Guy Gadowsky has a decision to make ahead of Penn State’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal against top-ranked Michigan Wolverines, and his choice in net could reveal plenty about where the Nittany Lions stand entering the postseason.
Throughout the 2025–26 season, Penn State has benefited from a rare luxury in college hockey: a reliable goaltender rotation. Both Josh Fleming and Kevin Reidler have shared duties for much of the year, allowing the coaching staff to keep both netminders fresh during the grueling Big Ten schedule.
But as the postseason intensifies, the rotation may face its most important test.
Fleming has steadily emerged as Penn State’s most dependable option in goal, performing at a level that resembles a baseball team’s ace pitcher. After the Nittany Lions’ 6–2 win over Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s ice hockey in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, Gadowsky had nothing but praise for his goaltender.
“With Josh… I’ve got to give him an A,” Gadowsky said. “He obviously came up big when he had to and he looked very much in control.”
Fleming’s numbers back up that assessment. He ranks among the top 10 nationally with a .924 save percentage and has excelled in advanced metrics as well.
According to College Hockey News, Fleming carries an adjusted expected goals against rating of +13.65, meaning he has prevented goals at a rate significantly better than the national average once shot quality is considered.
While Gadowsky is not known for leaning heavily on analytics, he has been clear about the criteria he uses to judge his goaltenders.
“I analyze them by whether they win or lose, their save percentage, their goals against and how they play for the team,” he said.
Those standards bring attention to the recent struggles of Reidler.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Over his last five starts, Reidler has allowed four or more goals in each appearance, compiling a 4.87 goals against average and an .858 save percentage during that stretch. By college hockey standards, both figures fall well below average.
His most recent outing was particularly rough. Reidler surrendered four goals on 20 shots against Wisconsin before being pulled. Gadowsky later explained that the decision was less about performance and more about sparking the team.
According to the Penn State coach, Reidler handled the situation professionally.
Still, the looming matchup against top-ranked Michigan presents a complicated decision.
The Wolverines have already proven dangerous against Reidler once this season, scoring seven goals against him in a November meeting. With a trip to the Big Ten championship game on the line, Gadowsky must determine whether to continue the rotation that has served Penn State all season or lean on the hot hand.
For now, the coach isn’t tipping his hand.
“We didn’t look past this game at all,” Gadowsky said following the Minnesota win. “All that will be discussed tomorrow.”
When that decision comes, it may say as much about Penn State’s postseason strategy as the result of the game itself.
