Commit Cycle: September 12 (Men)

Welcome back to Commit Cycle, the bi-weekly(-ish) look at Penn State's committed players and how they're doing with their present teams. The USHL is well into its preseason, while BCHL teams have actually played a couple of regular season games, so let's jump in.

Chase Berger

Forward
Tri-City Storm (USHL)
6'0", 190 pounds
St. Louis, MO
Class of 2015
DOB 11/14/1994

Date	Opponent	Score	G	A	Pts.	PIM
9/7	vs. Des Moines (ex)	L 1-4	-	-	-	-	Box Score
9/11	vs. Fargo (ex)	L 2-4	0	0	0	0	Box Score

Berger has made it into a couple Storm games before as a call-up from the team's affiliate list, but the 2011 Tri-City draft pick made his preseason debut as a full-time team member in a loss to Fargo at the USHL Fall Classic West in Sioux City, IA... for the game, he was a -1 and fired three shots on goal.

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Kevin Kerr

Defenseman
Tri-City Storm (USHL)
5'11", 175 pounds
Bensalem, PA
Class of 2015
DOB 2/9/1996

Date	Opponent	Score	G	A	Pts.	PIM
9/7	vs. Des Moines (ex)	L 1-4	0	0	0	0	Box Score
9/11	vs. Fargo (ex)	L 2-4	0	0	0	0	Box Score

Like Berger, the seventh overall pick in the 2012 USHL Futures Draft has played for Tri-City before but is making his full-time move to the USHL this season... the Storm plays another game at the Fall Classic West this afternoon before closing out preseason with three more games against Des Moines, Lincoln and Omaha... the regular schedule opens September 28th with a home game against the Stars.

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Alec Marsh

Forward
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
5'10", 175 pounds
Bridgewater, NJ
Class of 2015
DOB 11/28/1995

Date	Opponent	Score	G	A	Pts.	PIM
9/6	vs. Sioux Falls (ex)	L 4-5	-	-	-	-	Box Score
9/7	vs. Waterloo (ex)	L 0-4	-	-	-	-	Box Score
9/8	vs. Youngstown (ex)	W 5-3	-	-	-	-	Box Score
9/10	vs. Dubuque (ex)	W 5-3	-	-	-	-	Box Score

Big things are expected of Marsh in his second USHL season, but he's off to a non-existent start after missing the first four preseason games with Cedar Rapids, possibly due to an undisclosed injury.

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Bo Pellah

Defenseman
Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
6'0", 160 pounds
New Westminster, BC
Class of 2014
DOB 5/25/1995

Date	Opponent	Score	G	A	Pts.	PIM
9/6	vs. Cedar Rapids (ex)	W 5-4	0	0	0	0	Box Score
9/7	vs. Youngstown (ex)	L 2-3	0	0	0	2	Box Score
9/8	vs. Muskegon (ex)	W 5-3	-	-	-	-	Box Score
9/11	vs. Omaha (ex)	W 4-3	0	0	0	0	Box Score

Pellah has left his native British Columbia and will give the USHL a shot before heading to Penn State, with the Sioux Falls Stampede... so far, he's held up very well, earning a good chunk of ice time in a a variety of situations, and he was also a +1 in each of the two wins involving his participation.

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James Robinson

Forward
Langley Rivermen (BCHL)
6'1", 180 pounds
Cochrane, AB
Class of 2014
DOB 4/9/1994

Date	Opponent	Score	G	A	Pts.	PIM
9/6	vs. Trail	W 4-3	0	0	0	0	Box Score
9/8	vs. Merritt	W 1-0	0	0	0	0	Box Score

The BCHL does not offer detail on its exhibition results, but the Rivermen went 3-1-0 in its preseason schedule... Robinson contributed an opening-goal assist by driving the net against Coquitlam on August 25th and later added a similarly-dirty goal... he scored the 1-0 goal on August 31st against Powell River... the games that count began with a pair of tight Langley wins at the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack.

Three Stars: March 25-31

3. East Shore athlete of the week: Hershey's Luk Devorski
(pennlive.com)

A rare bit of Commonwealth Campus recruiting news: Luk Devorski, who just captained Hershey High to the Bears Cup title, plans to play hockey at PSU-Altoona next year. Devorski is the son of NHL referee Paul Devorski, which means that between Luk Devorski and Steph Walkom on the NCAA women's team, Penn State has clearly tapped the abundant "kids of NHL referees" pipeline.

2. PSU Hockey lands '14 James Robinson
(Lions 247)

James Robinson, our newest NCAA commit, gets the Dzurita - and apparently, he decided to go to Penn State without ever visiting campus. Here's Robinson on how that's possible:

“When I met with both [Coach Gadowsky and Coach Fisher] in person, they really stressed the academics of the school and how good it was. A combination of that and Coach Gadowsky’s track record making weaker teams into stronger teams helped out. His resume really did it for me.”

Score another for people over buildings. Just saying.

1. Coach Josh Brandwene returns to alma mater for historic season
(Daily Collegian)

Great subject matter meets great writing in this extended feature. Read and enjoy.

Best of the Rest

@Rob_Gsinger25
(Twitter)

While I have yet to be invited on a Pegula Ice Arena tour - I'm not exactly well-liked by administration if you haven't heard - I have no problem acknowledging when a guy like Rob Greissinger does a good job documenting things, as he did on Friday. And yes, for the 85th time, seats.

College hockey is enjoying a renaissance on eve of conference shuffle
(triblive.com)

Guy Gadowsky is quoted in this article, and although I wouldn't exactly file it under "breaking news," it's still a nice look at what has been a surge in popularity for college puck ahead of the Pittsburgh-hosted Frozen Four next weekend. Whatever you think of the imminent changes, there's very little doubt that as of April 1, 2013, the game is as healthy as it's ever been - and that's really exciting.

But then, this:

Jennifer Heppel, Big Ten associate commissioner for governance, said that unlike realignment in football and basketball, money was not the motivation.

Hahahahahahahahaha.... okay.

Reliving the 'Miracle on Ice' with 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team Captain Mike Eruzione
(statecollege.com)

Here's Joe Battista on the Miracle on Ice, since Mike Eruzione is speaking at Penn State on April 10th... hockey players talk about "living the dream" a lot, but Eruzione has to be the final word on it. Have one good game, make a living talking about it 33 years after the fact. No disrespect meant of course, he's earned it obviously... although it has to be said that Mark Johnson chose a slightly different route.

@CornellWAFT
(Twitter)

Far more of a powerhouse than the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament this year and a Frozen Four participant? Coming from the guy who picked Wisconsin (which lost 6-1 in their opening game) to win the national championship? Eh... I'll still take it.

Michigan Hockey's Unprecedented NCAA Streak Ends. What's Next?
(Maize 'n Brew)

I don't hate Michigan as much as most Penn Staters - the lifelong Ohioan thing probably as something to do with it - so seeing their side... well... kind of okay about seeing their 22-year streak of NCAA Tournament appearances end this year doesn't bother me. I suppose we have to start knowing the other Big Ten teams almost as well as we know our own, and this look at the program heading into the offseason is as good of a place as any to start with the Wolverines.

Chase Berger: Captain, Leader, Legend

Berger sticks around to captain Challenge Cup title team
(stltoday.com)

PSU commit Chase Berger was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's All-Metro Player of the Year after leading Saint Louis University High School to the Challenge Cup, the Mid-States Club Hockey Association's championship trophy. It was the first title in SLUH history, won after Berger delayed his entry to the USHL with the Tri-City Storm (who drafted him in the 2011 USHL Entry Draft) to take one last shot at it.

Hawkeyes Hockey Begins Women’s Hockey Team
(hawkeyeshockey.net)

Iowa is starting a non-varsity women's hockey team with plans to join the ACHA by the 2014-2015 season... and elected to illustrate the news with a photo of Hannah Hoenshell against Lindenwood at the Ice Pavilion.

Spartan hockey: Rebuilding takes 4-5 years, coach says
(Lansing State Journal)

Michigan State coach Tom Anastos lays out his rebuilding plan for the Spartans, notable from a Penn State perspective because the Big Ten is apparently terrible (a good MSU would help fix that) and also because Anastos says that next year's league schedule is "not yet finalized," as the slates for non-Big Ten teams have begun to trickle out.

As a reminder, until we have a full schedule, I'm trying to assemble as much of it as I can here.

George Gwozdecky to Leave DU Hockey Bench
(denverpioneers.com)

And finally: after 19 years, 443 wins and two national championships, George Gwozdecky - once given the Head Coach Candidate treatment on this blog back in 2010 - is done at Denver.

Robinson Joins Small 2014 Entering Class

On Tuesday night, the BCHL's Langley Rivermen announced that center James Robinson has committed to Penn State for the 2014-2015 season.

James Robinson

Forward
Langley Rivermen (BCHL)
6'1", 180 pounds
Cochrane, AB
DOB 4/9/1994

EliteProspects.com

Season	Team	Lge.	GP	G	A	Pts.	PIM
2010-11	Edge School	CSSHL	14	12	10	22	16
2010-11	Edge School	MPHL	13	3	2	5	16
2011-12	Edge School	CSSHL	12	13	10	23	--
2011-12	Edge School	MPHL	13	9	7	16	--
2012-12	Spruce Grove Saints	AJHL	3	1	4	5	0
2012-13	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	55	9	33	42	39

That announcement from the Rivermen is packed full of good stuff, so let's grab some of that. First, Robinson on his pledge:

“I am very excited about my commitment to Penn State. They have a great hockey program to go along with a fabulous school and I am proud that I will be a part of it all. The new facility is state of the art and will be very fun to play in, but I really liked the coach Guy Gadowsky. He is obviously a very prestigious coach around the NCAA ranks and when he talked about his philosophy with regards to the program it seemed like a great fit for me."

Next up, Rivermen head coach and general manager Bobby Henderson:

“I am very proud of James committing to a program like Penn State. They are an emerging hockey powerhouse and for him to be able to be a part of that it’s a great thing for James and of course the Rivermen organization. In my two years coaching in the BCHL, Coach Gadowsky has been a guy that I have looked up to and just looking at his track record when he was in Alaska and Princeton it’s pretty remarkable what he has accomplished. It’s exciting for James that he not only gets to play Division I hockey, but to play under a two-time coach of the year will only help his development."

So guys, what do you think of Coach Gadowsky?

In all seriousness - and I've said this from the beginning - the arena will be incredible and is obviously essential to our being here in the first place, but it's the people, not the buildings, that do the recruiting. The good news is that we have great people to with the great building.

Robinson just completed a highly-successful rookie season in the BCHL (the Rivermen were eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday night) with 42 regular-season points in 55 games, good for third-best on a team with seven other NCAA DI commits. The left-handed shot helped the Rivermen to a 24-26-1-5 (W-L-T-OTL) record and the team's first-ever postseason appearance, although as referenced, they were bounced out of the first round by Surrey. For the early stages of the season with Langley, he teamed up with fellow 2014 commit Bo Pellah, prior to Pellah's October 31st trade to Alberni Valley.

He has other connections to future teammates as well. In 2011-2012, he was on the affiliate list of the AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints and got into three games with the club, which then had soon-to-be-sophomore David Glen, and incoming freshmen Dylan Richard and Mike Williamson on its roster. Robinson had a goal and four assists in one of those three games (a 7-2 win over the St. Albert Steel on February 10, 2012), including an assist on a Glen goal and a goal from Richard's assist.

Primarily during that season, as well as in 2010-2011, Robinson played at Edge School, a prep school near Calgary, Alberta with an athletic emphasis that has produced notable players like Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres and Joe Colborne, a 2008 NHL Entry Draft first-rounder who played at the University of Denver and is presently in the AHL. At Edge, Robinson was named captain in 2011-2012, while also leading the team in scoring in both of its leagues.

Scouting reports? Here's Robinson...

"I am a hard working, two-way forward who will pretty much do anything for the team to win, and I like to score some goals too."

...and Henderson:

"He is a good honest player and has all the tools that will eventually turn him into a great player. James is awesome in the face-off dot and overall is a leader that will do anything to win."

I feel like I could copy and paste that last part with most of the guys we've recruited. In case you're wondering why Gadowsky's had the success he's had in his career without 10 NHL draftees on each of his teams.

When Robinson arrives in 2014, he'll do so with only - at the moment, anyway - Pellah, and to a team that won't face a ton of departures. That initial batch of transfers from other NCAA programs (Nate Jensen, Justin Kirchhevel and Taylor Holstrom are the ones remaining), although listed as juniors on the official roster, will still be eligible in 2014-2015. Technically, original Icers Michael McDonagh and Matt Madrazo will be eligible as well, although the team has not chosen to exploit thecfull capacity of eligibilitycin the cases of other transitioned ACHA players. There is not a single player on the team that has to leave after next season, although as we know, someone likely will.