Michigan
11-2-0, 4-1-0
Penn State
9-4-0, 2-3-0
Michigan Dominates No. 5 Penn State in Series Opener of Top-Five Matchup
11/14/2025 11:16:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» T.J. Hughes finished with one goal and one assist to reach 140 career points.
» Will Horcoff scored the game-winning goal, his NCAA-leading 12th tally of the year.
» Josh Eernisse opened the scoring with his third shorthanded goal, the most in college hockey.
By Drew VanDrese
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- A dominant performance from puck drop to final buzzer led the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team to a 7-1 win over No. 5 Penn State on Friday night (Nov. 14) inside Pegula Ice Arena.
Freshman goaltender Jack Ivankovic made his first key stop less than two minutes into the game, and the first-year netminder continued to be sharp throughout the course of the contest in earning his 11th victory in 13 games as a Wolverine. He finished the evening with 26 saves on 27 shots.
Michigan (11-2-0, 4-1-0 Big Ten) was whistled for roughing at 6:11 to grant the first power play to PSU, but a turnover in the neutral zone allowed Josh Eernisse to collect the puck in his skates before pushing forward toward the cage with a defender draped on him. The senior forward continued his torrid start as a penalty killer, stinging the Nittany Lions on the counterattack at 7:15 following a deke in close quarters. Nick Moldenhauer assisted on Eernisse's NCAA-leading third shorthanded goal.
With a one-goal lead, the Wolverines finished off the remaining power-play time to force play back to even strength.
Later in the period, Penn State (9-4-0, 2-3-0 Big Ten) turned it over near its defensive half wall. Michael Hage was positioned to claim possession and feed a quick touch pass to Will Horcoff, who had just swooped behind the net. The sophomore finished his turn toward the blue paint and gathered the puck before he ripped it five-hole to double the Michigan lead at 14:43.
Horcoff's 12th goal of the year earned him sole ownership of the nationwide goal-scoring lead.
The first Wolverines power play came and went without a goal, but the goal light did not rest for long before Moldenhauer found space near the top of the crease to redirect Kienan Draper's point shot past the netminder's glove and into the net for a 3-0 lead at 17:53. Junior forward Garrett Schifsky recorded the secondary helper.
Michigan headed to the dressing room for the first intermission with a commanding 3-0 lead off a slim 9-8 edge in shots on goal. Penn State held a 10-7 lead in the faceoff dot through 20 minutes, while neither side converted on their lone power-play attempts.
Intermission failed to slow the visitors, as U-M rattled off several strong chances in the opening three minutes of the middle frame with waves of Wolverines pressing in the PSU zone.
Freshman center Cole McKinney went to work along the boards in the offensive zone to gain possession. Pinned up against the boards on the end wall with his back to the slot, McKinney won the puck before zipping a quick backhand feed to Schifsky in the right circle. The junior wound up for a one-timer and converted on McKinney's tape-to-tape pass to extend the lead to 4-0 at 4:20.
Penn State finally dented the twine with 24 seconds left in the second period to make it 4-1 after a turnover behind the net was turned into a successful one-timer from the slot.
Through two periods, Michigan had built a 4-1 lead in addition to a 25-20 edge in shots on goal.
PSU sent a skater to the box just 25 seconds into the final frame. Twenty-six seconds later, Adam Valentini found the back of the net for his fourth goal of the year off a tic-tac-toe passing play orchestrated by Jayden Perron, Hage and T.J. Hughes. Hage and Hughes notched the assists on Valentini's power-play tally, Michigan's first on the man-advantage in four games.
Senior captain Hughes weighed his options with the puck at the top of the left circle before caving in toward the blue paint to drive the net. The forward used an array of dangles to evade multiple defenders and walk in on net to score his sixth goal of the year at 4:29. Perron earned the lone assist for getting the puck to Hughes for the backhand-to-forehand marker.
The Wolverines received a late opportunity on the power play following a holding penalty with 4:29 remaining in regulation. Just four seconds after the advantage expired, McKinney cashed in to make it 7-1. Defensemen Ben Robertson and Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen were credited with the assists on the freshman forward's fourth collegiate goal.
Michigan put the finishing touches on a dominant evening before pouring off the bench to mob Ivankovic after the final buzzer in celebration of an impressive 7-1 win. The Wolverines finished the night with a 37-27 lead in shots on goal as well as the game's lone power-play marker, while the Nittany Lions eked out a narrow 28-27 edge in the faceoff dot.
Michigan and Penn State will finish off the weekend series on Saturday night (Nov. 15) at Pegula. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m., and the contest will be streamed live on B1G+.
