No. 6 Penn State men's hockey didn't have the weekend it hoped for. The Nittany Lions (18-8, 10-6 Big Ten) fell to No. 2 Michigan State in a series sweep, losing 6-3 and 5-4 on Friday and Saturday, respectively. This dropped the blue and white down a spot on the USCHO poll.
Penn State fans suffer a familiar heartbreak at Beaver Stadium
These back-to-back losses came after Penn State's upset against No. 5 Wisconsin. It was an identity-building weekend just as much as it was an opportunity to tab two more wins on the record. So while the most recent series was a disappointment at home, the Nittany Lions have a lot to look forward to. After all, they are still a top 10 team in the country — they just happen to be in a very dominant conference in college hockey that put sup tough competition week-to-week.
After Saturday's loss, athletic director Pat Kraft reminded the team not only that the weekend doesn't define the team, but that a similar situation from the 2024-25 season turned into a Frozen Four appearance.
"Kraft came in," head coach Guy Gadowsky said, according to Onward Sports via Twitter/X. "And the first thing he said was, 'You guys remember what happened last time you guys lost an outdoor game in overtime?'"
Guy Gadowsky on how this loss can propel the team:
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) January 31, 2026
"Pat Kraft came in. And the first thing he said was, 'You guys remember what happened last time you guys lost an outdoor game in overtime?'"
As a reminder, Penn State went on a historic second-half run that resulted in a Frozen…
On Jan. 3, 2025, the Nittany Lions faced Notre Dame in an outdoor game. They ultimately lost that matchup at Wrigley Field in the shootout. The Fighting Irish tallied the extra point, though the game technically ended in a 3-3 tie.
Penn State won 14 of its remaining 17 regular season contests after that loss, including matchups that ended in shootout wins. It was the first season the blue and white made an NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. They also made history even further by getting to the Frozen Four. Penn State lost to Boston University, 3-1, in the semifinals. However, the season as a whole was one for the history books and marked a new era of Nittany Lion hockey.
The message from Kraft is clear: losses don't define the team and there's a lot of hockey left to be played in 2025-26.