UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (October 24, 2025) – The Stonehill College men's hockey team narrowly fell to nationally ranked No. 5 Penn State, 3-2, on Friday night at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania. With the result, the Skyhawks dropped to 1-5 overall, while the Nittany Lions improved to 6-1 on the season.
 
Highlights

• Joel Lehtinen and Evan Orr scored their first and second goals of the season, respectively, for the Skyhawks.
• Charlie Banquier, JJ Grainda, Cole Melady, and Billy Renfrew each recorded an assist on the night.
• Connor Androlewicz anchored the Stonehill net, making 33 saves on 36 shots faced.
• Gavin McKenna and JJ Wiebusch led Penn State's offensive effort, each posting a goal and an assist.
• Matt DiMarsico scored his seventh goal of the season for the Nittany Lions, while Joshua Fleming earned his third win of the season, stopping 30 of 32 shots faced.

How It Happened
Stonehill came out of the gates strong against Penn State, outshooting the Nittany Lions 10-4 over the first nine minutes, including a Pat Murphy shot that rang off the post, narrowly missing an early Skyhawks lead. However, moments after killing off a Penn State power play, Stonehill conceded the first goal at 13:07 of the opening period, when DiMarsico scored his seventh goal of the season.

Trailing by one entering the second period, Androlewicz and the Stonehill defense faced an early onslaught, with 10 shot attempts—including six on goal—over the first 3:15. The Skyhawks held strong, turning aside every opportunity and generating momentum that led to Stonehill taking the first lead of the game with two quick goals in a span of 24 seconds.

Lehtinen pounced on a loose puck in the slot to score his first goal of the season at 6:03, followed by Orr's go-ahead goal at 6:27 off a feed from Melady and Renfrew. Stonehill carried the one-goal advantage into the final minutes of the period, with Androlewicz coming up clutch on several key saves.

In the third period, Justin Mexico nearly extended the Skyhawks' lead to two with a shot off the post at 6:26. Penn State quickly responded, with McKenna tying the game at 2-2 just under two minutes later at 8:11.

After a back-and-forth battle down the stretch, Penn State capitalized on a late power-play opportunity, with Wiebusch scoring in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Despite pulling the goalie for a last-second chance, Stonehill fell just short, dropping a 3-2 decision to the No. 5 Nittany Lions.
 
Up Next
Stonehill (1-5-0) closes out its two-game series against No. 5 Penn State tomorrow at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa., with puck drop scheduled for 6 PM.

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