UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 5 Penn State returns to Pegula Ice Arena this weekend for its Big Ten home opener, hosting No. 2 Michigan in a marquee conference showdown Friday and Saturday night. The Nittany Lions enter the series at 9-2-1 after closing out a four-game conference road trip, sweeping Ohio State before being swept by No. 1 Michigan State.
Series Information
Dates: Friday, November 14 – 7 p.m. | Saturday, November 15 – 6 p.m.
Place: Pegula Ice Arena | University Park, Pa.
Streaming: Big Ten Plus
Michigan holds a 31-20-1 advantage in the all-time series and has traditionally been difficult to beat in Hockey Valley, owning a 12-10-1 record at Pegula since Penn State joined the Big Ten. Last season, the Wolverines won three of four regular-season meetings, but Penn State responded with a sweep in the Big Ten Quarterfinals in Ann Arbor to secure its NCAA Tournament berth.
No. 2 Michigan Notes
Michigan enters the weekend at 10-2-0 with the most explosive offense in the country, averaging 5.10 goals per game. The Wolverines’ roster features a near-even split of 13 returners and 14 newcomers, including first-round picks Michael Hage and Will Horcoff.
Hage leads the team with 17 points, ranking fourth nationally, while captain TJ Hughes remains college hockey’s active scoring leader with 138 career points. Horcoff shares the national lead with 11 goals.
Defenseman Ben Robertson was named national Co-Defender of the Month for October after an 11 point outburst.
Freshman goaltender Jack Ivankovic has solidified Michigan’s backend with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Special teams continue to be a major strength. The Wolverines own the nation’s No. 2 power play at 34.6 percent and lead the country with six shorthanded goals.
No. 5 Penn State Notes
Freshman forward Gavin McKenna continues to pace the Big Ten in rookie scoring with 14 points, tied for the national freshman lead. McKenna recorded Penn State’s lone goal last weekend and sits seventh in the conference overall.
On the blue line, freshman Jackson Smith has emerged as a steady two-way presence, tallying eight points through 10 games to rank fifth among Big Ten defensemen and inside the national top 10.
In goal, sophomore Kevin Reidler and freshman Josh Fleming have formed one of the conference’s most reliable tandems, combining for a 2.73 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage—fourth in the Big Ten. Fleming’s .932 save percentage is second-best in the league.
Offensively, sophomores JJ Wiebusch and Charlie Cerrato sit tied for third in the nation with 18 points each. Wiebusch leads the NCAA with 11 goals and six power-play tallies, while Cerrato’s 14 assists are the most in the country. Junior Matt DiMarsico adds 15 points, giving the top line a combined 51 points through 12 games.
Penn State’s junior class has historically produced against Michigan. Aiden Fink leads the group with 20 points in 10 career games versus the Wolverines, while Reese Laubach has 14 points in nine matchups. DiMarsico (11) and Dane Dowiak (6) round out the 51-point junior-class total against Michigan, averaging more than five points per game.
The “B-T-B Boys” line of DiMarsico, Wiebusch, and Cerrato dominated the season series a year ago, combining for 25 points in six games. Wiebusch’s postseason hat trick at Yost Arena remains one of the defining moments in Penn State men’s ice hockey history.
