Minnesota (19-12-3, 10-5-3 B1G) vs. Penn State (18-12-4, 10-7-1 B1G): March 13 at 7 p.m. CT; March 14 at 7 p.m. CT
At the beginning of this season, Minnesota seemed a lock for the NCAA tournament, and a frontrunner for the championship. But this season has been very difficult, and the Gophers are close to missing the tournament. Minnesota just split its past three series with Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State.
After a strong start to the season, Penn State has been inconsistent. Like Michigan, Penn State has a powerful offense. Even after losing Taylor Holstrom, one of the teams top scorers, the Nittany Lions scored 10 total goals on the Wolverines last weekend.
I always find the Penn State-Minnesota matchup interesting. I liked both teams to start the season, but dropped off Penn State after the teams struggles. Penn State’s performance against Michigan was impressive, but this is a really important series for Minnesota.