Alexandria, MN (Apr. 7, 2025)
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Reese Laubach is gearing up to do something just about every young hockey player dreams of. On Thursday, Laubach and Penn State will compete in the program’s first ever Frozen Four in St. Louis, MO. The Nittany Lions will take on Boston University in the Semifinal at 7:30 CT on ESPN 2.
“It’s a super cool feeling and it’s really special”, Laubach said of the opportunity. “Going to the Frozen Four is something that Penn State has never done before so it’s pretty cool. That’s why I came to Penn State and that was the goal of coming here and that’s your dream since a kid is to play in a frozen four and play for a national championship it is super exciting.” If you were to ask Laubach back in the fall if this dream seemed attainable, the honest answer would be no. “Around New Years time, we were at a pretty low spot. We hadn’t won a Big 10 game in a couple months.” Things started to turn the corner for Laubach and the Nittany Lions when they took down #1 Michigan State on January 11th, winning 3-2 in a shootout. The team would then go on to win 12 out of 14 games leading into the Big 10 playoffs. “We just got hot at the right time. The guys have a ton of confidence in each other and it comes from everyone buying in and everyone trusting each other and just doing our jobs day in and day out.” In the Big 10 playoffs, Penn State would knock off #11 Michigan, before falling to #10 Ohio State in overtime in the semifinals. Penn State was on the outside looking in to earn an at-large bid to get into the NCAA tournament, but just about every scenario went the right way to get them into the final 16. Continuing their momentum, Laubach and the Nittany Lions would defeat #3 seed Maine 5-1 and UConn 3-2 in overtime to win the Allentown, PA regional. Now the program gets to compete in its first ever Frozen Four with Laubach leading the way as one of the teams top scorers.
The San Jose, CA native has scored 15 goals and 15 assists in 34 games played for the sophomore forward. While Laubach has had lots of success on the ice, it hasn’t come without trials. “The first half of this season, I was pretty injured and we didn’t win many games, but every athlete is going to go through ups and downs,” Laubach said. “It was really mentally tough on me but I think Juniors really prepared me to face the adversities that I have now in college.” It’s no secret, competitive hockey can take people to the highest of highs and also the lowest of lows. Thankfully for Laubach, his faith has established a solid foundation that never wavers through the ebbs and flows of hockey. “I think it all starts away from hockey,” Laubach said. “It all starts with your relationship with Christ. My relationship with Christ is a huge part of why I am the person that I am today. For me, a huge priority of mine is staying in my devotions in the Bible every single day so I can get that “spiritual food” that I need.”
With Northstar entering its 8th season in existence, it’s safe to say that Laubach would be considered a Pioneer for the program. “JO had reached out to me a few times before my 16U year and eventually I ended up telling him no and I actually was going to stay in San Jose for another year,” Luabach said of his journey to Northstar. “When COVID happened, Northstar kind of opened up the opportunity for me again and I was able to take the opportunity and that was probably the best decision of my life to go there.” In his 2 years with the program from 2020-22, Laubach lit up the record books, ranking first all time in points scored with 165, while also helping his teams win 2 NAPHL championships. Being one of 30 Knights players to play or commit to Division 1 NCAA programs, Laubach is a great example of a skillful player who leads off the ice. When asked what wisdom he’d give to future Knights, Laubach was quick to answer. “Take full advantage of your time at Northstar. Not just the hockey part, but take advantage of the people you have around you. With the coaches and staff there, you’ll never be around a more godly, respectful, and loving group of people in your life. The coaches and the staff at Northstar truly love every single one of their players and truly want the best for them. They want to do everything they can to get the players to grow in their relationship with Christ.”
The Knights are excited to watch Laubach continue to live out his dream of pursuing a NCAA Division I Championship and are proud of the Godly young man he is today, impacting the hockey world for Jesus Christ.