An Overtime Win Sends Penn State Hockey to Its First Frozen Four

Penn State hockey is headed to its first Frozen Four. The Nittany Lions continued a marvelous 2025 run, defeating UConn 3-2 in overtime Sunday in the Allentown regional final of the NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament. Matt DiMarsico scored the game-winner with 2:04 remaining in the first overtime, lifting the Nittany Lions to their first Frozen Four in 13 seasons of varsity hockey.

Penn State goaltender Arsenii Sergeev, who transferred from UConn, made eight critical saves in overtime, caught a bit of good fortune when the Huskies hit a post early in the period and stood up in some turning-point critical situations. Then DiMarsico finished an exceptional feed from Charlie Cerrato, beating UConn goaltender Callum Tung, a freshman who played a remarkable game.

The goal touched off a wild celebration at Allentown's PPL Center, where the Nittany Lions' 2023 regional final ended with an overtime loss to Michigan. Penn State hockey, which played its first varsity season in 2012-13, now takes coach Guy Gadowsky to his and their fiirst Frozen Four.

Penn State to its first Frozen Four pic.twitter.com/gHZg35lmbc
— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) March 31, 2025

During the celebration, DiMarsico threw his stick into the Sergeev tackled his head coach on the ice. Both said they "blacked out" in the moment.

I mean, words really can't describe it," DiMarsico said. "You know, when you see the entire stadium packed again like it was on Friday [in a 5-1 semifinal win over Maine] with alums, fans, current students, it's just unbelievable to see the effort and support. Honestly, the whole Penn State community here is such a tight-knit community, and people are so close, so to win a game like this to send us to the Frozen Four just means the world to me."

Penn State began playing varsity hockey in 2012 in a new building funded by Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, whose $102 million donation is the largest in university history. ince then, Penn State has made four NCAA Tournaments and three regional finals but fell short of the Frozen Four.

Two years ago, the Nittany Lions lost in overtime to Michigan in the regional final at Allentown's PPL Center. This time Gadowsky, who became the team's head coach in that inaugural season, watched a celebration 13 years in the making. Some of his former players were on the ice Sunday night for the celebration.

"I really think about the guys that joined this program first, when everybody said we're going to get killed and why you're going to lose for years and years and years," Gadowsky said. "It was those guys that really had faith that Penn State was going to be what you see now at Pegula Ice Arena and what you saw here at PPL Center."

The game was a gem, as UConn, playing in its first NCAA Tournament, took leads of 1-0 and 2-1, only to relinquish both to the Nittany Lions. Both teams had terrific chances in overtime, hitting posts and churning breakaways. Sergeev was at his best turning away UConn's Tristan Fraser midway through overtime on a back-handed wrist shot.

UConn chased Penn State for the last seven minutes of regulation, taking 18 of the third period's final 22 shots. The Huskes controlled the puck through multiple lines, caused havoc in front of Sergeev and maintained relentless pressure.

Penn State also caught a break. With 6:53 remaining, a UConn shot drifted between Sergeev's pads, which slowed it enough to pause four inches from the goal line. Sergeev gently leaned back without moving the puck to stop play. Tung, who made 16 first-period saves, faced just six shots in the third period, as Penn State went more than 4 minutes without a shot.

The teams skated a full-rink game in the second period, trading juicy offensive chances and breaks. Penn State still pushed the offensive pace, taking five shots during one 33-second stretch. Tung stopped three before losing his stick, which the Nittany Lions hit with a wide shot.

The Huskies reclaimed the lead on a fluttering-puck goal, as Tabor Heaslip tapped a low floater past Sergeev for the 2-1 advantage. As it has done this postseason, though, Penn State re-tied the game within a minute. Thirty seconds later, in fact, freshman JJ Wiebusch scored his seventh goal in five games, calmly collecting the pass and wristing it past Tung.

Just like that we are tied back up!!#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/ILgHFNGrxt
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) March 30, 2025

Penn State allowed the first goal for the fourth consecutive playoff game, leaving UConn's Joey Muldowney, the nation's second-leading scorer, alone between the circles. Muldowney beat Sergeev high, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead just over 4 minutes into the game.

The Nittany Lions owned the first period thereafter, outshooting UConn 17-6 and not allowing the Huskies their next shot for more than 13 minutes. Penn State tilted the ice with two steals, a few turnovers and some odd-man breaks that UConn deftly detoured with sticks or blocked shots. Dane Dowiak broke finally pierced that defense with 6:33 left in the first, gathering a crisp feed from Tyler Paquette from behind the net.

Tung stood high in the first, making 16 saves, including a few nervy stops with his pads amid traffic. Penn State finished the first period with four shots in the final minute, three of which Tung turned away.

The 2025 Frozen Four is scheduled for April 10-12 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The Nittany Lions will meet Boston University in the semifinals April 10.

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