Despite the hiatus in collegiate play due to the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and Spengler Cup, Penn State men’s hockey moved up to No. 8 in the latest USCHO poll, released on Monday. The Nittany Lions were previously ranked in the No. 9 slot.

The top-ranked Michigan Wolverines stayed put at No. 1, with conference foe Wisconsin trailing just behind at No. 2. Michigan State rounds out the top three, showcasing just how strong the Big Ten is this season.

North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, Denver, and Western Michigan sit at No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, and No. 7, respectively, with the Fighting Hawks and Bulldogs swapping spots for the lone change.

Sitting behind the Nittany Lions, Dartmouth and Quinnipiac finish off the top-10. There were notably no new teams that joined the poll this week, with only a minor shakeup among the presently ranked squads. Augustana and New Hampshire are knocking on the door, each receiving 57 votes apiece.

Penn State will return to the ice just after the turn of the new year, taking on RIT in a home-and-home beginning Saturday, January 3 at 7 p.m. and concluding the next day with puck drop slated for 5 p.m. The games will be aired on Big Ten Plus.