Oct. 3, 2016
By Maria Canales, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's hockey team took down Queen's (Ontario) in an exhibition game Sunday at Pegula Ice Arena. The Nittany Lions put on a tremendous offensive display, defeating the Gaels, 8-0.
Six different Nittany Lions got on the board Sunday afternoon, including three freshmen. Denis Smirnov scored two goals, while Liam Folkes and Brandon Biro had one a piece. To round out the scoring, sophomore forward Andrew Sturtz scored twice, while senior forward David Goodwin and sophomore defenseman Vince Pedrie, each scored once.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky was pleased with how the freshman class performed against Queen's.
"All in all I think we received some good information," Gadowsky said. "I think lot of freshmen that we were looking at contributed and they played well. It was good to see goals by Folkes, Smirnov and Biro."
This freshman group has been one of the most anticipated classes to play for the Nittany Lions. Based on their performance Sunday, it's safe to say this group will be fun to watch this season.
The exhibition game was also a prime time for Penn State to test out its power play unit. Queen's racked up 13 penalties during the contest, giving Gadowsky an opportunity to test out not one, but three different power play units.
"You hope that special teams are going to get some action so you can look at them," Gadowsky said. "I don't think they necessarily needed 10 power plays but I thought they looked good. We rotated three different units and I thought all three were able to move the puck around pretty well."
Gadowsky said last season that special teams was an area he would like to develop consistency with and getting the power play unit a little bit of practice before the season certainly helps.
Additionally, the performance from both goaltenders was extremely promising. Freshman Peyton Jones got the nod to start Sunday and played until halfway through the second period before sophomore Chris Funkey took over between the pipes.
Jones made nine saves alone during the first period, making five more during the second. Funkey turned away five shots, with neither goaltender allowing a single goal.
"I thought obviously Peyton Jones started very strong, he looked very composed," Gadowsky said. "[He had a] huge save on a power play for us.
Goaltenders have always been an area of focus for fans, since last season Gadowsky split time using two goalies. Gadowsky said he is expecting to start Jones in net on Thursday against St. Lawrence, but didn't comment on who he plans to consistently use as a starter this season.
With an exhibition game under their belts, the Nittany Lions earned a little boost of confidence heading into the regular season. St. Lawrence, who Penn State faced last season, has always been a tough non-conference opponent.
The last time the two teams met, the Saints came out on top. This time around the Nittany Lions are looking for redemption, but know it won't come easily.
"They're going to be a great test," Gadowsky said. "…We're going to need a really good week, it's a short week of practice but I think it's going to be obviously a much, much different game."