Penn State men’s hockey looking to improve on offense in home series against Wisconsin
It’s not hard to find 6-foot-4, 195-pound Arsenii Sergeev. He’s right there in goal for the Penn State men’s hockey team.
He’s also near the top of Big Ten Conference goaltending leaders with a 1.84-goals against average through seven games.
Sergeev’s competitiveness and outgoing personality have helped him adapt quickly as a transfer to Penn State from UConn this season. His approach has endeared him to his teammates.
“He has been the foundation,” Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said. “The team has played really well around him. They would run through a wall for him.”
Sergeev, from Yaroslavl, Russia, played two seasons at UConn and, before that, spent time with five teams in five leagues after arriving in the United States in 2019. He’s seemingly found a home in Happy Valley rather quickly.
“It’s a good bunch of guys,” he said. “Everyone has been very supportive.”
They appreciate his confidence and, again, competitiveness — though he knows senior defenseman Jimmy Dowd Jr. and Gadowsky are the ones to avoid at the ping pong table. “Jimmy can spin the ball, and Gads is really good,” Sergeev said.
As Penn State enters a weekend home series against Wisconsin (the start of a six-game homestand), Sergeev’s efforts will be important, as always.
In addition, Penn State’s penalty-kill unit has been strong, allowing just one power-play goal this season. That’s the fewest of any team in the Big Ten.
While Penn State and Wisconsin share a common opponent — Minnesota which swept both teams in consecutive weeks — Gadowsky said preparation this week was more about what his team learned after playing Minnesota than anything Wisconsin did against the Golden Gophers.
So far, Penn State has been strong on faceoffs. It’s won 55.1% of draws, good for second in the Big Ten, behind only Wisconsin (55.3%).
The team needs to improve on offense. The Nittany Lions average just 2.57 goals per game. That’s next to last in the Big Ten, ahead of only Wisconsin (1.80).
Gadowsky said the team has an abundance of skilled players, but consistent goal scoring relies on some physicality as well.
“We just have to get back to Penn State tough around the net,” he said. “It can’t just be scoring with skill. You have to score with courage and nastiness.”
No. 18 Penn State (4-3, 0-2 Big Ten) vs. Wisconsin (2-8, 1-5)
Series: 7 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Audio/Radio: GoPSUsports.com, 103.7 FM
Streaming/TV: B1G+
Notable: Penn State leads the all-time series, 27-23-3, although Wisconsin has won five games in a row. … Penn State last defeated Wisconsin at home on Feb. 23, 2023, a 6-1 victory. … Wisconsin sophomore forward Quinn Finley is tied for the conference lead with seven goals. … Promotions this weekend include Throwback Night on Friday, with uniforms inspired by Penn State’s first varsity hockey team, and the annual Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, when fans can bring stuffed animals to toss on the ice with those then donated to families served by the Penn State Dance Marathon and local charities