Penn State women’s hockey is dancing, folks!

Fresh off their first-ever CHA Tournament championship, the Nittany Lions will take Quinnipiac in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, in Columbus, Ohio. The winner will take on No. 1-seeded Ohio State on Saturday, March 11.

WE ARE dancing!

For our first appearance in the NCAA Women’s Hockey Tournament we will take on #8 Quinnipiac this Thursday, March 9th.#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/tqhsnkeyew

— Penn State Women’s Hockey (@PennStateWHKY) March 5, 2023

The Nittany Lions enter their first-ever NCAA Tournament after an impressive 27-8-2 season that culminated with a 2-1 overtime victory over Mercyhurst in the CHA title game. Julie Gough played hero with the game-winner to propel Jeff Kampersal’s squad to the historic win.

CHAMPS @PennStateWHKY is the CHA Champion for the first time ever
pic.twitter.com/0Fn6cMeFQS

— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 4, 2023

Historically, the Nittany Lions have struggled against the Bobcats, posting a 0-4-1 record against Quinnipiac to date. However, the most recent battle between the two squads was in 2016, so it’s been quite a while since the programs have gone head-to-head.

Additionally, Penn State is currently riding an absurd hot streak, with its last loss coming all the way back on November 25. Quinnipiac, on the other hand, is 2-4 in its last six games.

The full NCAA Tournament schedule, which will culminate with the Frozen Four in Duluth, Minnesota, can be found here.