For junior forward Brandon Biro (Sherwood Park, Alberta), it was important to start 2019 with the same consistency that has become a staple of his play.
With No. 11 Penn State trailing 1-0 to Minnesota on Friday night, Biro's line knew they needed to make a difference in the game. As Alec Marsh (Bridgewater, NJ) caused a turnover by the Golden Gophers, he made sure to get the puck to Biro.
"Marsh made a great play on the back-check there, and I was kind of late coming back into the play," Biro said. "It was pretty nice to get a pass like that, and I cut to the middle, got good wood on the shot. I don't know how it went in but I got pretty lucky.
"When I saw the replay, it was a little cooler than what I thought. It definitely hurt to fall like that, though."
Biro's goal served as the catalyst for Penn State's three unanswered goals, eventually leading to a hard-fought 4-2 win in Minneapolis. Biro would provide an assist on Saturday night as well, feeding Chase Berger to put the Nittany Lions on the board first.
"He gives a real honest consistent effort every time out there," head coach Guy Gadowsky said of the junior. "I think right now what you're seeing is a little bit of synergy with Alec (Marsh) and Chase (Berger). He fits there really well because the aspects of a great work ethic create that synergy between them.
"While Brandon does have the talent to be on SportsCenter for a 'play of the night' type of play, I think his best attributes are his work ethic, his grit and tenacity."
Teammate Kevin Kerr (Bensalem, Pa.) also praised Biro's leadership, as he wears the "A" on his jersey, representing one of Penn State's alternate captains this season.
"He's great," Kerr said. "You can see his leadership ability and the work ethic he puts in. He's another guy that's one of, if not the hardest workers on the team.
"Those highlight reel goals happen to players that put in the work. I'm just extremely excited to be his teammate and watch him play every weekend."
Through 20 games this season, Biro has notched 22 points for the Blue & White. His impact has certainly been felt by his teammates, who praise him for being a crucial on-ice leader. When asked if people around the country give Biro credit, Gadowsky mentioned he's unsure whether that's the case.
"I can't say he's underrated because around here, we know how valuable he is," Gadowsky said. "He's wearing a letter as a junior so we have an extreme value for him. I'm not sure the rest of the country knows how valuable he is, it goes well beyond the points he puts up, but there are a lot of smart hockey people that think very highly of him."
Biro knows the significance of wearing a letter, as some referees won't even talk to players who aren't wearing the "C" or the "A" for their teams.
"Sometimes it's just talking to the ref," Biro said. "If there's a review or something, then we go over and talk to them. If there's a call, we go over and ask what he was seeing on that play.
"But when it comes to the dressing room, it isn't really too different. Everyone has their say and can speak their mind."
As Penn State gets ready to host Michigan State this weekend, Biro knows the Nittany Lions can't let their guard down.
"I think they have a lot of high-end guys," Biro said. "We haven't played them yet, but we know from years past that their top guys are still there, so we'll have to play them tough and not give them time and space."
