Penn State has spent three straight games playing beyond regulation. Returning to Hockey Valley offers a chance to settle things a little earlier.
The Nittany Lions welcome Notre Dame to Pegula Ice Arena this weekend after collecting three conference points at Minnesota. A shootout victory following Friday’s 1-1 tie gave Penn State an encouraging start before Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss left it still searching for its first Big Ten win.
At 2-5-1, Penn State needs to start turning competitive weekends into victories. The visiting Irish arrive with six consecutive losses and significant defensive problems, presenting an opportunity the Nittany Lions can ill afford to waste.
SERIES INFO
When: Friday, November 6, 7 PM | Saturday, November 7, 7 PM (Eastern)
Where: Pegula Ice Arena, University Park, Pennsylvania
Records: Penn State (2-5-1, 0-1-1 Big Ten) | Notre Dame (2-6-0, 0-2-0 Big Ten)
Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Penn State Sports Network, Legends 104.3 FM
Audio Streaming: LionVision
All-Time Series: Notre Dame leads 22-14-7
Last Meeting: Notre Dame defeated Penn State 4-3 in overtime on February 28, 2026.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
Notre Dame’s opening sweep of Niagara has quickly given way to a difficult stretch.
The Irish have dropped six straight, all against ranked opponents, while being outscored 34-7. That follows a 9-23-5 finish in Brock Sheahan’s first season, when Notre Dame placed last in the Big Ten.
The numbers reveal problems at both ends. Notre Dame averages a conference-low 1.75 goals per game while allowing a league-worst 4.38.
Evan Werner and Danny Nelson share the team scoring lead with six points apiece. Werner has four goals, while Nelson leads the Irish with four assists. Notre Dame needs more support around them to keep games within reach.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Availability adds another complication. Defensemen Jaedon Kerr and Leo Gruba and forward David Klee received supplemental discipline following an incident late in Saturday’s game at Wisconsin, leaving the Irish facing absences this weekend.
Goaltending is another question. Nicholas Kempf owns both Notre Dame victories, a .922 save percentage and a 2.75 goals-against average in four starts. With Kempf sidelined, freshman Patrick Quinlan has started the past four games and carries a 5.86 goals-against average.
The penalty kill has provided little protection, surrendering a national-high 14 power-play goals and killing just 62.2% of opposing chances.
That makes discipline particularly important for a team already struggling to generate enough offense.
PENN STATE NOTES
Penn State has found more stability since its four-game losing streak to open the season, but the margins remain thin.
After Jackson Smith needed just 15 seconds of overtime to finish the Canisius sweep, the Nittany Lions went five shootout rounds to secure an extra point at Minnesota. The following night, the Gophers ended overtime in 17 seconds.
Smith continues to drive offense from the blue line. The sophomore recorded a career-high three assists in Saturday’s loss and has points in six of eight games.
His 10 points rank second among Big Ten defensemen and fourth nationally, while his eight assists are tied for the national lead among blueliners.
Justin Poirier shares Penn State’s scoring lead with 10 points, including a team-best four goals. He has produced points in seven of eight games and brings a five-game point streak into the series. Justin Larose adds seven points on two goals and five assists.
Penn State’s recent history against Notre Dame offers encouragement. The Nittany Lions have won four straight meetings at Pegula and are unbeaten in their last seven home games against the Irish. They took nine of 12 available conference points in last season’s series.
Josh Fleming also has a strong track record in this matchup, posting a .949 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average across two starts last season.
The clearest opening may come on special teams. Penn State’s power play is converting at 18.2%, leaving room for improvement against Notre Dame’s struggling penalty kill.
With trips to Michigan and Wisconsin next, these home points carry added weight. Penn State has shown it can stay in close games. This weekend, it needs to finish them.
