History Made: Penn State Men’s Hockey Punches Ticket to First-Ever Frozen Four
For the first time in program history, the Penn State Nittany Lions men’s ice hockey team is heading to the Frozen Four — the college hockey equivalent of the Final Four — and they’re doing it in dramatic, underdog fashion.
On Sunday night, the Nittany Lions etched their names into the history books with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory against the UConn Huskies. The hero of the night? Pittsburgh native Matt DiMarsico, who buried a highlight-reel game-winner off a slick behind-the-back feed from Charlie Cerrato, sending Penn State to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.
This milestone moment comes just over a decade after Penn State joined the Division I ranks in 2012-13. Since then, the Nittany Lions have had flashes of success—four NCAA Tournament appearances (2017, 2018, 2023, and now 2025), a Big Ten Tournament title in 2018, and a regular-season conference crown in 2020—but the elusive Frozen Four spot had remained just out of reach.
They nearly broke through in 2023, falling to powerhouse Michigan in overtime, but this year’s squad wasn’t going to be denied.
Coming into the tournament as a No. 4 seed—the lowest in their regional bracket—Penn State was largely overlooked. But the Nittany Lions embraced the underdog role, kicking things off with a statement win over top-seeded Maine. Despite falling behind 1-0 early, Penn State roared back with four unanswered goals, eventually cruising to a 5-1 upset.
Their regional final matchup against UConn was a back-and-forth battle. The Huskies struck first, but the Lions quickly equalized. After trading goals again in the second period, both teams locked down defensively in the third. That set the stage for DiMarsico’s overtime heroics—and a moment no Penn State hockey fan will forget.
Now, the Lions are headed to St. Louis, where they’ll take on Boston University in the Frozen Four semifinals on April 10 at 8:30 p.m. at the Enterprise Center. A win there would send them to the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship—something that once felt like a distant dream, but now is just one win away.
From underdog to Frozen Four contender, this Penn State team is making history—and they’re not done yet.