The Nittany Lions walked off the ice in Madison, Wisconsin on November 24 angry and dejected. Penn State hockey had just been walloped by the then-No. 14 Wisconsin Badgers 7-3, capping off an abysmal 0-4 start to the season.

“We had a team meeting after that and said we need to turn this around,” senior forward Adam Pilewicz said.

Fast forward to this past Friday, and the Nittany Lions were holding on to a slim one-goal lead over that same Wisconsin team. When the clock hit zero and the Nittany Lions defeated the No. 12 Badgers 5-4, it was an indication of how far they had come in just a few weeks.

Following that November 24 loss to Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions have gone 8-4-0. Coming into the season, it was almost a given that a young Nittany Lions squad would struggle with a minimal preseason due to COVID-19 restrictions and a large amount of roster turnover.

In head coach Guy Gadowsky’s eyes, one word describes the team’s resurgence: continuity.

“It’s all about being able to play as one mind in all three zones of the ice as a team,” Gadowsky said.

The Nittany Lions’ ability to play as one came to fruition right after the first Wisconsin series during a 9-5 victory over No. 7 Michigan. It became clearer that Penn State was starting to find its groove on the ice as time went on.

“Once we got that first win versus Michigan, we started to believe in ourselves again and put ourselves in a new direction,” Pilewicz said.

Time together on and off the ice allowed players to get to know each other as teammates and friends. Chemistry began to form, and the Nittany Lions started to earn wins because of it.

Another factor in all of this is leadership. Alex Limoges was named captain of the Nittany Lions early in the offseason and has had the tall task of leading the team through the challenges that the coronavirus era and the poor start to the season have offered.

“This is the hardest year to come in and be captain of a team,” Gadowsky said. “What he’s done off the ice has been far greater than what he’s done on the ice.”

Limoges is currently one of the top goal-scorers in the conference, and his ability to help create culture off the ice despite the circumstances has brought more to the team than his goals.

It isn’t just Limoges leading the charge. It’s everyone, top to bottom on the team, that have bought in and turned the season around. Gadowsky mentioned players like Tim Doherty, Connor McMenamin, Paul Denaples, Tyler Gratton, and Adam Pilewicz as leaders who have also stepped up to the plate to help guide the Nittany Lions through the storm.

Despite the poor start and the talent that the Big Ten possesses, the Nittany Lions still have their eyes set on making the NCAA Tournament and claiming the program’s first national championship.

“We knew we had time to turn the season around,” Pilewicz said. “We can put ourselves in a good position heading into the Big Ten tournament and get an at-large big even with a start like we had.”

What happened in Madison back in November was the start of a journey for Penn State, and Friday’s victory was an indication of how far the Nittany Lions have come. It’s still not perfect, but if the last stretch of games has shown us anything, it’s that Penn State is trending in the right direction.