UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Despite being idle since Dec. 2, 2016, the Penn State men's ice hockey team has achieved another program best as they open the new year ranked No. 2 in both the uscho.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national polls.
The Nittany Lions remain the highest ranked Big Ten team after receiving three first-place votes and 918 points in the first uscho.com poll of 2017. They are only 79 points back of Minnesota-Duluth who remains atop both polls. Minnesota (No. 9) and Ohio State (No. 11) are the other two ranked Big Ten teams while Wisconsin continues to receive votes.
Penn State also received a single first-place vote in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll while collecting 443 points. The Lions have now been ranked in both polls for nine consecutive weeks which continues to improve upon a program best.