No. 17 Penn State hockey officially drops the puck on the 2026-27 season tonight with a game against No. 16 UConn at the Ice Breaker Tournament. The Nittany Lions begin their 15th season in the NCAA with a rematch of the 2025 Allentown Regional Final, which Penn State won 3-2 in overtime to reach the Frozen Four for the first time.
How To Watch
Who: UConn Huskies
When: Friday, October 9
Where: Toscano Family Ice Arena, Storrs, CT
Time: 7pm
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Penn State Sports Network
Projected Lineup
Dane Dowiak-Reese Laubach-Justin
Poirier Shea Van Olm-Luke Misa-Marco Mignosa Justin Larose-Kale Dach-Shea Busch Braedon Ford-Keaton Peters-Andrew Kuzma
Jackson Smith-Nolan Collins
Mac Gadowsky-Casey Aman
Ethan Weber-Caedan Herrington
Josh Fleming
Ryder Fetterolf
Opponent Preview
UConn went 20-13-5 last season and qualified for the NCAA Tournament as the final at-large team after finishing No. 14 in the NPI rankings. The Huskies fell 2-1 to Michigan State in the regional semifinal despite outshooting the Spartans 42-22 in the game. It was a tough result for a program hoping for a signature win, but UConn has grown tremendously in the last two seasons.
Joey Muldowney is the team’s leading returning scorer (17 goals in 2025-26). He was unable to replicate his stellar 29 goals from 2024-25, but he is by far the most dangerous offensive weapon UConn has. The Huskies return 60% of their scoring from last season but will need to replace Ryan Tattle’s 13 goals and Jake Richard’s 10 goals after both signed professional contracts in the offseason. Like Penn State, UConn is hoping for some of its more modest goal scorers to step into a larger role, including Kaden Shahan (9 goals, 11 assists) and Ethan Gardula (9 goals, 8 assists).
UConn has continuity on the blue line, though as a team they gave up 30.1 shots on goal per game (34th in NCAA) last season. The Huskies had only eight goals from defensemen a season ago. There is no elite offensive player on this unit, but there are four NHL Draft picks here, most notably 2026 3rd round selection Charlie Morrison.
Goaltending is a question mark after Tyler Muszelik signed with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Kam Hendrickson played in four games last season and put up good numbers (.916 save percentage, 2.46 GAA), but he will likely compete with incoming freshman and New Jersey Devils prospect Veeti Louhivaara for the net.
UConn was fairly mediocre on special teams last year, ranking 20th in the NCAA on the power play (21.4%) and 40th on the penalty kill (79%). Penn State finished 8th on the power play (26%) and 12th on the penalty kill (83.7%).
News & Notes
- The all-time series between Penn State and UConn is tied 2-2-1. Penn State has won two of the last three meetings.
- Penn State opens the regular season on the road for the fourth straight year.
- Guy Gadowsky begins his 27th season as an NCAA head coach. His 425 career wins ranks 27th all-time in NCAA history and sixth among active coaches.
- Penn State will appear in the Ice Breaker Tournament for the first time.
- Dane Dowiak and Reese Laubach will serve as the team’s co-captains.
- Gavin McKenna scored hisfirst NHL goal for the Maple Leafs in a 5-4 overtime win over Nashville on Tuesday night. He has three points through his first five NHL games. McKenna is the fourth former Penn State player to score an NHL goal, joining Brandon Biro, Brett Murray, and Casey Bailey.
Prediction
Starting on the road is a tricky spot for a Penn State team replacing a significant chunk of its scoring and defense. The Nittany Lions likely have not figured out their best line combinations yet, and it could be a struggle for the forwards to get going early in the game. Josh Fleming is a proven entity in net, but UConn’s offense is no slouch to face, especially in the first game of the season.
A strong start would be optimal for the visitors. An early goal or two for Penn State would help deflate what should be a fun atmosphere in Storrs. On paper, this looks like an even matchup, and in the season opener, the game has a decent chance of playing out that way. I will take Penn State by a goal, with special teams making the difference.
Penn State 4, UConn 3
