In the early hours of Friday morning, a dejected Penn State men’s hockey team walked out of the tunnel and up the stairs of the lower bowl in the Enterprise Center.

They’d just been sent home from their program’s first-ever Frozen Four practically upon arrival in St. Louis following a 3-1 loss to Boston University, but the section of family members and special guests gave them a round of applause as they appeared.

The Nittany Lions may have felt beaten down at that moment, and rightfully so. But they’d reached the end of the most memorable and impressive season in Penn State’s early history so far, one that has the potential to set up much more success in the near future.

Penn State began the 2024-25 season unranked but had an impressive roster. Its two leading point scorers, Aiden Fink and Danny Dzhaniyev, were coming back. Young, promising pieces such as Reese Laubach and Matt DiMarsico returned with a year of experience under their belts. Netminder Arsenii Sergeev, who had impressed at UConn, transferred to replace outgoing goaltender Liam Souliere. And a promising recruiting class headlined by Charlie Cerrato was now in Happy Valley.

The first few games went about as expected. The Nittany Lions won matchups against Alaska-Fairbanks and Saint Lawrence but fell to 2023 champion Quinnipiac.

Then, Penn State embarked on a six-game losing skid in its first three Big Ten series matchups. It swept Colgate to snap that skid, but a sweep against Ohio State before defeating Army to head into a three-week December break left the team in a perilous position. If things didn’t change drastically, players knew their season would be lost.

During the midseason break, the team worked to right its wrongs. A closed-door, players-only meeting, along with an emphasis from the coaching staff on playing more complete hockey games, led to better performances. Sergeev, who had suffered a midseason injury, returned and played better than he had in the first half, although head coach Guy Gadowsky said Penn State would never have made it to the NCAA tournament without the heroics from backup John Seifarth.

Following the break, Penn State looked much better. The Nittany Lions split their first two series but soon honed in on executing and closing out wins in regulation. A win against Michigan in Ann Arbor, then a sweep of Wisconsin and Notre Dame set a promising tone for what was to come. Penn State then swept No. 1 Michigan State on the road and defeated the Wolverines again in the Big Ten Tournament two weeks later.

Suddenly, Penn State was back in Allentown for the first time since 2023. Penn State stunned Maine 5-1 in the Regional Semifinal before DiMarsico sent the Nittany Lions to the Frozen Four with a sensational overtime goal against UConn.

Despite the rollercoaster ride Penn State took to reach the Frozen Four, Gadowsky and his players maintained it was “business as usual” in the week leading up to the game. Although they were up against a Boston University team that was playing in its third consecutive Frozen Four, they played like they belonged despite losing. They were generally disciplined and had several good moments, but it’s not always easy to capitalize on those in such high-stakes games.

Although the season is now in the past, Penn State’s Frozen Four appearance — and how it got there — matters for the future. Penn State already had an experienced coaching staff, and now it knows how to win. It can now not only pitch the program’s facilities and gameday atmosphere to recruits, but the fact that they can win here.

Dzahniyev, along with captain Simon Mack and longtime veterans Jimmy Dowd Jr. and Tyler Paquette, are among seven graduating seniors. But Hobey Baker candidate Fink, plus Sergeev and Laubach, all look poised to return for another season. Promising freshmen Cerrato, JJ Wiebusch, and Cade Christenson are each likely to return. If Gadowsky can continue his success in the transfer portal and recruiting trail, the talent could be in store for more success next season.

Penn State should have the pieces in place to build off this season. With players and coaches who know what it takes to reach the Frozen Four, the program has grown enough that winning a national championship is a very realistic possibility next season.