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Penn State Men’s Hockey Focused On Strong Finish To Reach NCAA Tournament

Despite a rough first half of the season that saw Penn State men’s hockey go winless in Big Ten play, the Nittany Lions appear to have turned the page and have played significantly better since the three-week December break. Head coach Guy Gadowsky’s team has just two losses since the New Year, which was a 6-4 defeat by Michigan State on January 10, and a 7-3 loss last weekend against Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Penn State is 12-11-3 overall and 3-10-3 in Big Ten play, which is above only Notre Dame in the conference standings. However, given the team’s recent success, paths still exist to the NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions most recent appearance was in the 2022-23 season, which resulted in a 2-1 overtime loss against Michigan in the regional final.

The primary option is simple, yet difficult: Win, and they’re in. The Nittany Lions are currently No. 20 in the PairWise rankings, so they’re on the outside looking in.

“Obviously, the goal is to make the NCAA Tournament, and that’s done two ways. It’s done by being in the top 14 in an at-large bid, or you’re playing your best hockey at the end and you get in by winning the [conference] tournament,” Gadowsky said. “And so regardless of how that can happen, our goal is to play our best hockey down the stretch.”

Penn State has recently been thriving. Aside from just two losses, the Nittany Lions have taken four games past regulation, including three to a shootout, since New Year’s. They have regulation wins against Notre Dame, Canisius, and Michigan, and an overtime win against Ohio State.

Among the reasons for Penn State’s newfound success is the mood in the locker room. Multiple veterans and freshmen alike have recently expressed confidence in how the team is playing, as well as individually. Part of that has stemmed from how the team approached its three-week break, as playing “complete games” more consistently, was a primary message.

“I think we’re really just starting to click right now,” forward Tyler Paquette said after the Michigan State series.

Penn State needs to continue clicking to get into the tournament, though. The Nittany Lions have a trip to Madison to face Wisconsin this weekend, which can be a difficult place to play in.

The margin for error couldn’t be any more slim than it already is, as the importance of securing points against the Badgers is amplified considering Penn State’s upcoming schedule. It faces Notre Dame at Pegula Ice Arena on Valentine’s Day weekend before a daunting stretch against the Spartans in East Lansing and Minnesota in Hockey Valley to conclude the regular season. The Spartans and Golden Gophers are the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the PairWise rankings, respectively.

It will be challenging, but like Paquette said, the team is clicking at the right time. That’s all the more important in the home stretch of the regular season.

“It’s not you look at the PairWise and go, ‘Our goal is to be here.’ It’s not that. It’s to make sure that we’re playing our best hockey. And if we’re playing our best hockey, and things work out, we could get in the tournament either way,” Gadowsky said.

Penn State is unlikely to win out, which would likely be enough to clinch a top-14 ranking considering the Big Ten’s strength as a conference. However, it would be foolish to count any team out in the Big Ten Tournament. For now, though, the Nittany Lions are focused on the current task at hand and aren’t trying to think about what could be next.

“Our goal is to improve and play our best hockey game on Friday night. That’s our goal. We’re not looking ahead and going, ‘Well, we can lose here if we win here and do this, and this is where we think we’re going to be,’ It’s not that. I think that’s dangerous,” Gadowsky said.

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About the Author

Nolan Wick

Nolan is a senior journalism major from Silver Spring, Maryland. He's an avid D.C sports and Liverpool fan who loves going to games in his free time. Nolan mainly writes about Penn State football, men's hockey, and baseball. You can follow him on Twitter @nolan_wick or email him at [email protected].

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