June 28, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State men's hockey program added three players for the 2016-17 season with spring National Letter of Intent signings, head coach Guy Gadowsky announced Tuesday. Brandon Biro, Blake Gober and James Gobetz have joined the Nittany Lions for summer workouts and will take the ice for their freshman campaign this season.
Brandon Biro
F // 5-11 // 160 // March 11, 1998 // Sherwood Park, Alberta // Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
Biro, a left-handed forward, led the Spruce Grove Saints in goal scoring in 2015-16, tallying 42 through 54 games. He produced 10 goals through 14 playoff games, leading the team to the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) finals in April. He is ranked third all-time in points per game, averaging 1.14 over 97 career contests with the Saints.
Gadowsky on Biro:
"Brandon had an extremely successful junior career at a young age. He has elite hockey IQ, and has very quick feet. The fans at Pegula will really enjoy watching his creativity and vision on the ice."
Blake Gober
F // 5-10 // 180 // Jan. 1, 1995 // Colleyville, Texas // Bloomington Thunder (USHL)
Gober tallied 22 points (11g, 11a) during the 2015-16 season with the Bloomington Thunder, helping the team to an appearance in the USHL semifinals. The right-handed forward and alternate captain has the fifth-most goals (20) and sixth-most points (43) in franchise history after two seasons.
Gadowsky on Gober:
"Blake, a USHL Alternate Captain, will bring a veteran presence who can play in all situations and bring a high level of work ethic and competitiveness day in and day and out. He should add skill and a lot of character to our lineup."
James Gobetz
D // 6-3 // 195 // Aug. 6, 1998 // St. James, New York // Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
Gobetz played the 2015-16 season with the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL), finishing the year with 10 points (5g, 5a) as a defenseman. He also played three seasons of high school hockey with Salisbury School in Salisbury, Connecticut. As a team captain, he played in 81 games over three seasons and captured a New England Prep championship in each of those three years (2013, 2014, 2015).
Gadowsky on Gobetz:
"James is a big puck moving defenseman who fits in very well to our system of play. He has a big shot and good vision. Was captain of the prep school champions and knows how to win."
The addition of this trio gives Penn State 11 newcomers in 2016-17, joining: Liam Folkes (Scarborough, Ontario), Trevor Hamilton (Gross Pointe Farms, Michigan), Peyton Jones (Langhorne, Pa.), Sean Kohler (Oakville, Ontario), Kris Myllari (Kanata, Ontario), Nikita Pavlychev (South Abington Township, Pa.), Denis Smirnov (Dunmore, Pa.) and Nate Sucese (Fairport, N.Y.).
The Nittany Lions were 21-13-4 in 2015-16 setting numerous records for victories and scoring, while finishing in a program-best third place in the Big Ten with a 10-9-1-1 mark. Led by head coach Guy Gadowsky, Penn State has announced its 34-game regular-season schedule, which includes the inaugural match-ups with Arizona State and Mercyhurst, two games at Notre Dame, a fifth straight trip to Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center for a contest with Princeton and the 20-game Big Ten slate.