Penn State men's hockey swept Notre Dame in a Big Ten battle, ending with a 6-3 win at home on Saturday, Jan. 17. This two-game sweep pushed the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 conference record and 16-6 overall record. It also kept them steady in the USCHO polls, ranking at No. 8 after the weekend.
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On top of a dominant weekend in the conference, forwards Matt DiMarisco and Gavin McKenna earned Big Ten honors for the week. DiMarisco earned a first-star nod and McKenna earned the third-star spot in the Big Ten.
The junior became the first Nittany Lion to have three hat trick performances in one season with a three-goal performance against the Fighting Irish on Friday night. DiMarisco scored three of Penn State's four points. He had another goal on Saturday as well.
As for McKenna, the freshman led the country in points with two goals and three assists over the weekend. On Saturday, he had a three-point game, which included his two goals. This also set a career-high in points. Saturday was his third consecutive game logging at least one point.
Penn State forwards Matt DiMarisco & Gavin McKenna secure #B1GHockey weekly accolades for the 2nd time this season after leading the nation in goals and points, respectively, during a weekend sweep against Notre Dame!! 😤🏒⭐️
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) January 20, 2026
Read ➡️ https://t.co/M1UAIWxUoQ#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/p65GxBy5Z6
McKenna entered the season with a lot on his shoulders. The future first-overall selection of the 2026 NHL Draft was expected to perform like a star as a true collegiate freshman. He came to Penn State a 17-year-old, and the jump from juniors to the NCAA takes some time to adjust to.
Over his first 16 games before winter break, McKenna logged four goals and 14 assists. Nothing spectacular, but also nothing to be concerned about, especially with the Nittany Lions registering an eight-game win streak in that first half of the season.
Out of the gate in McKenna's first four games of the second half, he has two goals and four assists. The only game he didn't log a point was Penn State's 3-0 win against Minnesota on Jan. 9. He tallied his first multi-goal game of his collegiate career as well in Saturday's victory, and his offensive prowess continues blooming early in the second half of the season.
"You look at the World Junior Championships, [McKenna] was one point from the lead and just turned 18," head coach Guy Gadowsky said, according to The Daily Collegian. "He’s doing incredibly well, and we see him getting better every day."