Before the calendar changed, the Nittany Lions were plagued by injuries, winless in the Big Ten and fell out of the national rankings. However, since the return of goaltender Arsenii Sergeev, who was out with a lower-body injury, Penn State has clawed its way back into the national tournament conversation, rising to No. 15 in the latest USCHO poll.
In Sergeev’s absence, the blue and white’s goaltending situation was up in the air. Coach Guy Gadowsky originally gave the nod to Noah Grannan, but a seven-goal encounter with Michigan prompted the Nittany Lions to place third-string goalie John Seifarth between the pipes.