University Park, Pa. — October 9, 2025
In front of a packed crowd of 6,249 at Pegula Ice Arena, the No. 4-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions fell 6–4 to Clarkson in their home opener, despite a record-setting four-goal performance from sophomore forward JJ Wiebusch. The defeat spoiled an otherwise electric night that included the NCAA debut of Blue Jackets first-round pick Jackson Smith and the home debut of freshman phenom Gavin McKenna.
Fast Start and Early Exchanges
Clarkson wasted no time quieting the crowd, scoring just one minute into the first period as Talon Sigurdson buried a rebound to give the Golden Knights an early lead. Penn State answered midway through the frame when JJ Wiebusch capitalized on the power play, assisted by McKenna and Aiden Fink, to even the score 1–1 after one.
Despite flashes of energy from Penn State’s depth line of Charlie Cerrato, JJ Wiebusch, and Matt DiMarsico, the Nittany Lions looked disjointed early, taking several penalties and struggling with defensive zone coverage.
Wiebusch Makes History
The second period entirely owned by Wiebusch. After goaltender Kevin Reidler made several critical stops to keep the game tied, Cerrato set up Wiebusch for his second of the night with a slick behind the back feed. Just minutes later, Wiebusch completed a natural hat trick on another power play—again assisted by McKenna, who had exceptional vision throughout his home debut.
Clarkson briefly stopped the momentum with a goal from Adrian Misaljevic, but Wiebusch answered again just moments later, burying his fourth goal off a rebound for a 4–2 Penn State lead. The tally marked the first four-goal game in Penn State men’s hockey history. Clarkson responded before the period ended with a shorthanded goal from Eerik Bargholtz, cutting the deficit to 4–3 entering the third.
Third-Period Collapse
The Golden Knights quickly tied the game just 28 seconds into the final frame on a goal from Owen Van Steensel, and from there, momentum swung entirely in their favor. Reidler continued to battle in net, but Clarkson took the lead with 9:50 remaining as Misaljevic scored his second of the game on a backhand. Despite several strong shifts and a late push from Penn State, Clarkson sealed the upset with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Postgame Takeaways
Head coach Guy Gadowsky praised the crowd and Wiebusch’s record night but didn’t shy away from the team’s shortcomings.
“Obviously the result wasn’t what we wanted, but there were a lot of good things — the crowd was awesome, JJ scoring four goals was awesome, the power play got two, and the penalty kill was really good,” Gadowsky said. “But we lost the game, and that’s college hockey. You have to keep the puck out of the net.”
Gadowsky emphasized the need for a quick turnaround ahead of Saturday’s rematch.
“Whether you win or lose, you have to forget it quickly and be ready for the next night. I don’t think there’s going to be one game all year where we don’t face an extremely hungry team,” he said.
Leadership Reflections
Captain Dane Dowiak admitted Penn State failed to match Clarkson’s intensity.
“We didn’t bring our A-game,” Dowiak said. “They wanted it more, they did the little things right, and we need to look in the mirror and bring our best tomorrow.”
He echoed the team’s preseason sentiment of being “the hunted.”
“We know we have a solid team, and every game we’re going to get every opponent’s best,” Dowiak added. “We didn’t prepare the way we should have, and that’s on me and the leadership group. Tomorrow we’ll respond.”
Defenseman Jarod Crespo, who paired with Jackson Smith, praised the freshman’s confidence.
“He played very well — confident for his first collegiate game,” Crespo said. “We supported each other well, and he’s only going to get better.”
McKenna Report
Gavin McKenna continued to impress in Penn State’s 6–4 loss to Clarkson, picking up two primary assists — both on power plays feeding JJ Wiebusch for his hat trick and fourth goal. Skating on the top line with Luke Misa and Aiden Fink, McKenna consistently created offense with sharp vision and poise, making several highlight-reel passes that generated scoring chances all night. Even as the Nittany Lions got sloppy late, he stayed composed and kept driving play. After the game, Coach Gadowsky summed it up simply: “What you see on the ice is what you get” — a statement that perfectly fits McKenna’s calm, creative, and consistent presence.
Looking Ahead
Penn State (2–1–0) and Clarkson (1–1–0) will conclude the weekend series Friday night at Pegula. The Nittany Lions will look to clean up their defensive play and rebound from the shocking defeat.