Penn State Men's Hockey Season Ends With NCAA Regional Semifinals Loss

No. 3 Nittany Lions fall 3-1 to No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth in Albany

Mar. 28, 2026 at 4:06am

The No. 3 Penn State men's hockey team's season came to an end on Friday night with a 3-1 loss to the No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in the NCAA Regional Semifinals at MVP Arena in Albany, New York. Penn State took an early 1-0 lead but couldn't hold off the Bulldogs, who scored three unanswered goals to advance to the next round.

Why it matters

Penn State's deep tournament run came up short, ending their season earlier than hoped. The loss highlights the challenges of playing in neutral site regional tournaments, which can lack the energy and atmosphere of campus-hosted games.

The details

Penn State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal by Shea Van Olm, but Minnesota-Duluth responded with three unanswered goals, including the game-winner with 5:13 left in the third period. Penn State goalie Josh Fleming made 36 saves but couldn't prevent the Bulldogs' comeback. The Nittany Lions outshot Minnesota-Duluth 38-36 but struggled to capitalize on their scoring chances.

  • Penn State took a 1-0 lead 9:37 into the first period.
  • Minnesota-Duluth tied the game at 1-1 with 4:59 left in the first period.
  • Minnesota-Duluth took a 2-1 lead with 5:13 remaining in the third period.
  • Minnesota-Duluth added an empty-net goal with 1.6 seconds left to make it 3-1.

The players

Josh Fleming

Penn State's goaltender who made 36 saves in the loss.

Shea Van Olm

Penn State forward who scored the team's lone goal.

Adam Gajan

Minnesota-Duluth's goaltender who made 37 saves.

Hunter Anderson

Minnesota-Duluth forward who scored the game-winning goal.

Ty Hanson

Minnesota-Duluth forward who scored the empty-net goal.

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The takeaway

Penn State's season-ending loss to Minnesota-Duluth in the NCAA Regional Semifinals highlights the challenges of playing in neutral site tournaments, which can lack the energy and atmosphere of campus-hosted games. The Nittany Lions had a strong season but ultimately fell short of their goal of advancing further in the NCAA tournament.