Penn State men’s hockey has had its share of doubters since becoming a Division I team prior to the 2012-13 season.

After making the jump from club hockey, many believed that it would take years for the Nittany Lions to win a conference game, and even longer before they would compete for a title of any sort.

But Penn State has never been a school to surrender to expectations.

Inside the locker room at Pegula Ice Arena is a checklist from the team’s inaugural season. On that checklist are different goals the program aimed to achieve and continues to pursue.

“They were saying we wouldn’t win a league game in three years, we’re gonna get crushed, all this stuff. So we decided to judge our progress in other ways than just strict wins and losses,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said.

Penn State recorded its first NCAA road and home wins, a sweep, and in the following season, its first conference win. This victory came in a 4-0 shutout fashion against Michigan. Gadowsky’s squad quickly filled in many boxes on its checklist, as the Nittany Lions exceeded expectations faster than most anyone would have imagined.

In 2017, just four years after the program’s inception, the blue and white ascended the Big Ten mountain and defeated Wisconsin to claim its first conference championship.

Last season, the program achieved its biggest milestone yet. Matt DiMarsico ripped an overtime winner past the UConn goalie, sending the Nittany Lions to their first-ever Frozen Four. Despite coming up short of a National Championship appearance, the moment and significance can not be understated. In fact, star player Gavin McKenna has mentioned that the appearance in Saint Louis was a major factor in his commitment.

Penn State entered this season with sky-high aspirations. After getting off to a bit of a rocky start in the fall, the Nittany Lions have found their groove in the second half, with the team all but locking itself into an NCAA tournament berth.

Despite this, the team has maintained a mindset of treating every game equally, knowing that momentum heading into the late stages of the season means everything.

“We’re in a spot to fight our way into the tournament,” Gadowsky said. “Every point matters.”

With the checklist hanging so prominently in the team’s field of vision when the players enter the locker room, it’s difficult not to think too far ahead. While Penn State remains focused on the here and now, it isn’t shy to admit what its ultimate goal is when April rolls around.

“That is our long-term goal, to get to that point and win a national championship,” Reese Laubach said. “[The checklist] is an everyday reminder, but we go day by day, practice by practice, and get better to get to that point.”

After Penn State played in a top-5 matchup inside Beaver Stadium, Gadowsky found it difficult not to reflect on how far the program has come. He has been the coach of the team since it made the jump to the NCAA level, and continues to pour his heart and soul into being the man in charge.

“The Super Bowl had 68,000 people. We had 75,000. When you think about that, it was emotional,” he said. “It was an awesome, awesome showing for Penn State University.”

But even after a spectacle such as that, Gadowsky quickly turned the page to the dream he and his team so desperately longed for.

“I think the bye week was well-timed. Now we’re moving on,” he said.

With just four series remaining until Big Ten tournament play starts, including a pivotal matchup with No. 2 Michigan this weekend, Penn State is full-steam ahead.

The team will look to play with speed and physicality as it heads to Yost Ice Arena for what is sure to be a high-energy matchup between two powerhouses. But to succeed when it matters most, contests like these prepare a team the most and provide the intense competition they desire.

“There’s no question that those teams that go to the postseason from the Big Ten are going to be battle tested,” Gadowsky said. “You come to the Big Ten to play Big Ten hockey. This is what you can expect, and that’s a good thing.”

Few thought Penn State would ever get to this point. The blue and white are the No. 6 team in the land, and just over a month away from the program’s first-ever consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.

After years of crossing goals off the checklist, perhaps quicker than anyone would have presumed, only one box remains. And the Nittany Lions will refuse to rest until they are crowned kings of the college hockey jungle.

“The Frozen Four was one of them, the National Championship is the only one left,” Gadowsky said.