Losing Streak Snapped, Overtime Thriller Cap Off Winter Weekend

Winter Weekend has come to an end in Happy Valley to the tune of some crazy moments. From a close Friday dual win to a last-second game-winner to snap a long streak, here’s a recap of all the major sporting events across campus.

Men’s Hockey Falls In Overtime Thriller At Beaver Stadium

The outdoor game on Saturday did not disappoint as Penn State looked to even up the series with No. 2 Michigan State. After the Spartans struck first on a Daniel Russell crease deflection, the Nittany Lions countered quickly after the beginning of the second period from Aiden Fink.

Just over three minutes later, however, Charlie Stramel put the Spartans ahead again off of a rebound to make it 2 to 1. Penn State scored two more to take the lead, but a Shea Van Olm tripping penalty gave Michigan State a chance to respond with 45 seconds to go in the second period.

Stramel netted his second goal of the day 43 seconds later to tie the game at 3 to 3. After the second intermission, Van Olm redeemed himself four minutes and 17 seconds in to give Penn State another lead. As it had been the case all day, Michigan State didn’t take long to come back.

Matt Basgal’s goal just 3 minutes after the Van Olm score was the equalizer that set up a Top 5 overtime clash. Stramel clinched a hat trick and the series sweep for Michigan State with one minute and 52 seconds remaining in overtime, putting the cap on a fantastic showdown.

The final recorded attendance for the game was 74,575 as the crowd showed up to make for an exciting atmosphere despite the sub-20 degree weather.

Mingo Clutch Shot Keys First Men’s Basketball Big Ten Victory of 2026

Penn State had its best opportunity of the year to overcome the recent woes as Minnesota traveled east for a Sunday showdown. The Nittany Lions were able to keep the pace after going down 3 to 2 to start the game.

That would be the last time the Nittany Lions were behind all game, leading for the final 37 minutes and 33 seconds of regulation. Penn State proceeded to go 5-for-12 from beyond the arc for the first half, with four of those coming from Josh Reed.

Reed ended the half with 16 points and tied his season high of 18, just one shy of the most in his career. He was one of four Nittany Lions with double figures alongside Dominick Stewart (12), Kayden Mingo (14) and Freddie Dilione V (25), who tied his career high.

Penn State led by as much as 13, but the Golden Gophers tightened things up in the final minutes. Langston Reynolds tied the game at 75 to 75 with 31 seconds left on a free throw, but after missing the second attempt Penn State had one last chance.

Kayden Mingo stepped up and helped the Nittany Lions to run the game clock all the way down, holding for a final shot. His elbow jumper connected with one second to go, clinching Penn State’s first overall win since December 29 and first Big Ten win since March 8, 2025.

Wrestling Captures Top 5 Dual Victory At Bryce Jordan Center

Penn State took down No. 5 Nebraska by a score of 26-12 in front of over 13,000 fans at Bryce Jordan Center on Friday. The Nittany Lions won seven bouts en route to extending their dual win streak to 83.

At 125, Luke Lilledahl got the scoring started for Penn State with a 20-4 tech fall to make the dual score 5 to 0. At 133, Marcus Blaze defeated Jacob Van Dee via a 5-1 decision to extend the lead to 8.

Penn State saw its first bout loss of the night at 141 when Nebraska’s Brock Hardy earned the fall over Braeden Davis, with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from Davis making the score 7 to 6.

At 157, a 2-1 tiebreaker decision for Antrell Taylor gave PJ Duke his first loss of his collegiate career. A Mitchell Mesenbrink tech fall kept Penn State ahead after halftime as the Nittany Lions ran away with the dual win.

Women’s Hockey Boasts Record Crowd In Outdoor Win

After winning the AHA regular season title for the fourth straight season, Penn State hit the ice to take on Robert Morris on Friday. The Nittany Lions had three different scorers, two of which found twine in the second period.

McKenna Walsh and Maddy Christian scored within a minute of each other halfway into the second period, with Walsh netting her second of the season and first since November 15 in an 11-2 win over Syracuse.

Grace Outwater put the icing on the cake with four and a half minutes to go in regulation, capping off a 3-0 win to start the series.

The attendance of 1,838 set the record for the highest in Penn State women’s hockey history.

Men’s Volleyball Takes No. 3 Hawaii To The Wire

The Saturday match was exciting throughout for Penn State and Hawaii as the opportunity loomed large for an upset. On Friday night, the Rainbow Warriors won in straight sets.

The first set was a thrilling back-and-forth battle as the Nittany Lions forced a few deuces and won their first (and only) of the weekend by a score of 27 to 25, capped off by back-to-back service aces from Owen Rose.

The second set would be the worst of the night for the blue and white, as Hawaii would start it on a 6-1 scoring run. The Rainbow Warriors would win the sideout after every Nittany Lion point, taking the set by a score of 25 to 10.

Hawaii continued to roll on in the third set, one that was marked by five kills from Louis Sakanoko for the Rainbow Warriors. Penn State had their lowest amount of service errors (1) of any set in the match, however that would not be enough as Hawaii won 25 to 15.

When all seemed lost, Penn State pushed back in the fourth set. The Nittany Lions had their highest hitting percentage of the match (.295) and took Hawaii to the wire. The set lasted around 50 minutes and tied for the most combined points (74) in Penn State men’s volleyball history, but Hawaii would end up the 38 to 36 victor to take the match in four sets.