UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State enters the Big Ten Tournament looking to regain momentum after a difficult close to the regular season. The Nittany Lions have gone winless in their last four games (0-3-1) and dropped to No. 11 in the NPI following a series sweep by Wisconsin to end the 2025-26 campaign.
Despite the recent slide, Penn State secured the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will host sixth-seeded Minnesota in a quarterfinal matchup at Pegula Ice Arena. With NCAA Tournament positioning still uncertain, the Nittany Lions likely need a strong Big Ten Tournament showing, starting with a win Wednesday night, to solidify their chances at a Frozen Four repeat attempt.
Series Info
Date: Wednesday, March 11
Location: Pegula Ice Arena | University Park, Pa.
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Streaming: Big Ten+
Wednesday’s matchup marks the fifth postseason meeting between Penn State and Minnesota and the third time the teams have faced off in the Big Ten quarterfinals. Each program has previously swept a best-of-three quarterfinal series on its home ice.
Minnesota has won the last two postseason meetings between the teams. The Gophers edged Penn State 3-2 in the 2022 Big Ten semifinals before sweeping the Nittany Lions in the 2024 quarterfinals at Mariucci Arena.
However, the postseason history shifts when the games are played in Hockey Valley. Penn State has never lost a home playoff series to Minnesota and last hosted the Gophers in the 2018 quarterfinals, sweeping the series in two games at Pegula Ice Arena. That sweep capped a stretch of four consecutive wins by the Nittany Lions over Minnesota in back-to-back weeks and helped Penn State secure its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The teams were also scheduled to meet in the 2020 Big Ten semifinals at Pegula Ice Arena before the remainder of the postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
No. 6 Minnesota Notes
Minnesota enters the postseason in a slump of its own, posting just one win in its last eight games with a 1-5-2 record during that stretch. The Gophers have struggled mightily in the second half of the season, going 3-11-2 since January.
A major factor in Minnesota’s offensive decline has been roster turnover. The Gophers lost their top five scorers from the 2024-25 season, including star forward Jimmy Snuggerud, who recorded 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points last year and is now playing for the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.
This season, Minnesota’s offense has been led by Brodie Ziemer, who has tallied 36 points on 23 goals and 13 assists in 35 games. His 23 goals are tied for the Big Ten lead and rank among the top totals nationally, while his 11 power-play goals lead the conference and are tied for first in the country.
Senior captain Brody Lamb is second on the team with 30 points and 14 goals, making him and Ziemer the only Gophers with double-digit goal totals this season.
Pennsylvania native LJ Mooney will also return to his home state for the series. The West Mifflin product leads Minnesota with 23 assists and is tied with Lamb for second in team scoring with 30 points.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Overall, the Gophers have struggled offensively. Minnesota finished last in the Big Ten averaging just 2.71 goals per game, which ranks 42nd nationally. Defensively, the team has allowed 3.40 goals per game, third most in the conference, and its 26 shots per game rank last in the Big Ten.
In goal, Michigan State transfer Luca Di Pasquo has taken over the starting role in the second half of the season. Di Pasquo has started the last 14 games and carries a .912 save percentage with a 3.10 goals-against average, accounting for eight of Minnesota’s 11 wins.
One of Minnesota’s biggest weaknesses has been the penalty kill. The Gophers rank last nationally, successfully killing just 69.1 percent of opponent power plays. Their power play, however, has been far more productive, converting at a 27 percent rate.
Despite their struggles, Minnesota leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally in blocked shots with 567.
No. 3 Penn State Notes
Penn State has been one of the most consistent programs in Big Ten Tournament play. The Nittany Lions have reached the conference semifinals nine times in the league’s 12-year history, the second-most appearances behind only Ohio State and Minnesota.
Penn State has played 30 Big Ten Tournament games all-time and holds a 16-14 record in postseason conference play. Those 16 wins rank third in league history.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky has been a major part of that success. His 16 Big Ten Tournament victories are the second-most by any coach in conference history.
Special teams have been a major strength for the Nittany Lions this season. Penn State’s power play is converting at 27.3 percent, which ranks seventh nationally. The Nittany Lions’ 38 power-play goals are a program single-season record and lead the Big Ten.
Freshman star Gavin McKenna has been one of the biggest storylines of the season. McKenna recently broke the Penn State rookie scoring record and currently has 48 points on the year. His production leads the Big Ten and ranks among the best in the nation.
McKenna also became the first Nittany Lion to win the Big Ten scoring title, finishing the regular season with 38 conference points. His 1.50 points-per-game pace ranks second nationally and stands as the highest single-season mark in Penn State history.
Meanwhile, forward Aiden Fink is riding a six-game point streak and has surged into third on the team in scoring despite missing eight games earlier in the season with a thumb injury.
On the blue line, freshman defenseman Jackson Smith has also made a major impact. Smith leads all Big Ten defensemen with 11 goals and ranks among the top scoring rookie defensemen in the nation.
With postseason stakes high and both teams seeking momentum, Wednesday’s quarterfinal matchup at Pegula Ice Arena could play a critical role in determining Penn State’s NCAA Tournament fate.
