(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
Over a decade ago, Arizona State and Penn State competed against each other at the club hockey level in the ACHA. Two NCAA promotions and some time later, the No. 14 Sun Devils and No. 5 Nittany Lions will open the 2025-26 season at Mullett Arena in one of the most anticipated opening series of the year.
In Penn State’s inaugural NCAA year in 2012, it faced off against the Sun Devils, who were still at the ACHA level. ASU took down the Nittany Lions in the 3-1 affair, but since then, the ice has been tilted.
In the two schools’ eight official NCAA meetings, Penn State has controlled the series, winning seven out of eight, with its only defeat coming in 2018, a 4-3 overtime loss. The Blue and White have also dominated on the score sheet, outscoring the Sun Devils 43-21, shutting them out twice.
While the two teams are well-acquainted, they have not crossed paths since the 2020-21 season. After a five-year absence, both teams are in new eras.
Last season, Head Coach Greg Powers and the Sun Devils made their debut in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and had one of their best years in program history. They finished second in the conference’s regular season standings and No. 15 in the NCAA following a 21-14-2 season record (16-10-1 NCHC), eventually falling short in the semifinals of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
Heading into his 12th season, Powers added several new faces to the roster, including a prospect unlike anyone in program history, freshman forward Jack Beck.
Beck played professionally in both the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL) last year, as he was able to go from a professional league to the NCAA because of special circumstances, where his career earnings are below the cost of attendance at ASU.
“He’s a really, really good hockey player,” Powers said. “The opportunity presented itself. It was unique. If it were anyone else that were in the same position, we would have said no, but because of the character we know the kid has…it was a no-brainer for us.”
The Ontario native spent most of his time with the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL, where he posted an impressive 36 points in 36 games. He will have to wait six games to make his Sun Devil debut because of the six games he played after his 22nd, but he will look to make his presence felt early on when he returns.
Penn State is coming off its best season in program history, working its way all the way to the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis. With the addition of promising debutants and established veterans, it will look to raise the already high bar set last year.
As head coach Guy Gadowsky enters his fourteenth season, Penn State’s most notable change comes with the addition of 17-year-old freshman forward and the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft, Gavin McKenna.
The Canadian made the move to Happy Valley following the rule changes regarding Canadian Hockey League (CHL) eligibility last year. McKenna competed in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he set the league ablaze for the Medicine Hat Tigers, posting 129 points in just 56 games, over two points per game. He also led his squad to a WHL Championship and received MVP honors.
The blue-chip prospect is one of the most coveted talents in recent memory, being compared to the likes of Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard, as his NCAA debut has all eyes on Tempe this weekend. With a preseason Big Ten All-American nod and high expectations, McKenna will look to burst out of the gates at Mullett Arena this weekend.
The Nittany Lions also have some key returners to help fuel the fire, two of the most notable being junior forward Aiden Fink and redshirt senior forward Ben Schoen.
Fink is entering his third season at Penn State after leading the team with 23 goals and 53 points last year. His sophomore year campaign also featured a top 10 finish in the Hobey Baker race, which is awarded to the top player in the NCAA. The Nashville Predators draftee will attempt to start his Hobey Baker push on Friday as he looks to bring Penn State to the Frozen Four in back-to-back years.
Schoen is playing in his fifth year with the Nittany Lions and is coming off a 20-point performance last season. While the veteran’s production levels don’t jump off the stat sheet, his experience and leadership could be a huge factor in the team’s success this season. His presence could be key as Penn State enters enemy territory this weekend.
As the start of the new season looms, ASU and Penn State anxiously await their highly anticipated debuts and key returns in Tempe this Friday and Saturday.
Both sides will aim to come out firing and quickly hit their stride in a season of high hopes, and with the Sun Devil student section sold out both days, Mullett Arena is ready to rock once again.
“We are just excited to get going,” Powers said. “They are going to see college hockey’s very best right out of the gate this year.”
