GAME DAY: Penn State Men's Hockey vs. Canisius

THIS WEEK’S MATCHUP

• This weekend marks the 10th and 11th meetings in the all-time series with Penn State holding the 8-1-0 record following five consecutive wins. The team’s last meet during the 2024-25 season as Penn State earned the sweep with 4-0 and 3-2 wins in Hockey Valley. The Nittany Lions are 7-1-0 against Canisius all-time in Hockey Valley as only the first-ever meeting between the two programs in 2015 took place outside of Pegula Ice Arena.
• Penn State is 0-4 to open the season for just the second time in program history and first time since the 2020-21 season. The Nittany Lions began that campaign 0-5-0 before registering their first victory.
• The Nittany Lions are now 53-19-2 all-time against Atlantic teams following the two losses so far this season to Sacred Heart and Robert Morris.
• Sophomore Jackson Smith has assists in three-straight games for the Nittany Lions tying his career long point and assist streaks.
• Sophomore Justin Poirier leads the team with five points over the first four games with points in three of the four including a pair of multi-point efforts. Poirier scored both Nittany Lion goals, his first in a Penn State uniform, on Tuesday night.
• Freshman Justin Larose is currently riding a three-game point streak of his own after collecting the primary assist on Poirier’s first goal on Tuesday.

NEXT UP

Penn State hits the road to begin Big Ten play with a Halloween Weekend series in Minnesota against the Gophers. 

SCOUTING CANISIUS

• Canisius finished the 2025-26 season 17-16-2 losing to Mercyhurst, 5-2, in the opening round of the Atlantic Hockey Championship. This season the Golden Griffins are 3-2-1 and enter the weekend after splitting at Clarkson last weekend.
• The Griffs have seen a balanced offensive attack through six games this season with 18 players having registered at least one point and 12 players with a goal including six with two goals.
• Freshman goaltender Jack Lisson has started his collegiate career strong posting a 3-2-1 record in six games with four starts while posting a .926 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average.
• Canisius is averaging and allowing 3.00 goals per game through the first six games this season.
• The Griffs have a struggling powerplay converting at just 12.5 percent (3-for-24) while the PK has stopped 78.9 percent (15-for-19) of opponent chances.
• The Griffs have 10 seniors and are the second oldest team in the country with an average age of 22 years and 10 months. Penn State is the 11th youngest team in the nation with an average age of 21 years and 6 months.