After a weekend off, Penn State men’s hockey moved to No. 7 in this week’s USCHO Poll, up one spot from No. 8 last week.

Guy Gadowsky’s squad has been going through a rough streak since the new year began, possessing a shaky 2-5-1 record since coming back from the winter break on January 13. Most recently, they split a series with No. 7 Ohio State in Columbus, taking the first game 4-3 but dropping a frustrating second game 4-2.

Penn State will host No. 2 Minnesota for a two-game series at Pegula Ice Arena this weekend in what could be the biggest series of the year for the Nittany Lions. With 30 points in the Big Ten standings, Penn State sits one point behind Ohio State, Michigan State, and Notre Dame with two games in hand on the latter two teams. The opportunity will be there for Penn State to take a crucial jump in the standings.

The Nittany Lions are one of six teams ranked in the Big Ten. Minnesota (No. 2) and Michigan (No. 4) sit ahead of Penn State, while Ohio State (No. 10), Michigan State (No. 17), and Notre Dame (No. 19) are ranked as well.

Puck drop on Penn State’s first game against Minnesota is set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, February 17 at Pegula Ice Arena. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.