Penn State men’s hockey to close home portion of its season against No. 6 Wisconsin
One chapter on an inconsistent and long season for the Penn State men’s hockey closes this weekend, and there’s a good chance the two-game home series against No. 6 Wisconsin might come with as many twists as the previous 30 games combined.
Penn State closes the home portion of its season with the two games, and the Nittany Lions could play like they did last Saturday, upending then-No. 14 Michigan, 4-2, with an aggressive and productive effort. Or they could play like they did in the opener of that series (and as they have often throughout the season) and fall behind before battling back to fall just short.
Of course, any other number of storylines could develop as well.
It’s hockey, and it’s never dull.
That’s part of the reason Penn State has attracted two of its largest crowds in program history during its past two home Saturdays — 6,578 vs. Ohio State on Jan. 27 and 6,571 vs. Michigan last Saturday. When it plays well, Penn State plays entertaining, fan-friendly and productive hockey.
At the same time, the team has been shut out three times in the past 10 games and that’s not good news with stingy Wisconsin next on the schedule. The Badgers allow a conference-best 1.94 goals per game, an average that ranks second in the nation.
Penn State, which has been hampered with injuries this season, will play the remainder of the regular season without captain Christian Berger. The senior defenseman sustained a broken wrist in the third period of Saturday’s game against Michigan.
Still, Penn State sees the Wisconsin series as an opportunity to end the home portion of its schedule on a high note. It’s perhaps the toughest test of the season in Hockey Valley, and the Nittany Lions believe if they play well, they can transform their persistent optimism into on-ice output.
Realistically, the team’s student section, the Roar Zone, might be the most reliable aspect of the 2023-24 campaign at home, with students regularly bringing energy and noise — even when the team has struggled.
Wisconsin sees the two games as an opportunity to move toward the top of the Big Ten Conference standings. The Badgers sit in second place, four points behind Michigan State. While the Badgers are at Pegula Ice Arena, MSU plays host to last-place Ohio State this weekend. Two victories, a six-point weekend, for either of the teams atop the standings would be important.
Penn State sits sixth in the standings — just ahead of Ohio State, 20 points to 12 — entering this weekend. Penn State plays at Ohio State to finish the regular season next weekend. After that, the Nittany Lions will face a face a three-game playoff series on the road.
Penn State (13-14-3, 5-12-3 Big Ten) vs. No. 6 Wisconsin (22-8-2, 13-6-1)
Series: 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday
Audio/Radio: GoPSUsports.com, 103.1 FMTV/Streaming: BTN+
Notable: Penn State leads the series, 27-21-3, but was swept earlier this season in Madison. … Penn State holds a 15-7-1 advantage at Pegula Ice Arena. … Wisconsin has the conference’s best penalty kill (stopping opponents 88.1% of the time) and the worst power play unit (scoring just 18.4% of the time. … Penn State penalty kill is next-to-last (.765) and its power play is fifth (.204) in the seven-team conference.
