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\t<\/p>\nWith the regular season coming to a close, Penn State men\u2019s hockey is ready to be battle-tested once more this weekend.<\/p>\n
No. 11 Wisconsin comes to Pegula Ice Arena needing wins to solidify its postseason hopes, while the Nittany Lions can mathematically lock up their own fate with a strong showing at home.<\/p>\n
Six teams earn automatic bids to the NCAA tournament by winning their conference tournaments, with the remaining 10 spots being decided at-large. Wisconsin currently sits 12th in the NPI, the system used to select and seed teams for the NCAA Tournament, meaning the series could be do-or-die for the Badgers\u2019 tournament hopes.<\/p>\n
Because of that, along with the fact that it\u2019s a top-15 matchup, intensity has heightened surrounding the series, and it\u2019s become noticeable inside the Penn State locker room.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis weekend\u2019s kind of a precursor [to the] playoffs,\u201d defenseman Jarod Crespo said.<\/p>\n
Head coach Guy Gadowsky also echoed the same message, saying this weekend is preparation for what lies ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we want out of this weekend? This is a great dress rehearsal for what playoff hockey is going to be like\u2026 Wisconsin needs to win to get in. We need to win to mathematically lock it up\u2026 So that\u2019s how the team\u2019s approaching it,\u201d Gadowsky said.<\/p>\n
After a weekend where Penn State stressed the importance of getting off to a strong start, the focus heading into this series against Wisconsin is on playing the brand of hockey that has carried the Nittany Lions all season.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing into this weekend, it\u2019s just manage pucks and manage our shifts, make sure we\u2019re going hard and heavy for quick shifts. That\u2019s what Penn State hockey is, and that\u2019s what\u2019s going to help us win these games.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two teams last met in January at the Kohl Center, where Penn State swept then-No. 5 Wisconsin in a pair of come-from-behind wins.<\/p>\n
After falling behind early in game one, Penn State scored seven unanswered goals \u2014 including hat tricks from Dane Dowiak and Gavin McKenna \u2014 to secure a 7-2 win before completing the sweep with a 3-1 victory the following night.<\/p>\n
Wisconsin was without top center Gavin Morrissey for that series, though, and the sophomore has since returned to the lineup. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re aware of that, and he\u2019s an excellent player, and I\u2019m sure he\u2019s going to play a big role,\u201d Gadowsky said.<\/p>\n
With Penn State also dealing with a slew of injuries, Gadowsky said the team isn\u2019t looking too closely at what happened the last time the two teams met, instead focusing on their recent games.<\/p>\n
The Nittany Lions have found themselves playing from behind as of late, but have repeatedly shown that they have the ability to climb back into games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was very impressed, obviously, being down 3-0. We didn\u2019t come out well at all. But boy, did they play Friday night, come back from three down, and we needed a late goal to tie it up on Saturday as well, and the guys got that,\u201d Gadowsky said.<\/p>\n
Still, the goal moving forward is to avoid those situations altogether.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe keep striving for a situation where we won\u2019t have to,\u201d Gadowsky said. <\/p>\n
Crespo echoed that aspect from a player\u2019s perspective as well, saying the team discussed it in between games in South Bend.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething that we talked about between games this weekend was just committing to having a good start\u2026 focus on everyone\u2019s first shift and kid of just hit the ground after that.\u201d<\/p>\n
With plenty on the line for both sides, the Nittany Lions know the competition will only get tougher as the postseason approaches, so they\u2019re making this weekend\u2019s series feel like playoff hockey.<\/p>\n
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