Jan. 17, 2014
By Michael Renahan, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Every time Patrick Koudys' name comes up at a press conference, his coach grits his teeth and uses words like man, beast, or best defender on the ice to describe his play.
In practice, he's the guy teammates are looking to mirror their play after. He sets a tone on the ice, in the weight room and in the locker room.
Not to mention, if you're an opposing forward, he might be the last person you want to see behind you chasing a puck into the corner.
In just his first season with the Nittany Lions, Koudys has already become a standout defender for head coach Guy Gadowsky's squad. The redshirt junior has established a physical presence on the blue line and is a leader off the ice. His teammates have noticed his hard work, especially the young group of defenders he works with every day.
"He is a real hard working guy in the weight room and on the ice," freshman defenseman Mike Williamson said. "Anytime he is around the guys, he is a really good influence and it definitely rubs off."
Outside of redshirt junior and assistant captain Nate Jensen, Penn State's defensive core is relatively young. Luke Juha and Mark Yanis are both sophomores, while Mike Williamson and David Thompson are both freshman.
Thompson has been paired with Koudys for most of the 2013-14 season and the two have formed a nice connection on the ice. Together the duo has become a huge tandem for the Nittany Lions, both in ability and size. Koudys weighs in at 210 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame while Thompson carries 217 pounds and stands 6-foot-2.
"I think we both mentor each other a little bit," Koudys said about his relationship with Thompson. "[David] is a great player. I love playing with him. So I think its kind of a give and take. He will give me some pointers, I'll give him some pointers and we just help each other out when we need to. We complement each other well."
Gadowsky points out that anytime a young player like Thompson can have an experienced tutor like Koudys to lean from it's always a good thing.
"For David [Thompson], I think he has really benefited from being alongside him [Patrick]," Gadowsky said. "I think everyone that talks with Patrick will say that. He's a man out there and that gives his line mates more confidence. I think that's what you see from Thompson and that has helped him progress a lot from the start of the year."
Koudys brings good habits to the rink with him every day and that has set a tone for the rest of the roster.
"I think he has really helped everyone's practice habits," said Gadowsky. "All of our guys were already at a high level, but Patrick's habits are out of this world. He has really helped our composure and the way we play on the ice....[Patrick] great on his own but he's one of those guys who has really helped raise the level of our team."
Koudys has started to earn a reputation as one of the hardest working guys on the team and forward David Glen has also recognized his work ethic and leadership. His commitment to being excellent is noted every day at practice.
"You don't have to wear a letter on your chest to be a leader," said Glen. "And when you practice and play and carry yourself like Patrick, everyone notices and follows your lead."
The Smithville, Ont., native has come a long way since joining the Nittany Lions. Although he has only registered four points (1G, 3A), Koudys is a consistent shooter and has one of the harder shots on the ice.
He understands that his work ethic is being watched, but he's just happy to be out there with his teammates working and pulling towards the same goal.
"I'm always trying to work as hard as I can and everyone else does as well," Koudys said. "We all try to work as hard as we can and when everyone is working hard good things happen. That's what we're trying to do, help build this program."