Matt DiMarsico flicked his wrist and sent the puck zooming past UConn goaltender Callum Tung’s grasp and into the back of the net with 2:04 remaining in overtime. Players donning the blue and white sweaters dogpiled on the ice, while the PPL Center blew its top off as the goal horn blared.

Fans and players alike celebrated what Penn State’s men’s hockey program had just accomplished for the first time after 13 years of Division I hockey: clinching a spot in the Frozen Four.

Penn State was in the NCAA Regional Final in Allentown, Pennsylvania, two seasons ago when it lost a 2-1 overtime heartbreaker against Michigan. Head coach Guy Gadowsky, as well as 11 current players, were there when that happened. Now, they’re basking in the glory of being on the other end of that.

“There’s so much excitement,” senior captain Simon Mack said. “I’m so proud of the guys in this locker room. There were times when people counted us out, but we never did in that locker room. We always had that belief that we could get here.”

The Nittany Lions went winless in their first nine Big Ten games. But a closed-door midseason team meeting and a three-week December break emphasizing playing more “complete games” helped lead to better results on the ice. Penn State followed its winless start in conference play by losing just three of its latter 15 games.

Penn State also regained starting goaltender Arsenii Sergeev, who was sidelined with an injury for nearly two months. Sergeev dazzled upon his return, including against his former team, as he made 38 saves and was named the third star of the game against the Huskies. But Sergeev was locked in as usual, despite the opponent and implications of the game.

“It’s nothing special — in the final minutes, I just try my best,” the Yaroslavl, Russia, native said.

Nothing about this moment was too big or too special for the Nittany Lions. Several of them had been here before, but the entire team had been playing playoff hockey since January. The outcome of every game was all the more critical for its postseason hopes, given the poor start, so this wasn’t exactly uncharted territory. But whether they were here in 2023 or not, the taste of this victory and this milestone is as sweet as can be, considering the adversity they battled through as a team this season.

Sunday night’s overtime thriller in Allentown was another epic chapter of a rollercoaster season for the Nittany Lions. Their book may have begun already, but the rest is still unwritten.

Penn State’s magnificent run leads to St. Louis, where an April 10 matchup against Boston University is in store. The Terriers boast an incredible lineup with almost no flaws, but counting the Nittany Lions out after what they’ve demonstrated would be naive and, quite simply, foolish.

The Nittany Lions are playing with a dangerous kind of swagger. They’re feeling it right now, and that amount of confidence hasn’t wavered. They will not only play in the Frozen Four for the first time, but they also have a legitimate shot at winning a national championship.

Regardless of what happens in St. Louis in two weeks, Penn State and Hockey Valley deserve a chance to soak this in. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here.