Penn State men’s hockey is ranked at No. 16 in the first USCHO poll of the 2018-19 season.
The Nittany Lions are one of five Big Ten teams to earn a ranking, as Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Michigan check in at No. 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Minnesota is ranked three spots ahead of Penn State despite not qualifying for the NCAA tournament last season.
Defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth comes in at No. 1.
Penn State earned a ranking in the USCHO’s annual preseason poll for the second consecutive season after being ranked No. 10 ahead of the 2017-18 season. The Nittany Lions qualified for the NCAA tournament with a record of 18-15-5 before being eliminated by Denver in the first round.
Guy Gadowsky’s squad will see game action for the first time this season on Oct. 6 in an exhibition matchup against Brock University at Pegula Ice Arena. The team will open the 2018-19 regular season on Oct. 11 with a home game against No. 17 Clarkson.
