Penn State men’s hockey split a two-game series over the weekend with unranked Minnesota in an overall uninspiring effort to end the first half of their season. Underperforming against the skidding Golden Gophers cost the Nittany Lions in the rankings.

In the latest USCHO poll released on Monday, the men’s hockey team dropped to its lowest ranking of the season, falling to No. 9 with an 11-5-0 record.

There’s a new No. 1 team in the land, as Michigan takes the top spot with its weekend sweep of Ohio State. Wisconsin jumps to No. 2 after sweeping Michigan State in East Lansing, prompting the Spartans to fall to No. 3.

No. 4 Denver and No. 5 Minnesota Duluth drop a spot, while Penn State was jumped by Wisconsin, North Dakota (No. 6), Western Michigan (No. 7), and Quinnipiac (No. 8). The Nittany Lions are 22 points behind Quinnipiac and 113 points ahead of No. 10 Maine.

With the rise of Wisconsin, Penn State is now the lowest-ranked of the four Big Ten teams in the top 20. Ohio State is barely holding on in the “receiving votes” section with two votes, while Minnesota and Notre Dame remain without a vote.

The men’s hockey team has no more games to be played in 2025, taking a 41-day break until opening a home-and-home with RIT in Rochester at 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 3.