Hockey season will soon be upon us, and the Pegula Ice Arena is preparing with the Hockey Valley Rally scheduled for Wednesday night at 9 p.m.

With the Nittany Lions opening their second Big Ten season at 7 p.m. here Friday against Connecticut, coach Guy Gadowsky, players, the hockey band, cheerleaders, and the Nittany Lion will be in attendance on Wednesday to welcome a hopefully-improved team.

Students can enter the rally through Gate B, by the Shields Building. Those who attend will be eligible to win prizes and partake in the student section’s chants.

Last season, men’s hockey finished 8-26-2, but made noise by beating Michigan three times and advancing to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. The six-team Big Ten is stacked again in 2014, with Minnesota (No. 1), Michigan (No. 8), and Wisconsin (No. 10) all preseason top 10 clubs. Ohio State clocks in at No. 22. While Penn State is not ranked, it returns players responsible for 99 percent of its scoring from last season.