Penn State hockey drops non-conference schedule

Guy Gadowsky and Penn State hockey will be looking to bounce back from a tough season last year and make a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2025. This week, the Nittany Lions announced their non-conference schedule, which will kick off in early October.

Penn State will open the year with a long trip to Alaska-Fairbanks for a two-game series October 5-6. The Nittany Lions will then make the cross-country trip to Connecticut to take on the 2023 National Champion Quinnipiac Bobcats on Saturday, October 12.

Mark your 🗓️ our 2024-25 non-conference schedule is here‼️

Read ➡️ https://t.co/rHROoAJL4C#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/zGidGrimRC

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) July 29, 2024

Finally, after lots of travel, Penn State returns for its home opener at Pegula Ice Arena against St. Lawrence on October 25-26.

There will be a break in the non-conference action when Big Ten play begins in early November. On November 26, Penn State hockey will host ECAC foe Colgate for the first-ever meeting between the two schools since the Nittany Lions moved up to NCAA Division 1 in 2012-13.

Guy Gadowsky will then take his team to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Capital Hockey Classic against Army on December 12. The game will take place at Capital One Arena and will be preceded by an Army vs. Navy ACHA matchup. The Classic will be part of a weekend celebrating the two military academies, capped off with the Army-Navy football game on Saturday, December 14. 

Penn State hockey finishes off its non-conference schedule with a home series against Canisius on January 17-18 before heading back into Big Ten play. Penn State has lost just seven non-conference games in the past six seasons. The Nittany Lions’ .752 winning percentage against non-conference opponents leads all Big Ten teams since the league was formed in 2013-14.

Penn State looking to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2025

© John Mersits / USA TODAY NETWORK

Penn State hockey enters a crucial season as the sport continues to evolve around the transfer portal and NIL.

The Nittany Lions struggled during the 2023-24 season, finishing with a 15-18-3 (7-14-3) record and missing out on the NCAA Tournament. Gadowsky’s program struggled in the Big Ten as the other conference blue bloods continued their rise back to power using NIL and the transfer portal.

Conference opponents such as Wisconsin and Michigan State, which had previously been bottom feeders in the league, rose back to their pre-Big Ten form and national relevance in 2024. Add that to the strength of Michigan, Minnesota, and Notre Dame, and it puts teams like Penn State and Ohio State in an interesting spot.

Both schools had seemed to take advantage of the blue bloods having down years and will now have to adjust to the new reality.

There always has to be someone taking the losses in a conference where four of the seven teams are considered blue bloods of the sport. The other three – Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State – have seen success since the league was created as well, leaving someone to get left out.

Penn State realistically needs to finish in the top four within the conference standings to have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament. That will have to be on top of finishing with an 8-2 or better record in the non-conference slate.

Penn State hockey typically doesn’t schedule difficult non-conference opponents. Part of that may be a strategy to pick up some wins before the grueling Big Ten schedule. This season, the Nittany Lions should be favored in at least seven of their 10 games. The game at Quinnipiac will be the toughest, and the series against Colgate may be another tossup, depending on how good the Raiders are this season. Penn State benefits from playing Colgate at home, so a 9-1 non-conference schedule shouldn’t be out of the question.

The Big Ten conference schedule should be announced within the next few weeks. While the Nittany Lions have to play every team twice, the timing of each game will be a factor. There is a little bit of pressure on Guy Gadowsky to turn things around with what should be one of the best recruiting classes the program has had since becoming a D1 team taking the ice this fall. If Penn State fails to make the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season, his seat may be heating up.

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