No. 6 Penn State men's hockey plummeted in NPI rankings after a brutal regular season finale at Pegula Ice Arena. The former shoe-in for the national tournament now finds itself in a slightly desperate situation heading into Big Ten Tournament play.
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No. 11 Wisconsin swept the Nittany Lions (20-12-2, 12-10-2 Big Ten), defeating them 7-3 and 5-2 on Thursday and Friday, respectively. This was a massive weekend for the blue white, one that could help ensure their spot in the NCAA Tournament and potentially put them in contention for a No. 1 seed depending on how the other contests around the country panned out.
Instead, Penn State dropped down to No. 11 in NPI, the rankings which determine seeding for the NCAA Tournament. While it is a 16-team tournament, there are only 10 at-large bids. The other six spots are automatic bids for the conference tournament winners. If, for example, a team already ranked in the top 10 in NPI wins their conference tournament, their at-large bid remains available. The Nittany Lions currently have a 55.470 percent chance of making it into the tournament.
After losing Thursday night, forward Reese Laubach shared a brutally honest statement about the team. A year ago in 2025, Penn State was in its bounce back era, putting on a show for the second half of the regular season and punching its ticket in for the NCAA Tournament (and ultimately a Frozen Four appearance).
"I feel like guys are starting to check out, and I think we feel too comfortable," Laubach said Thursday night. "Obviously, we’re locked into the third seed in the Big Ten, but I think we’re getting complacent.”
Penn State men's hockey forward Reese Laubach says the Nittany Lions are checked out and "getting complacent"
"Penn State is heading in the wrong direction, falling six spots in the NPI after being swept at home by Wisconsin (combined score: 12-5)," ESPN published on Saturday, March 7. "The Nittany Lions are still dangerous -- witness their 11-4 win over Ohio State on Feb. 20, behind a goal and seven assists from freshman phenom Gavin McKenna -- but that is their only regulation win in their last 10 games (2-6-2)."
The Nittany Lions can't win with just McKenna, who also has his preliminary hearing on the morning of the start of the Big Ten Tournament. They need to hit the conference tournament with a sense of desperation fueling them on the ice. A conference tournament championship win is an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Otherwise, they're scoreboard watching for the rest of the month.
Penn State faces Minnesota in a single-elimination round on Wednesday, March 11. As a the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions host this round. Puck drop at Pegula Ice Arena is slated for 7 p.m. EDT. How to watch details have yet to be announced.