That fact was never displayed more prominently than when Cerrato had the instincts to know his teammate was trailing behind him for the game-winning overtime goal in Sunday night’s 2-1 win over UConn to send Penn State to its first Frozen Four in program history.

An overtime goal by sophomore forward Matt DiMarsico propelled Penn State past UConn, 3-2, and into the Frozen Four for the first time in program history — and it’s much more than 13 seasons if you include the years of club-level success and support that set the foundation for the varsity program.

Ohio State, Minnesota and No. 2 Michigan State all fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, leaving Penn State (22-13-4) as the final team remaining from the conference in the tournament. After their miserable start in conference play, the Nittany Lions proved it isn’t how you start, it’s how you finish.