No. 10/9 Penn State men's hockey's 2026 NCAA Hockey Tournament run starts Friday, March 27 at 9 p.m. EDT. The Nittany Lions first matchup is versus Minnesota-Duluth, an evenly matched opponent for the blue and white.
Here's everything you need to know about Friday's game from how to watch to odds to series history.
ESPN deems Penn State vs. Minnesota Duluth a 'big boy matchup' in NCAA Tournament
How to watch Penn State vs. Minnesota-Duluth in NCAA Hockey Tournament First Round
- Date:Â Friday, March 27
- Time:Â 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Venue:Â MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y.
- How to Watch (TV):Â ESPN2
- Penn State record:Â 21-13-2 (12-10-2 Big Ten)
- Minnesota-Duluth record:Â 23-14-1 (11-12-1 NCHC)
Penn State vs. Minnesota-Duluth odds, spread, and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline
- Penn State:Â -112
- Minnesota-Duluth:Â -118
Spread
- Penn State:Â +1.5 (-300)
- Minnesota-Duluth:Â -1.5 (+220)
Total
- 6.5 (over -110 / under -120)
Penn State vs. Minnesota-Duluth series history
The Nittany Lions and Bulldogs have yet to meet in program history. Friday will be the first time these two teams meet as both seek to extend their NCAA Tournament run to the Albany Regional Championship Game.
Penn State players to watch
- Forward Gavin McKenna (51 points, 15 goals)
- Forward Aiden Fink (38 points, 10 goals)
- Forward Charlie Cerrato (27 points, seven goals)
- Defenseman Jackson Smith (26 points, 11 goals)
- Defenseman Jarod Crespo (46 blocks)
Minnesota-Duluth players to watch
- Forward Max Plante (49 points, 24 goals)
- Forward Zam Plante (47 points, 20 goals)
- Forward Jayson Shaugabay (42 points, 11 goals)
- Defenseman Joey Pierce (61 blocks)
- Goaltender Adam Gajan (.908 save percentage)
ESPN2 announcers for Penn State vs. Minnesota-Duluth
Roxy Bernstein and Sean Ritchlin will be in the booth providing play-by-play and color commentary coverage, respectively, for Friday's contest.
Ritchlin is a former New Jersey Devils forward who played collegiately at Michigan. The No. 1/1 Wolverines are the No. 1 seed of the Albany Regional.
Other NCAA Tournament First Round matchups and results
Worcester, Mass. Regional
- Michigan State 2, UConn 1
- Wisconsin 5, Dartmouth 1
Worcester Regional Championship Game: Michigan State vs. Wisconsin
Sioux Falls, S.D. Regional
- North Dakota 3, Merrimack 0
- Quinnipiac 5, Providence 2
Sioux Falls Regional Championship Game: North Dakota vs. Quinnipiac
Loveland, Colo. Regional
- March 27 (2:30 p.m. EDT): Western Michigan vs. Minnesota State
- March 27 (6 p.m. EDT): Denver vs. Cornell
Albany, N.Y. Regional
- March 27 (5:30 p.m.): Michigan vs. Bentley