Oct. 16, 2013
By Michael Renahan, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - As a program the Nittany Lions are in their infancy. As a team they're young, too.
Penn State boasts one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten and in the nation. Seventeen players on the team are sophomores or freshmen and most have already made a huge impact on the program during their short time on campus.
When the team took to the ice Friday night, beating Army, 4-1, it was the mix of veteran leadership and tenacity from the younger players that stood out. With high energy and a lot of skill, the underclassmen have shown they're ready to play hockey at a high level.
Between forwards Casey Bailey, Curtis Loik, David Goodwin, Zach Saar, Jonathan Milley, Dylan Richard and David Glen, the amount of talent in the sophomore and freshman classes is outstanding and can only get better.
Each of these players possesses the skills to make them a threat for the Nittany Lions going forward.
"Those guys gave you a little snip about what those guys are all about," said redshirt junior forward Max Gardiner of his teammates. "They're good players and they're going to provide a lot of offense this year and it was really exciting for us and the rest of the team to see those guys produce like they did."
"I mean we have a fairly young team in perspective as far as grade [level] but our sophomores are still very much leaders," Saar said. "As far as the freshmen, we're trying to fit in and bring what we can to the table as well and work hard and acclimate ourselves."
On Friday night, Goodwin, Glen and Loik all registered at least one point for Penn State. Loik scored a goal in the low left corner on a two-on-one, while Goodwin netted a breakaway goal and an assist. It was a huge moment for the young players as they established themselves offensively.
"It was really important to start off my hockey career that way," Goodwin said. "Obviously I have a lot of confidence in myself from getting that goal. I have to give a lot of credit to Saar and Richard; we played well together all night. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have gotten that goal."
Twelve of the 17 underclassmen hit the ice against Army. As a group, they took 20 of the team's 35 shots, scored two of the team's four goals and tallied three assists. The impact from the younger players was felt all over the ice, not just on offense.
Sophomore defensemen Connor Varley, Luke Juha and Mark Yanis played huge roles on the blue line. All three helped establish the physicality their head coach is looking for while keeping the Army attackers at bay with smart, tough play. They also played crucial roles setting up fast breaks and keeping the puck in the attacking zone.
The only freshman blueliner to see action, David Thompson stepped into the bright lights for the first time in his career Friday night and played like a seasoned veteran. He saw a lot of ice time, including some work on the penalty kill. He had a blocked shot in the game and finished his night with as a plus-2.
Matthew Skoff, the winning goaltender on Friday, is also just a sophomore. Skoff looked very strong against Army allowing only the one goal, which he let up during a 5-on-3 late in the third period. Skoff, however, isn't the only young goalkeeper the Nittany Lions have on the roster.
Freshman Eamon McAdam comes into the program after being selected in the third round of last year's NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. Both men have proven they are ready to stand tall between the pipes for Penn State.
Gadowsky confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that McAdam would see the first start of his career on Friday night against Air Force.
The Nittany Lions have a strong, youthful team looking to make some noise in their second season and with Friday night's win they're off to the right start.
They played aggressive, smart hockey and got their first win in Pegula Ice Arena. With the up and coming players on this team the sky is the limit. They appear confident and ready to take on all challenges this upcoming season.
"I see a lot of contribution out of the freshmen and sophomores," said Goodwin. "There are a lot of us, especially up front and I think the expectations are high for us. If we're going to have success this year, the freshmen and sophomores are going to have to pull a lot of the weight and definitely perform."
Penn State hits the ice again Friday, Oct. 18, when they travel to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force. The puck drops 9 p.m. ET.