As the skates sharpen and the players get ready to take the ice this weekend, there is a palpable buzz that can be felt just by being inside Pegula Ice Arena.
The Nittany Lions defeated Brock University on Saturday afternoon, 3-2 as Brandon Biro (Sherwood Park, Alberta) potted two goals for Penn State in the International Game. Chris Funkey (Orland Park, Ill.) started the game and didn't allow a goal over the opening 20 minutes of action while stopping all six shots he faced.
Peyton Jones (Langhorne, Pa.) also shut out Brock in the second period, while Oskar Autio (Espoo, Finland) entered in the third, making 10 saves on the evening to earn Penn State the win.
"Both of our returning guys went the entire time without letting one in so I certainly liked the fact that we seemed to be a lot more focused," Gadowsky said. "That's not just a goaltender issue but a team defense issue."
In his first game with the Nittany Lions, Ludvig Larsson (Malmo, Sweden) went 16-3 on the draw as Penn State held a 38-29 edge at the faceoff dot.
"I think its huge," Chase Berger said. "He adds a lot to the team. Whether its during games or in practice, it helps a ton having good faceoff guys to go against."
The process of improving on-ice performance from an individual standpoint was on the minds of many of the Nittany Lions over the course of the summer and the long offseason.
Towering forward Nikita Pavlychev (Yaroslavl, Russia) continued to work on using his 6-foot-7 frame as he works on different ways to bully Penn State's competition on the end boards.
"Physical strength," Pavlychev said. "That was the biggest thing, with both conditioning and trying to put up more weight in my workouts."
Jones, meanwhile was focused on making sure that his on-ice game improved as he heads into his junior year with Penn State.
"I think it was a lot more on-ice stuff," Jones said. "Previously, I did a lot of off-ice work in the summers, but I changed that this past summer. If the team is confident in their goaltender, they will play well in front of him."
He also emphasized Penn State getting off on the right foot this season, starting this weekend when Penn State hosts the No. 17 Clarkson Golden Knights.
"There is no room to slowly roll into the season, we have to come prepared right from the start," Jones said.
Junior defenseman Kris Myllari (Kanata, Ontario) echoed that sentiment, stating that Penn State can get off to a good start if they take it day-by-day.
"I think it's very important to get off to a good start, you can see it out at practice," Myllari said. "Guys are working hard because they know every day counts. We're working on getting better every day, and I think if we do that we can be fine."
Myllari worked over the summer on getting in good physical shape, as he focuses on taking a bigger role within Penn State's defensive corps.
"My biggest thing was trying to come back in better shape, come back faster and work on my speed," Myllari said. "If I can be faster, it means I can get to pucks quicker and help the team further, and I enjoyed my summer so hopefully the results will show."
While Myllari worked on his mechanics, sophomore defenseman Cole Hults (Stoughton, Wisconsin) honed in on improving his on-ice abilities and keeping up with the growing pace that college hockey operates at from a night-to-night basis.
"I think I worked a lot on my stride and skating to try and get my speed up," Hults said. "The game is getting faster, so I spent a lot of time with my skating coach and working on my skills. I think I can add more in the offensive zone this year."
Hults also highlighted the importance of being present mentally over the course of the season, and taking no nights off.
"I think it's just mental," Hults said. "Everybody has to be prepared and it starts with taking ownership for yourself and I'm just going to be mentally ready. We've been getting an extra hour with the coaches which has been huge as far as the expectations are concerned."
