Halfway through the season, it seemed like the best way for the Penn State men’s hockey team to reach the NCAA Tournament might be to buy some tickets and figure out carpool details.
At least the Allentown Regional was relatively close, and as the host institution for the site, maybe some passes would be available.
A funny thing happened on the way to the postseason, though. Penn State found a more direct route — winning.
From January to early March, Penn State was one of the hottest teams in the nation, going 13-3-4 and advancing to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for the ninth time in the 12-year history of the event.
An overtime loss to Ohio State ended that run and the Nittany Lions waited eight days before officially earning an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. They enter regional action tonight as the fourth seed, facing top seed Maine at 8:30 p.m. at the PPL Center in Allentown.
They’re also the only Big Ten Conference team remaining after Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State lost Thursday night.
Penn State’s last loss, to OSU in the conference semis, has not hampered its outlook.
“We’ve had a very successful couple of months, extremely successful,” coach Guy Gadowsky said. “We don’t have to change a lot right now.”
Both Maine and Penn State ended the season strong. The Black Bears went 6-2-2 in their final 10 games and the Nittany Lions were 7-2-1.
Penn State will be without defenseman Carter Schade, who sustained a lower-body injury in practice last week. He’ll be replaced by Nick Fascia. Penn State has confidence in Fascia and an overall defensive unit that includes all-conference honoree Simon Mack and Jimmy Dowd Jr.
As always, forward Aiden Fink, a Hobey Baker Award finalist who averages 1.41 points per game (second-best in the nation), can be expected to help drive Penn State offensively. He was a unanimous all-conference selection. Fellow forwards Reese Laubach and Charlie Cerrato also earned all-conference recognition and have helped provide balance for the team.
Maine, which has been one of the nation’s best teams all season long, earned its spot in the national tournament after winning the Hockey East tournament. It’s the 20th NCAA Tournament berth for the Black Bears, a program that claimed national championships in 1993 and 1999.
For Penn State it’s the fourth national tournament in program history. In the team’s last visit to Allentown for regional action, in 2023, it won the first game and then dropped a tough overtime decision to Michigan in the regional final, falling just short of a first Frozen Four berth.
The regional this year offers an opportunity that Gadowsky describes as part business trip and part fun. The team’s director of operations, George Lewis, has shaped scouting reports this week and provided a framework for the team to stay focused on itself — which is always Gadowsky’s main message.
He’s still a little awed by what the team has done, and certainly glad to advance to the regional this way as opposed to a carpool.
“I’m so impressed with the guys that they were able to do this. It could’ve been really, really easy to fold. People could’ve thrown in the towel. They persevered and stayed together,” Gadowsky said. “That’s why you play sports in the first place. You learn really good life lessons, and this was one of them.”
Maine and Penn State share one common opponent. Penn State dropped a 3-2 decision at Quinnipiac on Oct. 12, 2024, and Maine scored two home victories (2-1 and 6-5 in overtime) against Quinnipiac a week later.
UConn and Quinnipiac meet in Friday’s first regional semifinal at the 8,500-seat arena, with puck drop scheduled at 5 p.m. The semifinal winners meet Sunday with the winner of that advancing to the Frozen Four, scheduled April 10-12 in St. Louis.
vs 
Time: 8:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: GoPSUSports.com
Noteable: This is the first meeting between the two programs. … Maine allowed just 1.89 goals per game this season, the third-best average in the nation. Penn State ranked 45th, allowing 3.08. … Neither team ranked among the nation’s top 15 with its power play this season. Penn State ranked 17th, converting 23.5% of its chances, while Maine was 25th, converting 21.5% of the time with a man advantage. … Both teams were among national leaders in shorthanded goals this season. Penn State had eight, tied for second most in the nation, and Maine had seven, tied for third.
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