UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Adam Pilewicz started playing hockey in kindergarten, his parents didn't think his interest in the sport would last.
He hated when his socks would wrinkle in his shoes, and his mother, Maura Pilewicz, thought he wouldn't be able to deal with all the equipment that came with hockey, which included a helmet, chest and shoulder protectors, elbow pads, mouth guard, gloves and shin guards – not to forget the items used to actually play the game like a stick and skates.
But, to her surprise, Adam's love for hockey never wavered.
Adam and his brother, Jake, grew up playing all different kinds of sports. The two brothers were even on the same high school baseball team for two years and the same high school hockey team for one year. But as they got older, Jake gravitated towards baseball while Adam leaned towards hockey.
"I always wanted to play hockey (at Penn State) when I was a little kid," Adam said. "Obviously, when there wasn't a Division I program I had to think about whether that was something that I really wanted to do or not, because the goal was Division I – but the goal was also Penn State. So, when they became Division I it kind of shifted, but at the same time they got so good so quickly I was a little worried that it may have been out of reach."
Adam comes from a true Penn State family. His parents, Maura and Greg, met at the university, where his mother was a cheerleader. His two siblings, Emily and Jake, also went to Penn State, where Jake played for the baseball team as a pitcher.
So, Penn State was it for Adam.
"Gads called me and offered me a spot, and he told me he'd give me the weekend to think about it," Adam said. "I was so taken back that I was like 'Ok.' I hung up and the first person I called was my dad. He was like 'You're an idiot. Say yes!' So, I immediately called (Gadowsky) back and he didn't pick up, and I was kind of freaking out. Then he called me back a minute later and I was like 'I don't know what I was thinking. I obviously accept the offer.'"
Both of his siblings, even younger sister Emily, attended Penn State before Adam due to his time in juniors playing for the Johnstown Tomahawks of the North American Hockey League. Adam would get to attend Penn State alongside his two siblings, and be next to Jake during his final year as a Nittany Lion.
"We all knew what kind of opportunity that would be for us… and for my parents to come up as often as they did, and see all of us one more time before Jake took off into the real world was a dream come true for us," Adam said. "It was unbelievable. Emily, it was cool to get her involved, and I saw right away how the guys on the team care for the families. If anything was wrong with Emily or anything, the guys were always there for her.
"There was one time where she had to move out of her apartment. I sent a message in the group chat and I was like 'Hey, my sister is moving if anybody can help.' I was a freshman on the team at the time, and we had 13 guys show up to help move her out and there were more texting me if I still needed help… I thought that was really cool."
While Adam is known for being a culture driver on the team and personifying all that it means to be a Nittany Lion, it hasn't been an easy journey. Adam came to Penn State not knowing if he'd ever step foot on the ice during what has come to be five years with the program, but through it all, he always kept a positive outlook.
"My goal from the beginning wasn't the same as everybody else's," Adam said. "Coach Gadowsky told me from the beginning, 'You might not play a single game here in four years. But we need you to come to the rink and we need you to be the best teammate and the best guy in the locker room.' So that's what I was striving to be."
Jake was a walk-on for the baseball team who eventually worked his way up to the "top of that program," Adam recalled. His brother's experience stuck with him, especially during tough moments.
"When Adam called me and told me all that, I said 'Hey, that's okay. All you're asking for here is a shot. And that's what you got, you got an opportunity.' Adam's the kind of kid that – one, I knew he would be a leader almost immediately, "Jake said. "I knew he would make an impact on the team in a positive way. At the end of the day whether he did it on the ice or not, he was a winning player… Adam seems to always make a huge impact on whatever team he's been on. And I knew he was going to do the same at Penn State as well."
Adam played in just two games during his freshman season. And while he had established himself as an indispensable person on the team, he wanted to be an equally valued player on the ice.
"The pressure I felt was from myself to keep it up, and try to be positive," Adam said. "A lot of the time it was really hard, and I just had to put on a brave face… the guys always made me feel like I was so welcomed and so much a part of this team that it just became easier as it went on. It never really gets easier to not see your number called for a game, but I always knew that these guys will love me no matter what."
Cole Hults, a close friend of Pilewicz, has seen first hand the work Pilewicz has done for the team both on and off the ice. Hults recalled how Pilewicz worked hard to make sure everyone on the team felt equal.
"He really treats us like brothers," Hults said. "I roomed with him during my junior year. He was always just someone I could go and talk to. He always wanted to listen, you could tell he cared for each and every guy. No selfishness about him."
Adam put in extra work in the weight room, on the ice, in the classroom – in really every aspect of his life. No person on the team wanted to win more than Adam, even if that meant he wouldn't appear in the lineup. It was something Hults said the team always respected him for.
"He's a leader," Hults added. "He didn't play that much but everybody listened to him. Like if he has something to say in the locker room, everybody listens… I think it's just his work ethic… He just never took a day off. He was always working, always shooting, always doing the most. He wasn't playing, but he continuously brought it every day."
Since he stepped foot on campus almost five years ago, Adam has grown as a player and a person. He went from playing two games his first year to 30 and counting during the 2021-2022 season. And according to his family, he's grown as a leader. He's confident and more sure of himself.
"Seeing him blossom into the leader of a college team from when I played with him in high school, and then he went off to juniors… seeing him be a leader, seeing how older guys that were in my class respect him and have the younger guys look at him, it really speaks to his character and what an impact he has on those around him," Jake said.
Adam's on ice growth has been just as significant. Adam is one of the rare players in college hockey that switches between playing defense and forward, and while he played as a forward the last four years, he has primarily played defense this past season.
During the five games between December 4, 2021 and January 7, 2022 Adam put up four points as a defenseman. In his freshman, junior, and senior seasons, he never made it on the scoresheet.
"As an athlete, I think he's really grown," Gadowsky said. "He's really committed to becoming the best athlete he can, and to be the best hockey player. It's something he didn't just do for a week or two, or a month or two, or a year or two – it's something he's committed to, and he's continued to be an extremely hard worker to make sure he's in top physical condition."
Adam's time at Penn State, at least as a student-athlete, is coming to an end. While he is excited for the future, the impact that being a Nittany Lion has had on him is immense.
"I don't really know how to put it into words," Adam said. "(The impact has) been so big. I've made so many friends that will last a lifetime. I'm still in such close contact with so many guys that I wouldn't expect to be… there are so many guys that I never want to lose in my life because of how much they mean to me and how much this program has meant to me. I've really just had the best five years of my life."
Anyone who knows Adam won't hesitate to speak about his influence, and how "special" of a guy he is. To Gadowsky, Adam is a person who's had a profound impact on his program.
His decision to spend a fifth year with the program was crucial for getting the team's culture back after the pandemic, Gadowsky said. With the team unable to bond as normal during the 2020-21 season, this year Adam has been responsible for instilling and emphasizing team values in the younger players, who may not have been able to digest them in the same way as previous teammates.
He isn't just a player who shines in easy moments, but he shines in the tough ones. His ability to keep a level head, even when it's inconvenient, has been pivotal, Gadowsky emphasized.
"If you were to ask any of the players that play with him currently or have played with him in the past, he brings out emotions in them," Gadowsky said. "When you talk about people who love Penn State and love this program, he's the reason why. It's true. He's a guy that teammates believe in, because he does the right thing consistently. You can count on him. In every situation you can count on him. I think the world of him as a person. I'm extremely grateful that he's a part of this program, because we are a much better program because of him."
