Jan. 28, 2014
By Michael Renahan, GoPSusports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Ten of the last 13 times the Nittany Lions have hit the ice, they have squared off against a top-20 ranked team.
They challenged then-No 15 Union, No. 17 UMass Lowell, No. 17 Wisconsin, No.2 Boston College and top-ranked Minnesota. What might be considered the most challenging 13 game stretch in Division I hockey -- playing No. 1 and No. 2 over a three week span - has given the Nittany Lions the opportunity to rise to the challenge of playing elite teams.
A challenge they have met time after time.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky and his team understand that although they might not be consistently winning games against these top teams, the experience they are getting is invaluable.
"The most important thing about [playing ranked opponents] is the experience you get against the very best and that's very beneficial to this young program," said Gadowsky. "We're looking at this as becoming the best team we can at the end of the year and certainly by facing Boston College, Union, UMass Lowell and all of our Big Ten opponents, it really is a great opportunity for us to get better against the very best and I think we are."
The bench boss also knows that it is about learning from mistakes and taking away positives from each test.
"The information we're getting back [from film study] is that we aren't at a point yet where we can be beating these teams, but we know we can play with them," Gadowsky said. "And that's a good step to have. Now it's just a matter of getting better so we can close out a game against one of those teams."
The reason Penn State fared well against top teams is due to their success getting offensive opportunities. In Saturday night's game against Boston College, the Nittany Lions outshot the Eagles, 35-30, and generated 10 odd-man rushes.
We have also seen the play of goalkeepers Matt Skoff and Eamon McAdam take a dramatic step forward, keeping the Nittany Lions in the game when the offense hits a lull. McAdam has faced the No. 1 & No. 2 ranked team in the NCAA in three of his last four starts and the freshman goalkeeper has kept his team in the game and provided excellent outings against the elite competition.
Penn State now has to find a way to take advantage of those opportunities and match the tenacity of their young goalkeeper.
"You just have to keep grinding away," captain Tommy Olczyk said. "Sometimes it [losing close games] definitely gets a little frustrating, but even when you're scoring a bunch of goals you can't get too high and when you're not scoring any goals you can't get too low. It's just a matter of time before they come.
"I think that's how it's going to be for us. When they come the floodgates are going to open and once we find a way to win a couple games, moving forward we're going to have a lot of confidence. Right now, we have to stay positive through all of it."
As a team, according to Olczyk, Penn State really values these opportunities and understands the importance of getting this experience.
"It definitely makes us better," Olczyk said. "We've showed signs of being able to skate with these ranked opponents. We've been able to control parts of the game and moving forward we're going to have to win games when we do that. Unfortunately, we have not been able to put a full 60 minutes together yet."
Through it all, the Nittany Lions have yet again proven they are not a team to take lightly. They continue to battle through a very tough schedule, and have yet to waver. These elite teams have brought out the best in Penn State, and the Nittany Lions have brought out the best in their opponents.
If these games are any indication of what is to come for Penn State, then the future is very bright for this young program.