Guy Gadowsky and his team were in big trouble.
Penn State men's hockey program had just started its conference schedule with nine straight defeats.
Some games were close. Others weren't.
Despite that run of poor results that risked completely derailing their NCAA season, the players tried to stay positive.
The group didn't have to look far for inspiration. Now the Nittany Lions sit two victories from completing an improbable story.
Penn State will play in U.S. college hockey's Frozen Four for the first time Thursday when the school takes on Boston University in the national semifinals. The other matchup in St. Louis will see defending champions Denver against another first-time entry in Western Michigan. The final goes Saturday.
"When a team sticks together — really sticks together — anything is possible," said Gadowsky, a 57-year-old from Edmonton in his 12th season at PSU. "The hole was dug regardless, but they stuck together and they pulled it out.
"That's a great lesson, not only for sport, but for life."
His players were also energized after watching in awe as Penn State's women's volleyball team came back from a massive 2-0 deficit, including a 22-16 hole in the third game, to beat Nebraska 3-2 in December's best-of-five semifinal.
Penn State then topped Louisville 3-1 to secure the NCAA crown.
"Our players were really, really intrigued with how a team could do that on the mental side," Gadowsky said. "They asked a lot of questions of the volleyball players and we had (head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley) talk to the team.
"So while our leaders were preaching about being positive, we were seeing it play out in real time."
Men's hockey captain Simon Mack said the volleyball team's performance stuck.
"Their story and their mental toughness was unbelievable," said the 24-year-old defenceman from Brockville, Ont. "I would like to think we've taken some of their lessons and implemented them into our game."
Mack and his teammates pulled together, finishing the Big Ten schedule 9-11-4 before eventually getting ousted by Ohio State in the playoffs. PSU, however, made the NCAA regional tournament, upsetting Maine 5-1 and beating Connecticut 3-2 in overtime to book the school's inaugural Frozen Four berth.
"The first half of the year, it did not go our way," said leading scorer Aiden Fink. "I'm so proud of the guys."
The five-foot-10, 160-pound forward from Calgary was a big reason why his team turned things around. A seventh-round pick of the Nashville Predators at the 2023 NHL draft, he has 23 goals and 30 assists for 53 points across 39 games in 2024-25 heading into Enterprise Center, home of the St. Louis Blues.
"Extremely talented, obviously," Gadowsky said of the 20-year-old Fink. "But he also gives more of himself physically to every hockey game than any scorer I've ever seen."
The Nittany Lions' leader, meanwhile, has taken a long and winding road to the Frozen Four. After his playing career ended, Gadowsky's first coaching gig was in roller-hockey before he eventually found his way to the NCAA ranks with Alaska, Princeton and now Penn State.
"I've always wanted to be a teacher," said Gadowsky, who comes from a family of educators. "I consider myself a teacher — just of hockey."
Fink said the bench boss never wavered during the team's tough, frustrating times early on this season.
"Not a quitter," he said. "There was not one time that he was either planning for next year or counting us out. He knew there was upside."
Mack said Penn State has a checklist in its lounge with all of the program's accomplishments since becoming a Division 1 hockey school in 2012.
"The final two that hadn't been checked before this year were the Frozen Four and a national championship," he said. "We've got one more box to check."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2025.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
