PREVIEW: Penn State hockey returns to the NCAA Tournament

Against all odds, Penn State hockey is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023. As recently as February, it looked like the program’s fourth tournament appearance would have to wait another year. According to computer simulations, the Nittany Lions were given just a 9% chance to make the dance. But a hot stretch against multiple top-ranked opponents was enough to do the trick and punch Penn State’s ticket to the dance.

No stranger to top-tier opponents, another one awaits Guy Gadowsky’s squad in Allentown on Friday: the Maine Black Bears.

What to expect from the Maine Black Bears

Out of the Hockey East conference, the Black Bears are on their way back to college hockey prominence. A dominant dynasty in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the program went dormant before reemerging under fourth-year head coach Ben Barr. Maine made the NCAA Tournament last year, its first appearance since 2012. The Black Bears fell to Cornell in the first round. 

This year, Maine is no longer just a feel-good story; the Black Bears are a true national title contender. They tore through their regular season slate, going 24-7-6 overall and 13-5-6 in conference. Each of their seven losses came to teams also in the NCAA Tournament field. 

Most recently, Maine fended off an upset-minded Northeastern squad in the Hockey East semifinals before routing Connecticut in the finals to win the conference title for the first time since 2004. The Black Bears earned the No. 1 seed in the Allentown Region and a date with the Nittany Lions.

What makes Maine so great is its back end: defense and goaltending. First off, finding scoring opportunities is a challenging task against the Black Bears. They only allow 25.5 shots per game, the eighth fewest in the country. When teams do fire off shots, they are often stopped. Maine goaltender Albin Boija has only allowed 1.76 goals per game, which is the fourth-best in the country. He is one of four net-minders to be named a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, given to the nation’s best goaltender.

Penn State knows it’s going to have make life tough for Boija with screens and rebound opportunities in order to have a chance to beat him.

“You want to get people in front of him and get shots to the net, that’s how you’re going to beat the goaltender,” senior defenseman Simon Mack said. “So, second and third opportunities are going to be big.”

While known for defending, Maine has no problem putting the puck in the net. The Black Bears average 3.3 goals per game, tied for 12th best in the country. Forwards Harrison Scott and Taylor Makar both have 18 goals this season. Makar is the brother of NHL star Cale Makar. 

Penn State hockey loses top defensemen ahead of NCAA Tournament bid

© Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

Penn State hockey will have its hands full this weekend, a task made even tougher with injury news the Nittany Lions received on Monday. Junior defenseman Carter Schade has been ruled out for the season with a lower-body injury. Among the team’s leaders in blocked shots, this is a tough blow against Maine’s high-powered attack. But now more than ever, it will be next man up for the Nittany Lions.

Gadowsky acknowledged it’s a tough blow, but the team is staying focused.

“Schade has probably been playing the best hockey he’s had in three years. But that’s hockey,” Gadowsky said. “We’re not going to look back on it.”

Stylistically, this is a very interesting matchup: Penn State’s offense-first mindset versus Maine’s structured defensive game. But it is nothing the Nittany Lions haven’t seen before. Maine is similar in many ways to Michigan State and, to a lesser extent, Minnesota, both teams Penn State has played during its recent stretch run. 

“We’ve had a very, very successful couple of months here. You got to have a lot of confidence,” Gadowsky said of his team’s mentality.

All signs point to this being a competitive hockey game for this confident Penn State group, one where the Nittany Lions will have to play at their best to have a chance at the upset. What will be a heavy Penn State crowd at the PPL Center in Allentown this Friday should give the Nittany Lions a bit of a boost.

Puck drop is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on ESPN 2. 

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