UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Head coach Guy Gadowsky and the Penn State men's ice hockey team announced captains for the 2021-22 season earlier this week. Senior Paul DeNaples (Moscow, Pa.) was voted team captain by his peers while fifth-year seniors Clayton Phillips (Edina, Minn.) and Adam Pilewicz (Johnstown, Pa.) along with junior Connor McMenamin (Collegeville, Pa.) will serve as alternates.
"Being a good teammate and properly representing the University that gave me this amazing opportunity has been a priority of mine since I stepped foot on campus," mentioned DeNaples. "For my teammates and coaches to believe and trust in me to represent them is very humbling. Nothing is more important to me than to keep building this culture and to lead this team to a championship. I'm excited to get the season going and to see what we will achieve as a team."
DeNaples becomes the ninth Nittany Lion in program history to don the 'C' as he will be wearing a letter for the second-straight season after serving as an alternate in 2020-21. He hasn't missed a game since stepping foot on campus in the fall of 2018, playing in 95 consecutive contests. Entering the 2021-22 campaign, the senior currently ranks fifth all-time in career plus/minus for the Nittany Lions at plus-38 including plus-31 as a freshman, the second-best single-season mark in program history.
DeNaples, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, enters the season tied for tenth in the Penn State record book for points by a defenseman with 26 for his career while his 21 helpers are also good for tenth all-time for assists by a defenseman.
Phillips, Pilewicz and McMenamin will each be wearing a letter for the first time in their careers as this marks the first time in the ten-year history of Penn State hockey that the Nittany Lions will have three alternate captains.
Both Phillips and Pilewicz are taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now entering his third year in Hockey Valley after transferring from Minnesota, Phillips has skated in 47 games for Penn State scoring five goals while adding 11 assists for 16 points. The Edina, Minnesota native tallied a career-best three goals last season while adding four assists for seven points in 20 games.
Pilewicz, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, skated in 12 games during the 2020-21 season and has spent time at both forward and defense during his four years in Hockey Valley scoring twice while adding two assists.
McMenamin had a career-year during his sophomore season in 2020-21 finishing fourth on the team with 15 points with career-highs in goals (6) and assists (9). The junior also led the team with a plus-8 rating last season. The Collegeville, Pennsylvania native has missed just two games in his two seasons in Hockey Valley and enters the 2021-22 campaign as Penn State's leading scorer with 27 points in his career on 10 goals and 17 assists.
The Nittany Lions open their season at Pegula Ice Arena on October 3 against Long Island University.
For more information on the 2021-22 season, presented by the Penn State Bookstore: the Official Bookstore of Penn State Athletics, visit the men's hockey page at GoPSUsports.com or call 1-800-NITTANY Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
