UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — After a frustrating start to the 2026-27 season, Penn State finally found the breakthrough it desperately needed Friday night at Pegula Ice Arena.
Senior captain Dane Dowiak and sophomore Andrew Kuzma each scored twice as the Nittany Lions defeated Canisius, 5-1, earning their first victory of the season and snapping a six-game losing streak dating back to last year.
Penn State (1-4-0) controlled much of the contest, outshooting Canisius (3-3-1) by a commanding 44-24 margin while delivering one of its most complete performances through five games.
For Dowiak, the evening represented a welcome offensive breakthrough.
The senior opened the scoring just 2:19 into the first period when freshman Justin Larose worked the puck from behind the net into the slot. Dowiak collected the pass and fired a wrist shot past Canisius goaltender Jack Lisson.
It marked just the second time this season Penn State scored first.
However, Canisius answered early in the second period when Ben Brunelle beat sophomore goaltender Josh Fleming over his right shoulder, tying the game 1-1 at 1:18.
Unlike previous outings, Penn State responded immediately.
Kuzma restored the lead at 3:02, converting a feed from freshman Kale Dach for his first collegiate goal.
The Nittany Lions continued applying pressure before Dowiak delivered the decisive insurance goal.
With Penn State operating on the power play, Dowiak’s centering attempt deflected off a Canisius skate and slipped between Lisson’s pads at 12:53, extending the advantage to 3-1.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.It was Dowiak’s sixth career multi-goal performance.
Penn State maintained control throughout the third period before Kuzma buried an empty-net goal from approximately 180 feet with 2:17 remaining.
Sophomore defenseman Jackson Smith completed the scoring with five seconds left, roofing a shot past Lisson for the 5-1 final.
Smith finished with a goal and two assists, matching his career high with three points while extending his point streak to four games.
Larose and Dach each contributed two assists, continuing their productive starts to the season.
Fleming earned his first victory, stopping 23 of 24 shots, while Lisson made 39 saves in defeat.
Penn State finished 1-for-2 on the power play and successfully killed all three Canisius opportunities.
Beyond the individual milestones, Friday’s victory provided something the Nittany Lions had been searching for since opening the season.
A complete performance, a positive result and a chance to build momentum.
