Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey

Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey, formerly known as the Penn State Icers (the name for the former ACHA team), is a college ice hockey program that represents the Pennsylvania State University.[3] Prior to the 2012–13 season the program was designated a club sport and competed at the ACHA Division I level. PSU was previously a member of the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL, although the team competed as an independent ACHA D-I member for the 2011–12 season before moving to the NCAA D-I level.[4][5][6] They play at the Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania.[7]

Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey
Current season
UniversityPennsylvania State University
ConferenceBig Ten
Governing BodyNCAA
First season1909–10[1]
Athletic directorSandy Barbour
Head coachGuy Gadowsky
9th season, 145–120–23 (.543)
Assistant coachesKeith Fisher
Matt Lindsay
Captain(s)Alex Limoges
Alternate captain(s)Paul DeNaples
Aarne Talvitie
ArenaPegula Ice Arena
Capacity: 6,014
Surface: 200' x 85'
LocationUniversity Park, Pennsylvania
Student sectionRoar Zone
ColorsBlue and White[2]
         
Fight songFight On, State
MascotNittany Lion
NCAA Tournament appearances
2017, 2018
ACHA Tournament championships
1984, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
ACHA Tournament appearances
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Conference Tournament championships
ACHA:
1979, 1980, 1989, 1993, 1994, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
NCAA Division I - Big Ten:
2017
Conference regular season championships
ACHA:
1977, 1978, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2008, 2009, 2010
NCAA Division I - Big Ten:
2020

History

Penn State ice hockey was inaugurated in 1938, aside from two games in 1909–10. Penn State fielded a varsity hockey team for five seasons in the 1940s (1940–44, 1946–47) before the sport was dropped due to limited facilities.[8][9]

ACHA years

The current program traces its roots back to 1971 when the program was restarted at the non-NCAA level.[10] Consensus in the ice hockey community considered Penn State to play on a level comparable to NCAA Division III teams, with whom Penn State routinely scheduled games prior to the move to Division I.[11][12] The Icers also played Division I, in-state opponent Robert Morris.[13][14]

When the program was resumed in 1971, it began playing a mix of non-NCAA club teams, NAIA teams and DIII teams.[15] In 1975–76 season Penn State became the first college ice hockey team to play in Europe.[15] The team moved to the on-campus Greenberg Ice Pavilion, now known as the Penn State Ice Pavilion, in 1980. The 1,350-seat facility was the home of PSU hockey until 2013.[15] From 1971 to 2012, Penn State teams won 7 ACHA National Championships, were runners-up 9 times, appeared in 29 ACHA postseason tournaments (including 10 consecutive championship games), won 9 conference playoff titles and recorded 8 conference regular season championships.[15][16]

In the program's final season as a member of the ACHA, the team was led by Guy Gadowsky, who stayed on to coach as the team began play in the NCAA. Gadowsky brought a number of transfers and recruits for the NCAA DI team to prepare for a transition from club to varsity status.[17] The team finished the regular season with a record of 27–4 and received a bid to the 2012 ACHA DI National Tournament as the number one seed and ranked first in the ACHA.[18] In the tournament, the Icers defeated West Virginia 4–1, followed by Oklahoma 6–3. In the semifinal round, Penn State faced Oakland (MI), who were ranked as the thirteenth seed.[17] The game was a rematch of 2007 ACHA championship when the Golden Grizzlies upset the Icers.[17] In a repeat of 2007, Oakland ended Penn State's season and era in the ACHA by a score of 5–3.[17] The Icers finished the season with an overall record of 29–5, 29–4 in ACHA competition and a 6–3 loss to NCAA Division II Neumann at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as part of the 2012 NHL Winter Classic events in front of a crowd of 6,800.[19]

Move to NCAA

Over the summer of 2010 it was reported that Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and Terrence Pegula, a PSU alumnus,[20] billionaire hockey fan, and possible large donor visited Minnesota’s hockey facilities and the new on-campus Notre Dame Ice Arena currently under construction at Notre Dame and other Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) schools.[21] Pegula, who would eventually go on to purchase the Buffalo Sabres, donated US$88 million (later upgraded to US$102 million) to the Penn State hockey programs for the purpose of building an arena.[22] In August 2010 Tom Anastos, CCHA commissioner said the CCHA was interested in adding Penn State as a 12th member after Nebraska-Omaha left the league to join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).[23] Without a women's league the women's team would not join the CCHA, speculation had the women's team joining College Hockey America (CHA), currently a 5-team league with teams in Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York.[24]

On September 17, 2010, after years of speculation,[21][25] it was officially announced the program would move to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level along with the PSU women's ice hockey team starting in the 2012–13 season and the program would initially compete as an independent team until the new arena was completed in 2013.[26] The university also announced the construction of a new 6,000-seat ice arena to replace the undersized and aging 1,350-seat Penn State Ice Pavilion.[21][27][28]

Following the announcement by Penn State, the Big Ten Conference announced that the conference planned to begin sponsoring men's ice hockey in the 2013–14 season combining Penn State with Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University from the CCHA as well as the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin from the WCHA to form the six-member Big Ten Hockey Conference.[29]

On March 26, 2015, Casey Bailey became the first Penn State player to play in the National Hockey League, debuting for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 4–1 loss to the Florida Panthers.[30]

In 2017, Penn State defeated Wisconsin to capture their first Big Ten Tournament Championship. Freshman goaltender Peyton Jones earned the tournament's 2017 Most Outstanding Player Award. Four Nittany Lions made the All-Tournament Team: Jones, forward Liam Folkes, and defensemen Vince Pedrie and Erik Autio. In their first NCAA Tournament game, Penn State notched 10 goals en route to a 10–3 victory. This marked the first time in team history that Penn State scored more than 8 goals in a varsity game. It also marked the most goals scored by a team in an NCAA Tournament game since 1990.

Program record

Prior to NCAA D1 Status [8][31]

First year: 1909–10
Varsity seasons: 5 (1940–44, 1946–47)
Varsity record: 13–15–1
Non-varsity seasons: 45 (1909–10, 1937–40, 1971–2012)
Non-varsity record: 962–307–44–11
ACHA National Championships: 7 (1984, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
ACHA National Runners-Up: 9 (1983, 1985, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)

The Roar Zone

The Roar Zone is the official student section for Penn State Men's Ice Hockey. Founded in 2013,[32] the Roar Zone was created when Penn State Hockey became a Division I team and moved play[33] from the Greenburg Ice Pavilion to the newly built Pegula Ice Arena. The Roar Zone became an official Penn State University club in early 2015 and is frequently featured on ESPN and Big Ten Network game coverages.

The Roar Zone holds more than 1,000 students on bleachers built to be the steepest allowed by code.[34] All Penn State Hockey student season ticket holders are members of this organization.

The Roar Zone frequently works with Penn State Athletics to plan away game bus trips to watch conference and non-conference games. Notable trips include a bus trip to watch Penn State play in Madison Square Garden[35] for the first time on January 30, 2016 and Penn State win an overtime win at the Munn Ice Arena[36] on February 13, 2015.

Season-by-season results[37]
Main article: List of Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey seasons

Records vs. Big Ten Teams

As of the completion of 2018–19 season[37]

School Team Away Arena Overall Record Win % Home Away Last Result
University of Michigan Wolverines Yost Ice Arena 12–15–0 .444 7–4–0 3–9–0 5-2 W
Michigan State University Spartans Munn Ice Arena 13–9–4 .577 7–2–3 6–7–1 5-3 W
University of Minnesota Golden Gophers 3M Arena at Mariucci 12–15–0 .444 8–6–0 3–9–0 6-2 W
University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Compton Family Ice Arena 4–8–2 .357 2–3–1 2–4–1 2-3 L
Ohio State University Buckeyes Value City Arena 10–15–2 .407 4–7–1 4–7–1 5-1 W
University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers Kohl Center 17–12–3 .578 9–5–1 6–6–2 4-3 W

Cumulative record against opponents

Prior to NCAA D1 Status[8]

(1909–10, 1937–44, 1946–47, 1971–2012)

❋ Beginning with the 2006–07 season, ties were abolished in favor of deciding overtime ties by the shootout. Overtime losses before the 2006–07 season are reported in the loss column.
† In 1972, 1980, and 1983–85, Penn State won 4 and lost 1 against opponents whose identities have not been retrieved.

Coaches

On April 25, 2011 Penn State named Guy Gadowsky as the program's first NCAA Division I men’s hockey coach.[38] Gadowsky was previously the head coach of the Princeton Tigers from 2004–2011 and also served as head coach of the Alaska Nanooks from 1999–2004.[39] He replaces Scott Balboni, who coached the Icers for five seasons from 2006–2011 and compiled a 150–35–8.[40]

NCAA All-time coaching records

As of completion of 2019–20 season[41]

Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
1909–1910No Coach10–2–0.000
1940–1944Arthur Davis413–10–1.563
1946–1947James O'Hora10–3–0.000
2012–PresentGuy Gadowsky8145–120–23.543
Totals 3 coaches 14 Seasons 158–135–24 .536

ACHA All-time coaching records

As of completion of 2011–12 season[15][42]

Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
2011–2012Guy Gadowsky129–4–1.853
2006–2011Scott Balboni5150–34–9.797
1987–2006Joe Battista19499–124–26.788
1981–1987Jon Shellington6125–71–8.632
1977–1979,1980–1981Clayton John354–16–5.753
1979–1980Mark Horgas118–5–0.783
1976–1977Bob Hettema114–6–1.690
1974–1976Morris Kurtz224–6–1.790
1973–1974Jim Hodgson18–15–1.354
1972–1973multiple110–11–0.476
1971–1972Larry Hendry113–6–0.684
Totals 11 coaches 40 seasons 944–298–52 .750

Statistical Leaders[43]

Career points leaders
Player Years GP G A Pts PIM
Nate Sucese 2016–2020 147 61 79 140 68
David Goodwin 2013–2017 147 44 84 128 70
Chase Berger 2015–2019 154 51 67 118 34
Brandon Biro 2016–2020 138 41 75 116 49
Denis Smirnov 2016–2020 138 50 65 115 36
Andrew Sturtz 2015–2018 111 54 50 104 105
Liam Folkes 2016–2020 137 48 55 103 18
Alex Limoges 2017–Present 106 41 62 103 34
Evan Barratt 2017–2020 98 39 56 95 117
Casey Bailey 2012–2015 92 43 35 78 83
Cole Hults 2017–2020 111 17 61 78 85

Career goaltending leaders

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

minimum 600 minutes played

Player Years GP Min W L T GA SO SV% GAA
Chris Funkey2015–201921888751412.8992.77
Peyton Jones2016–202013378667644113784.9072.88
Matt Skoff2012–2016774420323272123.9092.88
Eamon McAdam2013–2016442420182121321.9053.27
P. J. Musico2012–201530141410151781.8993.31

Statistics current through the start of the 2020–21 season.

Players

Current roster

As of January 3, 2021.[44]

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
3 Paul DeNaples (A) Junior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 184 lb (83 kg) 1998-09-19 Moscow, Pennsylvania Sioux Falls (USHL) —
5 Christian Berger Freshman D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 182 lb (83 kg) 2000-05-22 St. Louis, Missouri Omaha (USHL) —
6 Jimmy Dowd Jr. Freshman D 5' 9" (1.75 m) 161 lb (73 kg) 2000-07-09 Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey Chicago (USHL) —
7 Evan Bell Senior D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 191 lb (87 kg) 1997-06-25 Livonia, Michigan Fargo (USHL) —
9 Alex Limoges (C) Senior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1997-09-16 Winchester, Virginia Waterloo (USHL) —
10 Christian Sarlo Freshman F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 2001-06-29 Lynbrook, New York Lincoln (USHL) —
11 Chase McLane Freshman F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 2000-04-22 Trenton, Michigan Tri-City (USHL) NSH, 209th overall 2020
12 Bobby Hampton Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 197 lb (89 kg) 1997-11-18 Middletown, New Jersey Northeastern (HEA) —
13 Xander Lamppa Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2000-04-30 Rochester, Minnesota Waterloo (USHL) —
14 Max Sauvé Junior F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1998-09-02 Acushnet, Massachusetts Avon Old Farms (USHS–CT) —
15 Kenny Johnson Sophomore D 6' 4" (1.93 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1998-05-28 Ann Arbor, Michigan Victoria (BCHL) —
16 Mason Snell Sophomore D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2000-06-18 Courtice, Ontario Penticton (BCHL) —
17 Tim Doherty Graduate F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1995-07-10 Portsmouth, Rhode Island Maine (HEA) —
18 Clayton Phillips Senior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1999-09-09 Edina, Minnesota Minnesota (Big Ten) PIT, 93rd overall 2017
19 Connor McMenamin Sophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1999-02-25 Collegeville, Pennsylvania Tri-City (USHL) —
20 Aarne Talvitie (A) Junior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 198 lb (90 kg) 1999-02-11 Espoo, Finland Blues U20 (Nuorten SM-liiga) NJD, 160th overall 2017
21 Kevin Wall Sophomore F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2000-02-01 Penfield, New York Chilliwack (BCHL) CAR, 181st overall 2019
22 Alex Stevens Senior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1997-02-27 Plymouth, Minnesota Dubuque (USHL) —
23 Tyler Paquette Freshman F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2001-03-18 Collegeville, Pennsylvania Green Bay (USHL) —
24 Adam Pilewicz Senior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1996-07-20 Sewickley, Pennsylvania Johnstown (NAHL) —
25 Jared Westcott Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1999-07-18 Imperial, Missouri Sioux Falls (USHL) —
27 Sam Sternschein Senior F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 204 lb (93 kg) 1998-04-27 Syosset, New York Lincoln (USHL) —
28 Tyler Gratton Sophomore F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 187 lb (85 kg) 1999-08-06 Pottstown, Pennsylvania Central Illinois (USHL) —
29 Connor MacEachern Sophomore F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1999-07-01 Brooklin, Ontario Youngstown (USHL) —
31 Liam Soulière Freshman G 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1999-03-16 Brampton, Ontario Victoria (BCHL) —
32 Will Holtforster Graduate G 5' 11" (1.8 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1998-03-12 Mississauga, Ontario Upper Canada College (CISAA) —
35 Oskar Autio Junior G 6' 0" (1.83 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 1999-10-06 Espoo, Finland Chicago (USHL) —

Awards and honors

Individual Awards

All-Americans

AHCA Second Team All-Americans


Individual Awards

All-Conference Teams

First Team All-Big Ten

  • 2014–15: Casey Bailey, F
  • 2016–17: Vince Pedrie, D
  • 2017–18: Trevor Hamilton, D
  • 2018–19: Evan Barratt, F

Second Team All-Big Ten

  • 2015–16: Eamon McAdam, G; Vince Pedrie, D

Big Ten All-Rookie Team

  • 2014–15: Scott Conway, F
  • 2015–16: Vince Pedrie, D
  • 2016–17: Peyton Jones, G; Kris Myllari, D; Denis Smirnov, D

Nittany Lions in the NHL[45]
Player Position Team(s) Years Stanley Cups
Casey Bailey Right Wing TOR, OTT 2014–2017 0

See also

References
  1. "2015–16 Penn State Men's Hockey Yearbook". GoPSUSports.com. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  2. Penn State Artwork (PDF). November 6, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  3. Staff (September 17, 2010). "Penn State to Add Men's and Women's Varsity Ice Hockey". Penn State University. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  4. "(M1) Penn State University Records". ACHA. 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  5. CDT Staff (July 19, 2010). "State College man to coach in ECHL". Centre Daily Times. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  6. "Welcome to the official site of Penn State Team Sports". Penn State University. 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  7. "Welcome to the Official Site of the Penn State Ice Pavilion". Penn State University. 2006–2007. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  8. Rossi, Kyle. "M Results/Season, 1909 –". Retrieved 2013-11-29.
  9. "Penn State Icers: History and Facts". Penn State University. Archived from the original on March 25, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  10. Staff (September 17, 2010). "Penn State Graduates To NCAA Division I". ACHA. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  11. "Salem State 2, Penn State 1". U.S. College Hockey Online. December 27, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  12. "Penn State 8, Salve Regina 0". U.S. College Hockey Online. December 28, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  13. "Penn State 3, Robert Morris 2". U.S. College Hockey Online. October 8, 2005. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  14. "Penn State 6, Robert Morris 0". U.S. College Hockey Online. October 8, 2006. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  15. "Icers Records by Season". Penn State University. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  16. Staff (March 27, 2006). "Nittany Lion Club Taps Ice Hockey Coach Joe Battista as Executive Director". Penn State University. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  17. Pickel, Greg (March 6, 2012). "Penn State Hockey: Icers Upset in ACHA Semifinals, Ending Era at Club Level". State College News. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  18. "2011–2012 ACHA Men's Division 1 Ranking #9". ACHA. February 15, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  19. "Neumann 6, Penn State 3". U.S. College Hockey Online. January 4, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  20. Hradek, E.J. (September 17, 2010). "Penn State hockey moves to D-I". ESPN. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  21. Giger, Cory (August 6, 2010). "Penn State 'close' to adding arena, Division I hockey". Altoona Mirror. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  22. Staff (February 3, 2011). "Golisano's Goodbye & Pegula's Prospects". WBEN. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  23. Gholston, Sandy (August 10, 2010). "Anastos to the Detroit News: Penn State 'very attractive' to the CCHA". Mlive.com. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  24. Wodon, Adam (September 13, 2010). "Penn State Ready to Play". College Hockey News. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  25. Starman, Dave (September 13, 2010). "Which Way Will Dominos Fall After Penn State's Introduction?". U.S. College Hockey Online. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  26. Staff (September 17, 2010). "Pegulas Commit Historic Gift To PenI State For New Arena And Hockey Program". Penn State University. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  27. Ciskie, Bruce (September 13, 2010). "Penn State Reportedly Set to Add Hockey". FanHouse. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  28. Wodon, Adam (September 16, 2010). "Penn State Announcement Expected Friday". College Hockey News. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  29. Staff (March 21, 2011). "Big Ten confirms plan to sponsor hockey starting in 2013–14 season". USCHO. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  30. Woody, Doyle (March 26, 2010). "The dream is real: Casey Bailey made his NHL debut". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  31. Rossi, Kyle (28 August 2012). "The Whitewashing of PSU's Club History". Retrieved 2013-11-29.
  32. @tommyolczyk (6 September 2013). "View from atop the #RoarZone..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  33. @TYTBlog (13 October 2012). "Photo from where I'm sitting. That's..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  34. "The Roar Zone: An Opponent's Nightmare – Onward State". 31 October 2014.
  35. "Michigan rallies past Penn State hockey at Madison Square Garden".
  36. "FINAL: MSU hockey falls again in nail-biting fashion to Penn State, 4-2".
  37. "Penn State 2018-19 Men's ice hockey Yearbook". Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  38. Staff (April 24, 2011). "Penn State names Gadowsky its first varsity men's coach". U.S. College Hockey Online. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  39. Staff (April 24, 2011). "Penn State Hires Guy Gadowsky as Head Coach". Inside College Hockey. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  40. Staff (November 12, 2009). "Penn State University's Scott Balboni Hits Milestone With Win #100". ACHA. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  41. "Penn State 2018-19 Men's ice hockey Yearbook". Penn State University. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  42. "Icers 2011–12 Schedule/Results". Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
  43. "Ohio State Men's Hockey Team Guide 2018-19" (PDF). Ohio State Buckeyes. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  44. "2019–20 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  45. "Alumni report for Pennsylvania State U". Hockey DB. Retrieved July 24, 2019.

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