March 28, 2026, 9:50 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
Penn State’s hockey team was going into the Frozen Four on a mission. As a No. 3 seed in the Albany Region, expectations were high on a deep run into the tournament. Especially with superstar freshman and presumptive No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NHL draft, Gavin McKenna<\/a>, leading the way at the helm. However, every dream they had of winning it all came crashing down in the regional semifinal.<\/p>\n Going up against Albany region No. 2 seed and traditional hockey powerhouse Minnesota-Duluth, McKenna never truly got going in a 3-1 loss<\/a> that saw goalie Josh Fleming having to stand on his head to keep the Nittany Lions<\/a> in the game. The team got off to a great start, with Shane Van Olm scoring their lone goal 11:23 into the first period, but from there, they lacked the cutting edge required to hurt an experienced team.<\/p>\n McKenna only ended up having two shots on goal all game and ended up playing a pivotal part in the winning goal, as his turnover in the UMD zone set up Anderson Hunter to knock in the eventual game-winner.<\/p>\n After a thrilling season for Penn State hockey, it ended up being a heartbreaking loss for a team that believed it could win it all. However, an off day from your best player is never a good thing, and Penn State could simply not recover from that brutal mistake by their star freshman.<\/p>\n The next stop for McKenna could be the Hobey Baker Award ceremony, where he could be named one of the three finalists for the award. Other than that, Penn State fans will turn their attentions to June 26-27 in Buffalo, where McKenna will most likely be the number 1 overall pick.<\/p>\n