Rising Stars: New Nittany Lions Gaining Momentum During Second Half SurgeRising Stars: New Nittany Lions Gaining Momentum During Second Half Surge

Rising Stars: New Nittany Lions Gaining Momentum During Second Half Surge

Written By: Molly White, GoPSUsports.com student writer

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Hockey Valley: a place that receives nationwide praise for its rich culture, and particularly in recent years, it’s new player development. Despite playing in a league that notoriously rewards experience, the recent rookies out of Hockey Valley have taken the college hockey world by storm. 

Over the last two seasons, this team’s success has been fueled by the freshmen classes, which shocked all but one person across the college hockey world; Guy Gadowsky. The Nittany Lions head coach has been building upon this program's culture and identity since its inception, and prides himself on bringing athletes in that mirror these same qualities. 

When coaching in a sport that can be so unpredictable, Gadowsky relies on his roots of instilling a cultural expectation throughout his locker room, despite the results on the ice. 

“When demanding those intangible fundamentals early on, you’re setting a standard for your guys, and that reminds them that age and experience doesn’t limit opportunity, especially in this league.” 

Through the 2023-24 campaign, the Blue & White struggled to put forth a healthy lineup ahead of each series, a struggle that birthed the infamous ‘Kid Line’, consisting of freshmen classmates Aiden Fink, Reese Laubach and Matt DiMarsico. While formed out of sheer necessity, the cohesion of this group of rookies rapidly took to the box score and became the leading scoring trio in a matter of games. 

Similar to its struggles last season, Penn State had proven itself to be a skilled, and tough team to compete against, despite its 0-8 start to conference play this season. The struggle on the scoresheet inspired unexpected heroes to arise, and the rookie class to step into the limelight once again.

This led to the birth of new stars out of the class of 2028, this time with forwards Charlie Cerrato and J.J. Wiebusch, down to Cade Christenson in the defensive zone, and charged with the rest of the freshmen, Hockey Valley is in prime position for years to come.

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Once the calendar flipped, so did the script, and the Nittany Lions hit the ground running. In a year that saw immense roster turnover, the rookie class at Penn State was once again tasked with a larger than expected role, and one that they have surely conquered in the second half of the season. 

Having run rampant through the remainder of the Big Ten schedule, and a historic showing in the first round of the conference tournament, the rookie class has already led this program to astounding success. 

“One thing that makes this freshman class stand out is that they just love to compete, and with this program and this team, those are the guys that truly excel,” said head coach Guy Gadowsky. “These guys have helped elevate our competitiveness so much and truly enhance our identity. Now that they’ve become more comfortable in competing, their game has taken off, and that’s what you’re seeing come to light now.” 

This competitive nature has been praised amongst this group all year, whether that be on the ice, in the weight room, or in locker room playing ping pong; they’ve continued to push each other to their fullest potential since stepping foot in Happy Valley. 

Charlie Cerrato followed suit of Aiden Fink, cementing himself into a household name for college hockey fans, earning his first collegiate goal against St. Lawrence, just two weeks into his rookie season. Now nearing the conclusion of his first collegiate season, the Fallston, Maryland native has netted 15 goals to go along with 21 assists for the second-most points ever by a Nittany Lion rookie.

Despite his consistency on the scoresheet, Cerrato’s talent primarily shines through his gritty nature in the neutral zone, and at the faceoff dot. His consistent success in the head-to-head matchups turned heads nationwide and became a catalyst for Penn State’s success this year. 

Penn State led the conference in faceoff win percentage for a majority of the season, Cerrato in the driver’s seat at 57.7 percent for the year, as well as classmate Keaton Peters, who is above 50 percent (53.8 percent) at the dot. 

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Alongside Cerrato, his rookie counterpart JJ Wiebusch has been a major contributor to the Nittany Lions’ second half success, including a hat trick and overtime game-winning goal against Michigan in game one of the Big Ten quarterfinals. 

Wiebusch found success early in the Nittany Lions’ season, netting his first collegiate goal in their season opener at Alaska Fairbanks. Despite closing out the 2024 slate with only three goals, the Wisconsin native has been praised as coming out of the mid-season break as a brand-new athlete.

“Those are two of the most impressive freshmen that I’ve ever seen; from raw talent, to skill, to competitiveness, they’ve just got that ‘dog with a bone’ mentality, it’s been incredible to see them develop in such a short time” said alternate captain Jimmy Dowd Jr. “That entire class, they’re so deep and they’re all finding ways to contribute and make us better in ways that certainly go unnoticed.”

This rookie class has accounted for 34 goals and 57 assists, and the underclassmen as a whole have tallied 95-of-127 goals for the Blue & White on the year. 

But the depth of this first-year unit does not stop with goalscoring or faceoffs, it comes down to those stunting other teams success; a hero was born in Cade Christenson, who has been a monster of a player in the defensive zone. 

“He’s a guy that immediately came in with the mindset of playing great defensive hockey, and because of that, he was a perfect pair with captain Simon Mack. He’s got an incredible competitive edge and defensive mindset, and once you put that in a 6’3 frame, he’s been unstoppable. He’s a guy that does it all; he blocks shots, he competes, and he’s the last person you want to see coming at you in a rush,” said Gadowsky.

Absorbing a majority of minutes on the ice in his rookie campaign, Christenson has been remarkable on the penalty kill, whether that be blocking and clearing pucks, or presenting a responsible physicality, he’s been a standout performer in his short career. 

Despite their underwhelming welcome to Big Ten play, these rookies stepped up in areas that were most needed, and since developing their confidence on the ice, this Penn State unit has become unstoppable, with the underclassmen in the driver’s seat. 

Beyond just their later success, Penn State’s staff has received national recognition for their player development abilities, given the way they have transformed rookies into veterans in such short periods of time.

“The sky’s the limit for this program, this is the year where things are really going to change here. With what these coaches and the younger guys have been doing, putting Penn State into the conversation with the nation’s top programs, it’s unbelievable.”

Jimmy Dowd Jr.Senior Alternate Captain

Now in prime position to make a tournament run, captain Simon Mack emphasized the importance of staying grounded, and not letting the bright lights turn his team overzealous.  

“We’ve seen the highs and lows, and what’s stuck with us is that we play our best hockey when we’re confident in one another, and our struggles early on really matured us as a unit, so now we’re feeling like we’re ready to take on anyone,” said Mack. 

In a season of diverse outcomes, Penn State has emphasized the importance of remaining positive despite their hardships, they’ve learned that nothing is over until the final horn sounds. 

The Nittany Lions are set to travel to Columbus to take on Ohio State in a one-and-done matchup in the Big Ten Semifinals on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m.