Penn State men’s hockey punched its ticket to its first Frozen Four in program history Sunday, edging the University of Connecticut 3-2 in overtime at the Allentown Regional Final. Sophomore forward Matt DiMarsico, a Wexford, Pennsylvania native, buried the game-winner with just over two minutes left in the extra period, capping a back-and-forth battle at PPL Center.

The winning play came together fast: freshman forward Charlie Cerrato slipped a behind-the-back pass into the slot, and DiMarsico ripped a wrist shot past UConn goaltender Callum Tung to send the Nittany Lions into a frenzied on-ice celebration. Goaltender Arsenii Sergeev, a transfer from UConn, backstopped the win with eight saves in overtime alone, including a stretch where the Huskies rang a shot off the post.

The victory marks a milestone for a program that only began playing varsity hockey in 2012, punching its first Frozen Four berth in 13 seasons under head coach Guy Gadowsky. The Nittany Lions entered the tournament as an at-large bid and the lowest seed in the field, having needed until early January just to notch more wins than losses on the season.

Penn State will face Boston University in the national semifinal April 10 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, with Denver and Western Michigan meeting in the tournament’s other semifinal matchup.