Two NCAA Nationally Top Ranked Teams Set to Compete at Wells Fargo Center on January 28 and 29
Jan 24, 2017
Two NCAA nationally top ranked teams are set to compete during a weekend double-header at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29.
Penn State, currently ranked No. 4, is set to battle Princeton during the College Hockey Faceoff at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, January 28. This marks the seventh straight poll where Penn State has been ranked inside the top-5. The Nittany Lions received one first-place vote after receiving a program-best 30 last week, which resulted in their first-ever No. 1 ranking. Following a tie and a loss at the hands of then No. 11 Ohio State, The Penn State men’s ice hockey team slipped three spots to No. 4 in the latest USCHO.com poll released on Monday afternoon.
Penn State, making their fifth consecutive appearance on the Wells Fargo Center ice, is entering its fifth year as an NCAA Division I ice hockey program and its fourth year in the Big Ten Hockey Conference. Penn State Head Coach Gadowsky, who previously coached Princeton for seven seasons (2004-11) takes on his old team and new rival for a sure-to-be emotional game.
The Princeton Tigers are part of the Ivy League and ECAC Hockey, one of the nation’s premier Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Conferences. Tigers’ Head Coach Ron Fogarty leads all active NCAA coaches in win percentage. Princeton has had 12 players continue their careers in the NHL, including Andre Faust ’92 and Darrol Powe ’07 both of whom played for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Tickets are on sale now exclusively online at WellsFargoCenterPhilly.com, by phone at 1-800-298-4200, or in person at Wells Fargo Center box office.
The defending national champions, and current No. 1 ranked Villanova Wildcats are set to tip off against the No. 14 ranked Virginia Cavaliers on Sunday, January 29. Villanova’s final non-conference contest of the 2016-17 regular season is sold out.
This marks the third Wells Fargo Center sellout for Villanova in the last three seasons and its 12th since it began hosting games at the facility in 1996-97. A crowd of 16,891 attended the Wildcats’ 93-81 BIG EAST victory over Marquette at the Center on Jan. 7. The Wildcats, currently sporting an 18-1 record and ranked No. 1 in the nation by the Associated Press, faced the Cavaliers in Charlottesville last season. Virginia claimed an 85-74 victory, one of only five losses suffered by the Wildcats in a 35-5 campaign which culminated with the NCAA national championship.
The Wildcats will battle St John’s University at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, February 4. Tickets are on sale now exclusively online at WellsFargoCenterPhilly.com, by phone at 1-800-298-4200, or in person at Wells Fargo Center box office.