on special teams, including a shorthanded goal by Wolverines forward Garrett Schifsky in the second period.

Additionally, while they played cleanly during the first two periods, the Nittany Lions let their emotions get the best of them in the third, allowing the Wolverines to put away the game.

Shortly after a minor infraction by center Penn State Reese Laubach, teammate Nic Chin-DeGraves let out his frustration on a Michigan player, cross-checking him as he was headed toward the bench following a shift on the penalty kill.

That turned into a 5-on-3 advantage, which the Wolverines cashed in on seconds into the opportunity with a Michael Hage power-play goal.

The Nittany Lions must be more disciplined, specifically against the top teams in the country. Taking those penalties against a Michigan team that was 20-0 when leading after two periods and is the best power-play team in the country proved recipe for failure.

McKenna is thriving in his first taste of NCAA postseason hockey

Who else, but Gavin McKenna!!#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/7lf97uJC1I
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) March 14, 2026

Superstar forward Gavin McKenna has been on a heater since his return from World Juniors in early January.

McKenna, the top-rated North American skater in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, has posted 32 points in 17 games since Jan. 9, including a record-breaking eight-point performance against Ohio State in late February. On Saturday against Michigan, he tacked on one more.

McKenna scored on a wrist shot just after a Penn State power play expired in the first period, which tied the game at 1-1. The freshman’s goal extended his points streak to nine games.

He has 19 total points in those nine games, and his 51 points are two from tying the Nittany Lions’ single-season record of 53, set by teammate Aiden Fink last season.

McKenna added eight more shots to his stat line (nine total) and created a plethora of high-danger chances for Penn State. The Nittany Lions must lean on him to return to the Frozen Four.

What’s next for the Nittany Lions?

Not our night. See you in the NCAA Tournament. pic.twitter.com/LICttqTmOJ
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) March 14, 2026

Despite limping into the tournament with a 3-7-2 record in its last 12 games, Penn State still is a lock to make the NCAA field, according to College Hockey News. The Nittany Lions likely will be a No. 2 or No. 3 regional seed in the 16-team tournament.

They also won’t benefit from playing close to home in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where they won last year’s NCAA Regional. This year’s four regional sites are Albany, New York; Worcester, Massachusetts; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Loveland, Colorado.

The NCAA selection show is scheduled for March 22. The regional tournaments will be held March 26-29, and the Frozen Four heads to Las Vegas on April 9-11.

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