DiMarsico credits Penguins Elite for helping him lead Penn State to Frozen Four

Matthew DiMarsico wasn't sure what to do.

On March 30, the sophomore forward had just scored for Penn State in overtime of a 3-2 win against the University of Connecticut to send Penn State to the Frozen Four for the first time since the team moved to varsity NCAA status in 2012-13.

Penn State will play Boston University in one of the national semifinals at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on April 10 (8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2). Western Michigan will face Denver in the other semifinal (5 p.m. ET; ESPN2). The winners will play in the championship game April 12.

"I didn't even know how to feel," the 21-year-old undrafted NHL free agent said. "It was just a rush of excitement. Ended up throwing my stick in the stands, which was a pretty cool moment."

It wouldn't have been possible without the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, his youth team located in Cranberry, Pennsylvania.

"I think Pens Elite definitely helped me turn myself into the player I am today," DiMarsico said.

DiMarsico said he played in the program for eight years. From 2018-21, he had 239 points (108 goals, 131 assists) in 167 games at the under-14, under-15 and under-16 levels.

He has 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 38 games this season, up from his freshman total last season of 26 points (seven goals, 19 assists) in 35 games.

His growth to that level of success started with Penguins Elite, created in March 2012 as a cooperative effort between the Penguins, the Pittsburgh Hornets amateur hockey association and Dick's Sporting Goods.

"I think the development and the coaches are all really great there," DiMarsico said. "Especially when they made the EXCEL program for high schoolers, I think that really helped me take my game to the next level."

EXCEL Hockey Academy is a partnership between North Catholic High School, DiMarsico's alma mater, and UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the Penguins' practice facility in Cranberry. It provides academics and hockey training designed to advance graduates to top universities.

DiMarsico grew up in Wexford, Pennsylvania, a suburb about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Proximity made Penguins Elite convenient, but its impact on this year's Frozen Four is far-reaching.

Penn State has built a pipeline, with six current players from the program. In addition to DiMarsico, there are forwards Alex Servagno, Braedon Ford and Dane Dowiak, and defensemen Carter Schade and Casey Aman.

And more are soon to come.

"I'm not sure of the exact number, but there's like another six guys that have Pens Elite ties that are committed there already," Penguins Elite executive director of hockey operations Danny MacKinnon said. "There's another crop that are on their way to Penn State."

There's also Penguins Elite alums on other Frozen Four teams.

Western Michigan defenseman Brian Kramer played for the program from 2013-18.

And Boston University forward Brandon Svoboda, a San Jose Sharks third-round pick (No. 71) in the 2023 NHL Draft, played there from 2019-22.

"To have three out of the four teams represented at the Frozen Four, it doesn't happen every year," MacKinnon said. "But obviously it's special. We take great pride in developing our players on and off the ice. I think just watching will be a sense of pride for everyone that's developed these kids."

Svoboda was a year behind DiMarsico with Penguins Elite, but they attended EXCEL Hockey Academy at the same time. Shortly after Penn State clinched its semifinal game against BU, Svoboda and DiMarsico connected.

"I was letting him know, 'It's going to be a war here against you guys,'" DiMarsico said.

It's one MacKinnon looks forward to.

"That's pretty cool, right?," he said. "You have two kids that grew up in Pens Elite, they skate together in the summer, they train together, and now they're going to face off next weekend at the Frozen Four. That's special, right? It doesn't happen every day."

It also represents the growth of hockey in Pittsburgh. It became clearer when Utah Hockey Club forward Logan Cooley, another Penguins Elite alum, was selected by the Arizona Coyotes with the No. 3 pick at the 2022 NHL Draft.

To Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, it's a credit to former or current Pittsburgh players like Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Jaromir Jagr, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Sullivan likened it to the impact Mike Eruzione, Jack O'Callahan, David Silk and Jim Craig had on him as a young player from Boston in the early 1980s.

"They have the same influence on these young players that are coming out of this area," Sullivan said. "And there's been a lot, a fair amount. You look at the amount of players that have come out of the Pittsburgh community that are making an impact at the highest levels of the game, it's impressive."

DiMarsico was able to attend Penguins development camp in July. It was held at the same rink where he played youth hockey.

"I think one of the moments that really just stuck out was when Kris Letang came in and kind of talked to all of us," DiMarsico said. "I mean, that's somebody that I've been watching on my TV for 15 years."

That still seems surreal for a Pittsburgh kid. So does representing a Penguins-related youth program in the Frozen Four.

"Honestly, it hasn't really sunk in," he said. "I think it's just kind of a rush of excitement to send Penn State to their first Frozen Four ever. So it's been all really cool. I think it's going to take a while for it to all settle in."