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Penn State's Frozen Four dream ends in NCAA tournament loss
No. 10 Nittany Lions fall to No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth 3-1 in Albany Regional
Mar. 28, 2026 at 3:50am
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Penn State's quest for a return to the NCAA Frozen Four came to an end on Friday as the No. 10 Nittany Lions fell 3-1 to No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth in the Albany Regional of the D1 men's ice hockey tournament. Despite outshooting the Bulldogs 17-9 in the first period and taking an early 1-0 lead, Penn State couldn't hold on as Minnesota-Duluth rallied with two unanswered goals in the third period to advance to the next round.
Why it matters
Penn State had high hopes of making a second straight Frozen Four appearance after reaching college hockey's biggest stage for the first time in program history last year. The Nittany Lions recruited aggressively in the offseason, including bringing in Canadian Hockey League talent, to build on that momentum. However, their tournament run fell short against a battle-tested Minnesota-Duluth squad seeking its fourth national championship.
The details
Penn State took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal by She Van Olm, assisted by Casey Aman and Mac Gadowsky. But Minnesota-Duluth responded with a goal by Max Plante late in the first to tie it 1-1. The Bulldogs then outshot the Nittany Lions 17-6 in the second period to wear them down. In the third, Hunter Anderson scored the go-ahead goal for Minnesota-Duluth off a Penn State turnover, and Ty Hanson added an empty-net goal in the final seconds to seal the 3-1 victory.
- Penn State took a 1-0 lead at the 8:37 mark of the 1st period.
- Minnesota-Duluth tied the game 1-1 with 4:59 left in the 1st period.
- Minnesota-Duluth took a 2-1 lead with 5:13 remaining in the 3rd period.
- Minnesota-Duluth scored an empty-net goal with about 1 second left in the 3rd period.
The players
Penn State
The No. 10 ranked Nittany Lions were seeking their second straight NCAA Frozen Four appearance after making the national semifinals for the first time in program history last season.
Minnesota-Duluth
The No. 6 ranked Bulldogs were looking to win their fourth national championship in school history.
Gavin McKenna
A Canadian Hockey League player recruited by Penn State in the offseason as part of a rule change allowing CHL talent to join NCAA teams.
Guy Gadowsky
The head coach of the Penn State men's hockey team.
Josh Fleming
The goaltender for Penn State.
What they’re saying
“We didn't want last year's appearance at the Frozen Four to be a fluke. We recruited with a return in mind, and embraced the new rule to bring in CHL players.”
— Guy Gadowsky, Penn State Head Coach
The takeaway
Penn State's early exit from the NCAA tournament is a disappointing end to a season filled with high expectations, but the Nittany Lions have shown they can compete at the highest level of college hockey. With the addition of CHL talent and another year of experience, Penn State will look to build on its recent success and make a return trip to the Frozen Four in the near future.
