Penn State hockey takes the ice for its first Frozen Four game Thursday in St. Louis, where the Nittany Lions (22-13-4) seek to push their run one game closer to glory. They’ll face a Boston University squad (23-13-2) that also got hot at the right time, advancing to the Frozen Four through the Toledo regional.
Both teams reached the Frozen Four via clutch, overtime goals in the regional finals. They’ll meet at St. Louis’ Enterprise Center with a trip to Saturday’s national-championship game on the line. Here are the keys for Penn State to take down the Terriers and earn the opportunity to play for its first NCAA hockey championship.
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The Nittany Lions have an offensive superstar in forward Aiden Fink. In 39 games this season, Fink ranks third in the country in points per game (1.36), 12th in assists per game (.77) and tied for ninth in power-play goals (8). For a majority of the season, he’s been the engine of Penn State’s offensive success, leading the team in points, goals, assists and power-play goals. But on the team’s postseason run, Fink has been unusually quiet.
In NCAA Tournament wins over Maine and UConn, Fink totaled just one assist and hasn’t scored a goal since Penn State’s Feb. 22 game against Michigan State. That’s a seven-game scoreless streak; his longest prior to this was four games.
For most players, it’s not too much of a concern to go scoreless over a seven-game stretch. But for Fink, it signifies a cold spell.
“His mindset is 100-percent that the team's winning,” Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky said. “The thing about [Fink] compared to a lot of other guys that get props for being scorers is, he works so hard. He does so much on the other side of the puck that really, I mean, he doesn't have to score to be a real inspirational player and a real effective player.”
Scoring depth certainly has benefited Penn State on its playoff run. Dane Dowiak, JJ Wiebusch and Matt DiMarsico combined to score all eight of the team’s goals over two games in the Allentown regional. Wiebusch brings a five-game points streak to St. Louis.
But as the competition gets tougher in the Frozen Four, the Nittany Lions would benefit from Fink finding his groove again. As one of the most dangerous players in the country, the sophomore will surely earn some extra defensive focus from the Terriers.
The deeper Penn State goes into the NCAA Tournament, the more pressure it faces. The Nittany Lions certainly haven’t been crumbling under any pressure, going 4-1 in the playoffs. Gadowsky said the players have even been using their underdog status as fuel, but the Frozen Four is also uncharted territory for his program.
“Obviously, it is a little different [in the Frozen Four]. There's going to be a little more bright lights, there's going to be a little more media,” Gadowsky said. “I feel pretty confident that [the players] have the right idea and their messages. This is a business trip and business as usual.”
Treating this matchup like any other sounds good in theory. But Boston University is making its third straight Frozen Four appearance and understands the surroundings. A quick start against the Terriers could ease Penn State’s big-stage nerves and give them a cushion vs. an elite offensive team.
“When there is a great crowd, it helps. But you can't rely on that. So we look at [quick starts] as, mental toughness is performance on demand, whether there is a crowd or no crowd, whether you're feeling great or not feeling great,” Gadowsky said. “It's really if you are prepared to compete at the drop of the puck, and we look at that as a mental toughness issue.”
The Terriers have been one of the best teams in the country on the power play this season, ranking fourth nationally at 28.4 percent. Thus, the penalty kill will be critical for Penn State, which hasn’t allowed a power-play goal in its last three games.
Conversely, Penn State might be able to take advantage of Boston University’s penalty kill, which ranks 38th nationally (78.6 percent). BU has allowed 29 power-play goals in 135 penalty minutes this season, tied for the second-most in the country. If Penn State gets power-play opportunities, it should have opportunities to strike. The Nittany Lions are currently converting power plays at a rate of 23.9 percent, good for 15th in the country.
Gadowsky said Monday that he feels “really good” about Penn State’s penalty kill, also noting that Boston University is “extremely dangerous from multiple places in the offensive zone.” Discipline will be key for the Nittany Lions, as will taking advantage of their power play opportunities against the Terriers.
Penn State meets Boston University in the Frozen Four at 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday. The game will be played at Enterprise Center in St. Louis and will be televised on ESPN2.
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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_, or Instagram @dmadersports.
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