Student-Athlete Check In: Clayton Phillips – Penn State Hockey
As the events of early March unfolded and changed all over the country, Penn State student-athletes found themselves facing uncertainty and transition in their academic and athletic realities.
The Penn State men's hockey team was just two days away from hosting the Big Ten Tournament semifinal at Pegula Ice Arena following their first-ever regular-season championship when the COVID-19 pandemic erupted. As the entire Penn State family works for ways to stay connected, we can check in with some members of head coach Guy Gadowsky's team to get some insight into how typical student-athletes reacted, adjusted and began the process of forging ahead in our current circumstance.
Today we check in with junior defenseman Clayton Phillips (Edina, Minn.). Phillips was in the middle of his first season in Hockey Valley after transferring from Minnesota back in August. The junior scored twice while adding seven assists for nine points in 27 games this season.
Phillips took the time to answer some questions from GoPSUsports and offers some good insight into the daily life of a Nittany Lion during this time:
GoPSU: What was your first reaction when you heard that the remainder of the season was cancelled, where were you and who were you with?
Phillips: "My initial reaction was just utter shock. I was with Evan Barratt, Alex Limoges, and Alex Stevens at their apartment when we received the unfortunate news. My teammates and I had a sense that something may happen to our season when we would see updates on other conferences and teams via social media. Obviously, health is a priority so this was clearly the right move for the safety of us players and our fans."
GoPSU: How have you been adapting to online learning?
Phillips: "Switching to online learning has been a very smooth transition for me as the majority of my high school education was done online while playing junior hockey. I have to give credit to my professors because they are the ones going through the tougher challenges of posting all of the course material online and making sure that all students have access to the resources necessary in order to succeed."
GoPSU: Athletes are by nature focused on staying healthy, what have you been doing to keep fit, active and energized?
Phillips: "Cam Davidson (our strength coach) has been sending the team weekly workouts so that has been a huge help with staying fit. Another activity that I have been doing daily is rollerblading. Rollerblading is about as close to on-ice skating as you're going to get without any ice available at the moment, so it has been a great way to keep all of my hockey muscles active. For the most part, I have just been trying to stay as busy as possible whether it's cooking, rollerblading, or working out in order to stay positive and energized."
GoPSU: What has your family been doing together during this extended period of social distancing? Any family activities, etc.?
Phillips: "My family has been going on lots of walks, playing card games, and doing puzzles. I don't think I will complete as many puzzles in the rest of my lifetime than what I have done during this extended period of social distancing. It has been great having everyone back together under the same roof and spending quality family time together."
GoPSU: What is the one thing you miss most right now about not being back at Penn State?
Phillips: "The biggest thing I miss most right now about not being back at Penn State is definitely being around the rink hanging out with all of the guys. We have been staying in touch on a daily basis through our group chat but it's not quite the same as hanging out in the locker room. I also miss hanging out away from the rink watching hockey games on TV with the University Terrace crew (Evan Barratt, Alex Stevens, & Alex Limoges)."
GoPSU: What is an interesting fact you may have discovered about yourself or something you have been perfecting since returning home?
Phillips: "One thing that I have discovered since returning home is that I am a better fisherman than Alex Stevens. He and I went out earlier this week and fished for a few hours, six feet apart from each other of course. I caught two fish to his none. He is well-known for watching a tremendous amount of fishing videos throughout the year and clearly it hasn't paid off quite yet."
GoPSU: What was your favorite memory from this past year at Penn State?
Phillips: "My favorite memory from this past year at Penn State was definitely winning the B1G 10 regular season championship. Looking back on it, winning that trophy is a spectacular accomplishment because it represents our team's commitment and hard work throughout the entire regular season. Winning the B1G 10 regular season championship isn't an award that you win by fluke. I think the toughest part of our season ending early is the fact that we knew we had a special group and that we were poised to prove our worth in the postseason."
GoPSU: Why did you choose to transfer to Penn State and how were you able to adapt in the fall?
Phillips: "I chose to transfer to Penn State because of the combination of the fantastic hockey program and great academics. I knew from playing against Penn State during my time at Minnesota that this university is a special place with a very passionate fan base. I felt a strong connection with Coach Gadowsky right away on our first phone call which made the decision that much easier. Adapting to a new school in the fall was easy due to my very helpful teammates and supportive coaching staff. My teammates and coaching staff quickly taught me the ins-and-outs which was extremely helpful when coming to a new program so I definitely give them all of the credit."
GoPSU: Most underrated part of your game that fans might not notice on the ice?
Phillips: "I think the most underrated part of my game that fans might not notice on the ice is definitely my hand-eye coordination. This stems from my elite ping pong skills in our lounge area. We have a board hanging in the lounge area with ping pong rankings. I played regularly and don't think I lost more than five games the entire year. Kevin Wall would always challenge me but would never prevail. Ping pong is a great way to stay competitive off the ice and work on your hand-eye coordination."
GoPSU: Most improved part of your game since arriving at Penn State and what are you looking on improving for next season?
Phillips: "I think the most improved part of my game since arriving at Penn State is my defensive play. As a defensive core the big emphasis all year was to have good gap control. I think that played a huge role in me gaining more confidence in my defensive game. I'm not necessarily looking to improve one 'specific' thing this summer, rather trying to continue to grow all aspects of my game. Getting in the weight room to improve my strength and quickness along with on-ice sessions to continue to develop my skills are my goals for this summer."
GoPSU: When did you first start playing hockey and were you always a defenseman?
Phillips: "I first picked up a hockey stick when I was four years old. Growing up, I would always play forward in the summer and defense in the winter. The way I ended up playing defense was during high school tryouts my freshman year. I got out on the ice for the first day of high school tryouts and asked my head coach what line he wanted me to hop in (forward or defense) and he told me to hop over there and pointed to the defense line. I haven't looked back since. I think that playing forward and defense throughout my younger years greatly benefited me because it gave me two different perspectives on the game."
GoPSU: What are you looking forward to the most once you return to Penn State?
Phillips: "I am most looking forward to meeting all of the incoming freshmen and seeing all of my returning teammates from last season. It is always great getting everyone back together and welcoming all of the new players. The seniors from last season left a lasting footprint and paved the way for us players in regards to what to expect and how to carry ourselves. I believe that we are all very hungry and ready to get back playing in front of the Roar Zone."
