There are just 67 days until Penn State hockey’s season opener against UConn. The roster has taken shape, and after experiencing heavy turnover at forward in the offseason, Penn State will have a blend of veteran pieces and fresh faces.
First Line
Dane Dowiak-Reese Laubach-Justin Poirier
Reese Laubach has been one of the more underappreciated players in this era of Penn State hockey. He should be the top line center this season. He was forced into the role last year when Charlie Cerrato missed the back half of the regular
season with an injury. Laubach had 16 points in those 16 games, including a four-point weekend against Michigan on the road.
Dane Dowiak will return for his final season after missing the final 10 games- including all of the postseason- with an upper-body injury. He has developed into one of Penn State’s top offensive players over the last two seasons, and he should be a good fit with Laubach on the top line.
Justin Poirier was the best pickup Penn State took at forward from the transfer portal. He scored 18 goals at Maine last season while getting just 16:30 of ice time per game. His shooting percentage of 18.7% is not likely to continue at Penn State, but he is a major offensive threat and a strong right-hand shot for the first line.
Second Line
Shea Van Olm-Luke Misa-Marco Mignosa
Shea Van Olm and Luke Misa struggled to find their offensive game until the second half of last season, but they finished the year strong and have high aspirations on the second line. Misa is fully capable of stepping up as the second line center role largely held by Laubach the last two seasons.
Marco Mignosa had a solid scoring touch in the OHL, scoring 35 goals in each of his final two seasons with the Soo Greyhounds. He will be green to start the season as he adjusts to NCAA hockey, but putting him on a line with two more experienced players should help him out.
Third Line
Kaden Pitre-Kale Dach-Shea Busch
The third line will likely be relying on Kale Dach to generate goals and scoring chances, as Busch and Pitre did not light the world on fire offensively in juniors. Dach had 34 goals and41 assists last year for the Calgary Hitmen. Luke Misa put up similar scoring numbers in his final season in the OHL and started his Penn State career playing third line center. I envision a similar path for Dach as he moves from juniors to the NCAA.
Fourth Line
Lev Katzin–Keaton Peters-Braedon Ford
Looking back to last summer, one of the first signs of potential trouble that the hockey team was not going to repeat the success of 2024-25 was when Keaton Peters announced he would be out for the season. Peters did not score much in his freshman season but was excellent in the faceoff circle, a strength that Penn State missed badly last season. With him, the bottom six should be able to win faceoffs at a healthy clip and avoid getting hemmed in the defensive zone.
Lev Katzin and Braedon Ford combined for just three goals and three assists last year. They will not be counted on to score, but their physical play and defensive work will be key.
