Penn State Men's Hockey Moves Up To No. 5 In USCHO Poll

The Nittany Lions will play on home ice for the Big Ten Quarterfinals.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Penn State men's hockey moved up one spot to No. 5 in the USCHO rankings on Monday. The Nittany Lions defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 11-4 on Friday, with Gavin McKenna setting single-game program records for points. Penn State also came back from a three-goal deficit to beat Ohio State 5-4 in overtime, securing home ice in the Big Ten Quarterfinals.

Why it matters

Penn State's rise in the rankings and securing home ice advantage for the Big Ten Quarterfinals is a significant achievement for the program, as they look to make a deep postseason run.

The details

In the 11-4 win over Ohio State, Gavin McKenna had one goal and seven assists, setting a new single-game program record for points. Goaltender Josh Fleming made 38 saves in the victory. In the 5-4 overtime win, Jarod Crespo scored late in the third period to send the game to overtime, where McKenna was the hero. Goaltender Kevin Reidler made 33 saves in the win.

  • On Friday, February 23, 2026, Penn State defeated Ohio State 11-4.
  • On Saturday, February 24, 2026, Penn State came back from a three-goal deficit to beat Ohio State 5-4 in overtime.
  • On Monday, February 23, 2026, Penn State moved up to No. 5 in the USCHO poll.

The players

Gavin McKenna

A Penn State player who set single-game program records for points in the 11-4 win over Ohio State.

Josh Fleming

The Penn State goaltender who made 38 saves in the 11-4 win over Ohio State.

Jarod Crespo

A Penn State player who scored late in the third period to send the 5-4 overtime game against Ohio State to overtime.

Kevin Reidler

The Penn State goaltender who made 33 saves in the 5-4 overtime win against Ohio State.

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What they’re saying

“pic.twitter.com/TraClNZwbZ”

— USCHO.com (Twitter)

What’s next

The Nittany Lions travel to South Bend and play Notre Dame at 7:05 p.m. Friday, February 27, at Compton Family Ice Arena.

The takeaway

Penn State's rise in the rankings and securing home ice advantage for the Big Ten Quarterfinals is a significant achievement for the program, as they look to make a deep postseason run and continue their successful season.