With the Frozen Four just around the corner for Penn State men’s hockey, head coach Guy Gadowsky and his players met with the press at Pegula Ice Arena ahead of the semifinals against Boston University.

Here’s what we learned before the Frozen Four.

On Aiden Fink’s Performance

Aiden Fink hasn’t found the back of the net in six games, which is uncharacteristic for the Hobey Baker finalist. When asked about his mindset, Gadowsky knew where his player’s head was.

“His mindset is 100% with the team,” he said. “I can tell you it’s 100% because I asked him… He doesn’t have to score to be a really inspirational player and a real effective player.”

Although Fink isn’t scoring, Gadowsky said the forward is far from finished.

“He’s not sulking. He’s dialed in and probably more motivated than ever,” Gadowsky said. “If anything, he’s generating chances that make other guys better — that’s just as valuable.”

“All he wants to do is win, so he’s contributing a great deal,” Gadowsky continued. “The longer he goes without a goal, that’s worse for the opponent because that’s not going to happen for too much longer.”

On The Locker Room Mentality

Despite the team’s high-stakes run, the mood inside the locker room has stayed calm, according to Gadowsky. He has noted the team has stayed close and loose even with the season on the line.

“Honestly, I think it’s business as usual,” Gadowsky said. “They really have a good time together. The guys really enjoy coming to the rink. They have a great time working out. They have a great time practicing.”

“They have a good time with free time in the arena — whether it’s darts or ping pong or chess or just hanging out,” he continued. “The dart room keeps guys at the rink longer than they think they’re there. It’s a big part of our culture.”

On Boston University

While the Nittany Lions had faced two Big East teams to get to the Frozen Four, they are preparing to face one of the nation’s most explosive teams: Boston University.

“They’re a different animal,” Gadowsky said. “Their power play is over 28%. Obviously, that’s something that’s of concern. I think they’re fourth in the nation. Extremely dangerous from multiple places in the offensive zone.”

He continued diving into the Terriers’ game strategies and how the team would overcome them.

“They have a defenseman that’s extremely gifted,” he added. “So really, we are going to have to play an extremely disciplined game to give ourselves a better chance.”

While Penn State’s penalty kill has been stellar all season — and perfect in non-conference play — Gadowsky emphasized that staying out of the box will be critical to controlling the Terriers’ tempo.

“We’re not going to assume they’ll play like Maine or UConn,” he said. “They’ve got different tendencies, different weapons, and different instincts. We’ll need to be sharp in our gaps, quick on clears, and keep the puck off their top guys’ sticks as much as possible.”

On The Team’s Leadership

Penn State’s 0–9 Big Ten start could’ve unraveled the season. Instead, the team leaned on its veteran leadership, which sparked one of the most resilient turnarounds in program history.

“They absolutely refused to let anybody be negative,” Gadowsky said. “Everybody talks a good game, but to actually do it and then come out right now going forward — it’s just remarkable.”

Carson Dyck helped organize individual meetings with every player to keep morale high and communication clear. Tyler Paquette said it was a turning point.

“We kind of didn’t really have a choice,” Paquette said. “We were going through a big skid, and we just committed to staying positive no matter what.”

Lugris also credited Dyck with the positivity and the willingness to turn the season around.

“Carson gathered us and said, ‘Hey, we should do meetings.’ So we met with basically everyone on the team,” Lugris added. “It takes a really strong person to look a teammate in the eye and say, ‘We need more.’ And every guy responded.”

On The Culture At Penn State

Penn State hockey wasn’t always a powerhouse. For Gadowsky, the shift from doubted upstart to one of the last teams standing has been powered by players who embraced the challenge of building something from scratch.

“From the very start, a lot of high-end recruits told us, ‘I don’t want to lose my whole career,'” Gadowsky said. “These are guys that came here and wanted the challenge to build something — not just arrive in a program that was already rolling.”

“It was absolutely written that Penn State would not win a Big Ten game in three years. So there’s not a lot of recruits, high-end recruits, who’d say, ‘I want to be a part of that.'”

Penn State has developed a culture, now more than ever, of making it to the Frozen Four.

“I hope the niche doesn’t change at all. Chris Funkey told me, ‘Don’t you dare lose the foundation of what allowed us to do this in the first place,'” Gadowsky added.

Lugris also commented on the culture, especially with his recruiting process.

“I got a call December 15, 2021, a day that I’ll never forget,” he said. “I already knew Penn State would be a great place to play, just because of the facilities you see, but what they really talked about was the culture they were trying to build on. They were trying to get good people in there and trying to build it up.”

On The Roar Zone’s Impact

The Roar Zone has proved to be a backbone for Penn State, with players echoing its impact on the team.

“When we were not in a good spot, and we were ranked like 30-something, we still had incredible support from the Roar Zone and all the people that came to our home games,” Paquette said. “It could have been really easy for them to just not go to the games. But we used their momentum to build everything back up.”

Lugris also emphasized the importance of the student section.

“They really are like a sixth player,” Lugris said. “We think about it all the time at practice, before a big game, before a White Out, how crazy they’re gonna be.”

The loyalty shown by the student section has left a lasting impression on the team, who know they owe much of their success to those in the stands.

“We knew, like, hey, we need to do better for the people that support us all the time,” Lugris added. “The product we were putting out on the ice maybe wasn’t what it should’ve been, and these people are sacrificing all the time to come support us… I just wanted to give a special shoutout to them for never giving up on us,” he said.”