Penn State men’s hockey leaped to the No. 16 spot of this week’s USCHO poll after its 6-4 upset over No. 6 North Dakota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game Saturday Night.

The Nittany Lions are ranked for the first time since November 23, 2020, when the team started its season 0-4-0.

Guy Gadowsky’s squad nearly dominated North Dakota in the game, as Clayton Phillips and Connor MacEachern each scored two goals. Penn State’s victory was its first over a top-10 team since sweeping No. 7 Wisconsin on October 31 and November 1, 2019.

Averaging 4.29 goals per game, the Nittany Lions currently have the No. 4 scoring offense in the country, while Kevin Wall’s six goals in six games are tied for seventh in the nation. The team has also had an effective one-two punch in the crease, as Oskar Autio and Liam Souliere have both had solid starts to their seasons.

Penn State (6-1-0) is joined by fellow Big Ten teams such as Michigan (No. 3), Minnesota (No. 5), and Notre Dame (No. 17) in this week’s rankings, while Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State are receiving votes. The Fighting Hawks fell down to No. 8 in this week’s poll.

The Nittany Lions will begin conference play with the first of a two-game series against Ohio State in Columbus on Friday, November 5. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m, and the game will be available to stream on BTN+.