UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Head coach Guy Gadowsky and the Penn State men's ice hockey team announced captains for the 2023-24 season over the weekend. Senior Christian Berger (St. Louis, Mo.) will don the 'C' this winter taking over for two-year captain Paul DeNaples '23. Senior classmates Christian Sarlo (Lynbrook, N.Y.) and Xander Lamppa (Rochester, Minn.) will each serve as alternates this season.
"The three captains the team identified have absolutely come to Penn State for the right reasons," mentioned head coach Guy Gadowsky. "All three of them have demonstrated a great commitment and work ethic to not only being the best athlete they can be, but also the best teammate, all while excelling in the classroom and contributing to the Penn State community."
Berger becomes the 10th Nittany Lion captain in program history and joins his brother Chase Berger '19 who served as Penn State's sixth captain during the 2018-19 season. Berger along with Sarlo and Lamppa are each wearing a letter for the first time in their Nittany Lion careers.
Berger, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, is coming off a career-year in 2022-23 which saw him lead all Nittany Lion defensemen with 20 points on five goals and 15 assists, each of which were career high marks. The St. Louis, Missouri native finished fifth on the team in points while adding 70 blocked shots to pace Penn State.
"It's a huge honor to be voted captain," commented Berger. "I've been super fortunate to be around great leaders like Paul DeNaples, Alex Limoges, my brother Chase [Berger], and many others who I had the chance to look up to and learn what it means to be a Penn State Hockey player. Hopefully I can emulate what I learned from them and be a good influence on the team this year."
Both Sarlo and Lamppa also had strong years offensively setting career marks in each offensive category. Sarlo collected 17 points on seven goals and 10 assists while Lamppa added six goals and 13 assists for 19 points while going 54 percent in the faceoff dot.
The Nittany Lions open their season on Long Island on October 7 against LIU. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m.
For more information on the 2023-24season 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.
