No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions close out a five-game homestand this weekend as they welcome Notre Dame to Hockey Valley for a critical Big Ten series Friday and Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena where conference points are starting to become a premium.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Dates: Friday, January 16 | Saturday, January 17
Location: Pegula Ice Arena | University Park, Pa.
TV/Streaming: Friday – Big Ten+ | Saturday – Big Ten Network
Puck Drop: 7 p.m. | 8 p.m.
THIS WEEK’S MATCHUP
Friday and Saturday mark the 40th and 41st meetings all-time between Penn State and Notre Dame, with the Irish holding a 21-12-6 series advantage. However, momentum has shifted toward the Nittany Lions, who have won three straight games in the series and secured 10 of a possible 12 points last season.
Since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, the matchup has been evenly contested, with Penn State holding a narrow 5-4-3 edge. The Nittany Lions are unbeaten in their last five games against Notre Dame in Hockey Valley (3-0-2) and are 6-8-4 all-time at Pegula Ice Arena versus the Irish.
Notre Dame Notes
Notre Dame enters the weekend struggling, having dropped seven consecutive games and 13 of its last 14 overall. The Irish sit at 4-15-1 on the season and remain winless in Big Ten play at 0-10-0. During the current skid, Notre Dame has been outscored 41-15 and has allowed four or more goals in eight straight games.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.This season marks the first under head coach Brock Sheahan following the retirement of longtime bench boss Jeff Jackson. Offensively, the Irish are led by defenseman Paul Fischer with 16 points, though he will miss both games due to suspension. Evan Werner paces Notre Dame with eight goals, while Danny Nelson and Sutter Muzzatti have each added seven.
Between the pipes, sophomore Nicholas Kempf has started 18 of 20 games, posting a 3.80 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage. As a team, Notre Dame ranks last in the Big Ten in both scoring offense (2.55 goals per game) and defense (4.25 goals allowed per game), though its power play has been a bright spot at 28.3 percent.
No. 8 Penn State Notes
Penn State men’s hockey continues to surge at the midpoint of the season, fueled by milestone performances, emerging young talent, and a veteran core that has learned how to close games.
Junior forward Aiden Fink reached a historic mark last Saturday, becoming just the ninth player in program history to eclipse 100 career points. Fink accomplished the feat in only 87 games, the fastest in Penn State history, surpassing the previous mark of 102 games set by Alex Limoges in 2021. After missing seven games late in the first semester with an upper-body injury, Fink has returned in top form, totaling five points in four games. He now has 14 points in 13 games this season and sits just two points shy of Liam Folkes for eighth on Penn State’s all-time scoring list.
Freshman goaltender Josh Fleming has also been a major storyline. The rookie was named to the Mike Richter Award Watch List earlier this week following an impressive start to his collegiate career. Fleming recorded his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 win over Minnesota, the first shutout of the Gophers in program history. He is currently tied for the national lead with a .938 save percentage while his 1.91 goals-against average ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally.
Penn State’s freshman class has continued to make its mark offensively as well. Defenseman Jackson Smith has five goals this season, tying for the Big Ten lead among blueliners, while Luke Misa is riding a three-game point streak. Junior Matt DiMarsico has added consistency, posting a three-game point streak of his own and ranking tied for seventh in the Big Ten in goals and points.
The Nittany Lions have also shown maturity late in games, going 8-1-0 when leading after two periods and outscoring opponents 26-14 in the third. Under longtime head coach Guy Gadowsky, Penn State continues to establish itself as a Big Ten contender built for sustained success.
