Confidence, control and commitment: three words that have headlined the unofficial first half of the season as the Nittany Lions have clawed their way through maintaining a winning record while battling adversity.
The Blue and White kickstarted the 2023-24 campaign on the road with a perfect 3-0 record before coming back to Pegula for a three-week homestand, where they went 2-2-2. Through the first 19 games, the Nittany Lions have posted a 9-7-3 record while going 2-5-3 against conference opponents, only dropping one full series to the sixth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
Through the beginning part of the season, the Nittany Lions passed the injury bug around the locker room, leaving 11-of-22 rostered skaters to be scratched due to injury in at least one game during the young season.
The worst of it came in a road series against No. 12 Michigan, encouraging the younger members of the team to step up and embrace the Saturday night fever. The offensive showcase led by freshman Aiden Fink's hat trick gave Penn State a 5-3 win for a series split after dropping the opening game.
The Nittany Lions also recorded a Saturday statement victory over then-No. 7 Minnesota in their final home game of the 2023 calendar year, where six goals from five different players accounted for the 6-3 win.
"It's a testament of your true character when your guys are really able to come out firing in the dark days, whether that be before Christmas or in late February… We don't have to sell a story on who we play, but more so internally what we think of our own standards and being able to play at the drop of the puck, regardless of who it's against," said head coach Guy Gadowsky.
Despite the depletion in numbers, the Nittany Lions have consistently improved their offensive momentum to land them within the top eight scoring offenses in the NCAA, averaging 3.79 goals per game.
With nearly a month of rest, recovery and much needed time spent at home for the holidays with family and friends, Penn State will be back in action to take on the Army Black Knights in Hockey Valley to kick off the new year on January 6th. As the Nittany Lions lace 'em up for the first time in 2024, here's what can be recapped from the first 19 games.
THE ROOKIE AND THE VET
On the heels of a record 2022-23 season where the Nittany Lions found themselves just one goal shy of making their first trip to the Frozen Four in program history, lots of questions were raised about who would step into the key scoring roles left by key departures at forward.
With speculation between the program's new additions and younger members stepping into the spotlight, two players have certainly made big names for themselves in their first season in Hockey Valley; freshman Aiden Fink and graduate transfer Jacques Bouquot, leading the team with 23 and 18 points, respectively.
Fink became the first Nittany Lion to register a hat trick in a Big Ten road game when he led the scoring efforts for the Nittany Lions in a comeback win over No. 12 Michigan, tallying the first hat trick for Penn State against a conference opponent since 2018.
Fink then went on a five-game heater through the month of November, where he notched seven goals and six assists, earning himself consecutive Big Ten Star of the Week honors. The freshman's hot streak through the month of November earned him the Hockey Commissioners Association National Division I Rookie of the Month.
The Calgary, Alberta native currently leads the Big Ten in total points (23) and is tied for fourth nationally in points by a freshman.
On the heels of Fink's offensive clinic in Ann Arbor, Bouquot became the 12th Nittany Lion to record a hat trick in the team's very next game, a dominant 9-3 victory over Lindenwood. The pair made program history as the first players to score hat tricks in back-to-back games.
D CORPS
The defensive corps have been paced by the sophomore class with key defensemen Jarod Crespo, Dylan Gratton and Carter Schade who used their freshman season to learn from the veterans in Hockey Valley, and are now stepping into higher profile roles.
"This is absolutely the best D Corps we've ever had. We had freshmen that came into this program last year that had their ups and downs, but by the end of the year, all of them were playing huge roles and really contributing to a team that was very close to going to the Frozen Four," said Gadowsky prior to the season.
Allowing only two shots in one period against American International College, the Nittany Lion defense found its footing to set the precedent for the season and a new program record in their home opener.
Not only have the defensemen held it down in their zone, but they're also contributing on offense scoring seven goals on the year.
UNDERCLASSMEN WITH THE UPPER HAND
In a team plagued with injuries early in the season, timely adjustments had to be made, developing into a blessing in disguise as the "Kid Line" came to be.
Composed of Matt DiMarsico, Reese Laubach and Aiden Fink, the three freshmen got their very first taste of Big Ten hockey as a unit. Banded together for the first time against Notre Dame at home, the three came out of the gates red hot. In just one month, the trio found themselves to be the team's highest scoring trio.
"They've got a youthful exuberance, they play with a ton of energy and confidence… the fact that they're playing together gives each of them more responsibility, and they've got something to prove," says Gadowsky.
Since entering conference play, the trio has combined for 10 goals and 17 assists through 10 games. The five new freshmen lead the team as the top-scoring class with 22 goals totaling 57 points through 19 games.
On the heels of a joint-effort battle against the Wolverines, Fink and DiMarsico both earned B1G Hockey Second and Third Star of the Week honors, respectively. Fink came firing on the road with back-to-back scoring efforts in Ann Arbor, tallying a goal and an assist in a night one loss, followed by his first collegiate hat trick in a heroic game-two victory.
DiMarsico tallied one score of his own while having a hand in each of Fink's hat-trick goals. The tandem recorded six points apiece in the series.
As the season progressed and injuries developed, big roles were left for freshmen Dane Dowiak and Casey Aman as they became crucial to the gaping holes on the battered Nittany Lion roster.
Brought in for his defensive skill set, the Nittany Lions have quickly coined Casey Aman as their 'Swiss Army Knife', as he's filled key roles in all five positions in just his first few games at the collegiate level. Earning most of his minutes thus far as a forward, Aman has adapted and become a beacon of hope for the Blue and White.
"He's a very smart player and for him to pick up the systems from different positions, it's a credit to his intelligence, not just his skill. It's been really impressive watching him develop," exclaimed Gadowsky.
SPLITTING THE PIPES
Goaltender Liam Souliére led the 2022-23 Nittany Lions to their first NCAA Tournament Regional Final since 2017, where they fell to conference rival, Michigan. Preceding his senior campaign, the Brampton, Ontario native bled his name into Hockey Valley history books after a record-breaking junior year.
Souliére sits first all-time in single-season goals-against-average (2.43) and shutouts (3), career goals-against-average (2.72), while landing himself in the top three in four other categories.
All signs look up for Penn State's goaltending with Noah Grannan understudying Souliére during his record season as a late addition to the 2022 signing class.
Taking his rookie year to develop his skills both on and off the ice, Grannan has made big strides in the heart of his sophomore campaign, earning statement wins for himself and his team in just his second season in the Blue and White.
The goaltending duo has split time in each weekend series since the Nittany Lions hosted Alaska Anchorage in the heart of their early homestand.
Since Souliére and Grannan began sharing the spotlight, they are posting a 6-5-1 and 3-2-2 record respectively.
Rested and rejuvenated on the heels of the holiday break, the Nittany Lions are patched up and ready to lock in as they prepare to close out the season on a high note.
The Blue and White are set to kick off the New Year against the Army Black Knights on Saturday, January 6th at Pegula Ice Arena before resuming conference play against Michigan State the following weekend.
