Penn State men’s hockey will face Minnesota-Duluth on Friday at 9 p.m. in the Albany NCAA Regionals.

A lot is on the line for the Nittany Lions, and our staff predicted how far the team will go in the tournament.

Tia Kaschauer: First-Round Exit

I think Penn State will lose against Minnesota-Duluth. I just think that this year is not their year, and if they do win…they’ll probably lose to Michigan. Our Frozen Four journey will end in Albany, New York.

Ella Cofone: Frozen-Four Appearance

I think the Nittany Lions are exceptionally cooked because they’ve been playing like they’re not a team, so I think they’re getting knocked out against Minnesota-Duluth. On the off chance they don’t, and they’ve whipped it together over this downtime, I think they could upset Michigan and make it to the Frozen Four.

Brian Kriley: Quarterfinal Exit

After coming into the season with high expectations, after a Frozen Four birth last year, and landing a top prospect in Gavin McKenna last offseason, I expect the Nittany Lions’ season to come to a relatively disappointing end in the regional final. I do believe Penn State has the offensive firepower and a strong enough penalty kill to handle Minnesota-Duluth in the regional semifinal, but I can’t see the Nittany Lions moving on further in the tournament. Penn State will likely see Michigan in the regional final, against whom the Nittany Lions have struggled, losing to the Wolverines 5-2 in the Big Ten Tournament. I think Penn State is simply too inconsistent, especially defensively, to make a far run in the NCAA Tournament, and I don’t expect them to match the tournament success of last year for the Blue and White.

Michael Zeno: Quarterfinal Exit

Penn State’s sloppy play down the stretch earned it a date with arguably the toughest regional of them all. It’s first round matchup against Minnesota-Duluth is tough enough, but if it wins? The Nittany Lions have to meet up with Michigan for the sixth time this season.

Hockey’s a funny game sometimes, though. All it takes is one sparkling game from a goalie (or one awful game from the other) for any game to go a certain way. UMD has had some sloppy games this season defensively (like Penn State), and I think the high-end talent of the Nittany Lions will shine through to win the opener.

Assuming Michigan doesn’t get upset by Bentley, that’s probably where it all ends. Penn State went 1-3-1 against Michigan in the regular season and often struggled to keep it close. It’ll need much better special teams play to have a chance to get to its second straight Frozen Four.

Fernando Martinez: Quarterfinal Exit

While Penn State has all the talent to make it back to the Frozen Four, I don’t think that will be the case this year.

The Nittany Lions got a brutal draw for the NCAA Tournament this season, being put in the same region as Minnesota-Duluth and Michigan. This team is not coming into the tournament in good form, having only won one game in regulation in its last six. Along with that, it is also dealing with injuries and has been very inconsistent. The Nittany Lions have been atrocious on the power play, so all these qualities are signaling a first-round exit.

With that being said, I do expect Penn State to beat Minnesota-Duluth tonight. It has been more battle-tested than the Bulldogs have been this season, having played in a very tough Big Ten conference. I just don’t see a team as talented as the Nittany Lions being eliminated in their first game of the tournament.

However, Michigan will probably be its opponent in the regional final, and the Wolverines have gone 3-1-1 against the Nittany Lions this season. Penn State has the potential to pull off the upset over Michigan, but I think Penn State’s inconsistencies will come back to haunt it in this game, ending its hopes to win a national championship.

Ryan McInerney: Quarterfinal Exit

I think Penn State men’s hockey’s postseason will fall short of last year’s Frozen Four run. I’m just not fully convinced the Nittany Lions will beat UMD, though I do have hope they’ll take down the first game. But beyond that, Penn State would likely face Michigan on Sunday, and that’s where my true doubt comes in. Penn State has struggled against Michigan this season, especially as of late, and I think the Wolverines are going to end Penn State’s season in the second round of the Albany regionals.

Alex Smith: First-Round Exit

I think it may be over for the Nittany Lions on Friday night. The team has so much talent, but it has really not gelled in the past couple of months. Despite sweeping Minnesota, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin in early January, the team did not find success for the rest of the regular season. The Nittany Lions fell to Michigan State and Michigan in back-to-back weekends. Then, they fell apart against Notre Dame. I am optimistic, but I am not fully convinced that they can flip the switch one more time.

Jamie Lynch: Quarterfinal Exit

I really think Penn State is gonna get its you know what together. This team undoubtedly has the talent to knock off any team in the nation, and I think it takes down Minnesota-Duluth, despite the Bulldogs’ strong power play and penalty kill units.

What I also know is that Michigan is really good. The Nittany Lions have struggled with the Wolverines all season long, and it’s hard to imagine a world in which the blue and white knock off the maize and blue on neutral ice. But hey, maybe Bentley will pull it off, and this will be a non-issue.

It’s playoff hockey. Anything can happen. [Insert Gavin McKenna edit].

Alex is a third-year Journalism major from Sarasota, Florida. Alex is a huge Tampa Bay sports fan and even has a cat named Kucherov. You can contact her at [email protected].