Penn State Hockey Earns Highest Final Ranking in Program History

The Nittany Lions finished fifth in the major college hockey polls after reaching the Frozen Four for the first time.

Penn State forward Nicholas DeGraves reacts after scoring against the Boston University Terriers during their NCAA Frozen Four game in St. Louis. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Penn State capped its historic 2024-25 men's hockey season with a trip to the Frozen Four and some significant poll recognition afterward. The Nittany Lions finished fifth in the final polls, marking the program's highest season-ending ranking in its 13-year NCAA Division I history.

Penn State jumped seven spots from 12th to fifth in the final USCHO.com college hockey poll, finishing one spot behind Boston College, which did not make the Frozen Four. The Nittany Lions also finished fifth in the season-ending USA Hockey/The Rink Live poll, highest of the five ranked Big Ten teams.

The polls punctuated a remarkable season in which Penn State began unranked, lost their first nine Big Ten games and were last in the conference in early January. After that, the Nittany Lions won 15 games, reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and won the NCAA Tournament's Allentown Regional to qualify for their first Frozen Four.

Penn State fell to Boston University 3-1 in the NCAA semifinals, capping a 22-14-4 season and a third top-10 finish in its last six seasons. Penn State's 22 wins tied for second-most in program history under coach Guy Gadowsky, who said he is "very optimistic" about the future of Penn State hockey.

"The fact that we were so far back, so left for dead and came back to make the Frozen Four, is something I don't think any of these guys are ever going to forget," Gadowsky said in St. Louis. "I know I'm not. I'm really grateful to be part of this group because of that lesson."

Sophomore forward Aiden Fink was Penn State's standout player this season, earning first-team Big Ten honors and becoming the program's third All-American. Fink set single-season program records for points (53) and assists (30) and tied the school record for goals (23).

Fink ranked among the top-10 players nationally in points, goals, assists, power-play goals and short-handed goals. He averaged 1.33 points per game, which ranked third nationally.

Goaltender Arsenii Sergeev delivered another compelling Penn State hockey story. He transferred from UConn, which Penn State beat in the NCAA regional final, to win 19 games (tied for first in the Big Ten) and record a school-record four shutouts. Sergeev recently signed a two-year contract with the Calgary Flames, who initially drafted him in 2021.

Forward Charlie Cerrato recorded 42 points, second-most among freshmen in Penn State history, and became just the second Penn State freshman to top 40 points in a season.

"I honestly can't help but feel so grateful and positive about this year and this team because, I've said it before, but we were left for dead not long ago," Gadowsky said at the Frozen Four. "And for these guys to come back and play in St. Louis is remarkable and better than that is how they did it. They are such great representatives to our university, which is really important at Penn State. And I learned a lesson from them this year.

"I mean, the way that they stuck together and stayed positive in the hardest times when it would have been easy not to is just really, really impressive. They're really good men, and I'm really proud to be a part of this group."