Three Stars: August 15-21

3. Brewpub plans put on ice - for now
(Centre Daily Times)

The four [College Township Planning Commission] members present approved and sent to Township Council the development plan for Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena.

The arena is planned near the intersection of University Drive and Curtin Road, across from the Bryce Jordan Center. The site also is partially in State College.

McCormick Taylor, the State College engineering firm that conducted the traffic study, addressed concerns, saying that added traffic “will be small compared to the existing traffic.” The firm indicated other campus lots will accommodate parking.

As boring as that all sounds, it's one of those things you won't notice unless it's brutally executed and you're stuck in a line back to Burger King on University Ave. trying to get to a game. So here's to that never, ever happening.

Oh and that brewpub in a barn in Lemont? Tabled until the Happy Valley Brewing Company figures out a way to fit 84 parking spaces on the site. Booooooo....

2. New season for Steel
(St. Albert Gazette)

If you couldn't tell by now, this is the time of year when people write "team x is excited for the season" articles. We hit the teams of Eamon McAdam and former commit Jessi Hilton last week, and just below, we have one on David Glen's Spruce Grove Saints. Now, here's the obligatory piece on Reed Linaker and his mates. Linaker, as you might expect of a guy who averaged 1.53 points per game last season when healthy, is mentioned as a key player. Brother Cole is expected to come in and make an impact as well.

1. Saints begin looking for third title in a row as 2011-12 training camp kicks off
(Spruce Grove Examiner)

Up front, the Big Three this year are going to play a vital role in providing leadership and mentorship to the first-year guys. The trio, David Glen, Nicholas Bourgeois and Tim Nolte know they're going to be the go-to guys, at least early on.

"They'll play a huge role," [head coach Jason McKee said]. "Tim and David have been around a while - we got Nicholas part way through last year - and they'll be relied on for a leadership role. We're excited to have them back and they'll be a huge part of continuing the culture here and passing it on to the new guys."

Speaking of leadership, Glen was announced as captain of the Saints this past week. The team is clearly aware that Penn State is a member of the Leaders Division, so naturally, it would be wise to name a PSU commit captain. That's what that means, right?

Best of the Rest

Icers 2011-12 Schedule/Results
(pennstatehockey.com)

The Icers have added a Blue-White Game, on September 30th at 6:00 p.m.



Joe Paterno Feuding With Penn State Hockey (1979)
(YouTube)

You may not realize it from all the time I spend on TYT, but I'm also a huge Penn State football fan. In fact, starting in late July every year through the start of the season, I make a point of plowing through every one of the football DVDs and, yes, VHSs I've accumulated over the years. Some highlight videos, some full-length games, all sweet blue and white goodness. Anyway, as part of this ritual, I stumbled on this exchange between JoePa, legendary broadcaster Fran Fisher and wide receiver Kip Vernaglia during the 1979 episode of Joe Paterno's TV Quarterbacks discussing the Syracuse game that season.

As background for those who don't read Breakout Past, the football team took over the original Ice Pavilion in 1978 and converted it into an indoor practice facility, forcing hockey into home games in Mechanicsburg and outdoor practices. It turned out that Vernaglia wasn't too happy with the new fieldhouse, particularly the amount of padding under the turf. It's also pretty obvious from Paterno's exasperated "don't get me involved" that he was sick of hearing it from the hockey team and didn't want to add fuel to the fire by joining in on the complaints or by agreeing with Fisher's (joking...I think) suggestion to do some fundraising for extra padding. That would be akin to whining to a homeless guy that your garage door doesn't work, then asking him to buy you a new opener.

@SheldonKeefe
(Twitter)

Here's an encouraging tweet from Pembroke Lumber Kings president/GM/coach Sheldon Keefe.

Great 2 see 5yr vet Jon Milley pushing the pace in skating test. 2nd best set completing 3 laps in 38seconds. J. Pelock led the way at 37s.

I'm already developing my favorites among PSU commits' junior teams this year, and the defending national champs are definitely very high on the list.

BTN still not available to all Penn State fans
(standardspeaker.com)

Please allow me to be self-indulgent for a moment and remind you all that many unfortunate people out there still don't get Big Ten Network. I'm one of them. If you're a fellow Armstrong subscriber, or even if you're not, jump on the Armstrong Cable Must Carry BTN Facebook group (after calling them to express your displeasure). It's linked on the right side of TYT because I run it and can do things like that. I can also give out free BTN stuff for not that much work on your part, since I have a box full of it in my guest bedroom. Just saying.

Oh, and hockey mention.

Curley pointed out that not only has the BTN benefited Penn State's football and basketball programs, but the so-called "minor" or "Olympic" sports and particularly women's sports have received far more media exposure than they would have without the network. Penn State's fledgling ice hockey program also will get a boost from the BTN, Curley added.

One thing I've never understood: basketball's an Olympic sport, is it not? In fact, I believe every sport anyone's ever heard of besides (American) football is, so what exactly is the point of that designation?

PU-Cornell Men’s Hockey Rivalry Getting New Twist As Veteran Big Red Assistant Garrow Joins Princeton
(Town Topics)

After Helping Niagara Build Solid Foundation, Gardner Excited to Join PU Men’s Hockey Staff
(Town Topics)

Princeton has filled out its coaching staff to replace the one now at PSU. And no, talking about it hasn't gotten old yet.

UNO Hockey Taps Renfrew as New Assistant
(omavs.com)

Most people assume that Ohio State will be the first program in Penn State's way during the inevitable climb to the top of the Big Ten. I'm not so sure that's the case. Observe Michigan State, a historically great program, but one that's been on a steady downward trajectory since winning the 2007 national championship. That hastened the retirement of Rick Comley, and the still-a-head-scratcher Tom Anastos hire followed. Now, well-regarded associate head coach Brian Renfrew has departed for what's at best (from MSU's standpoint) a lateral move pretty late in the offseason. At worst, it's a move up from a sinking program to a rising one.

Sure, it's possible that Anastos wants his own staff, and that Renfrew was told as much. Then again, Anastos was hired nearly five months ago.

Incidentally, Renfrew is connected to Guy Gadowsky through a stint assisting at Alaska in 2000-2001.

Since transferring from hell, Tyler Pilmore has clicked with center/fellow minion of the Prince of Darkness Michael Schultz.

Bobcats gear up for championship run
(The Post)

It's kind of cute that OU thinks they have a "championship run" in them. Go back to the kiddie table guys, grown-ups are trying to settle something.

Seven-Bedroom Home on Norwood Sells for $1.1 Million
(patch.com)

In case you need to borrow $365,000, I have one idea where you can go. Oh, it doesn't work like that? Regardless, congratulations to the Brandwenes on unloading their house in Connecticut.

$365,000. 68 Lemay Street. Joshua A. Brandwene and Leona M. Brandwene to Peter A. Junggren Jr., deed filed on Aug. 8, 2011.

If it's me though, I hold on to it at all costs. You have any idea what the return of the Whalers will do for property values in the state?

Committee Approves Tournament Criteria Change
(College Hockey News)

On its face, I think this change - related to the record against common opponents component of the Pairwise (which is the objective tool used for NCAA tournament selection in hockey) - is a positive one. But I'll save final judgment until an RPI grad explains it to me. Or until PSU loses a comparison it would have won under the old system. Then it's on. RABBLE RABBLE!

1989 And Still Waiting
(ecachockeyblog.blogspot.com)

Speaking of RPI, heads up on a new blog covering their conference. I'm an ECAC guy at heart and would call it my favorite conference if I wasn't bound by some unwritten rule of fanhood to plug the Big Ten, despite feeling ambiguous at best about five of its six teams. Meanwhile, if you asked me to list my ten favorite non-PSU NCAA programs, at least half of them would be in the ECAC (Cornell, RPI, Union, Brown, Princeton in case you care...I suppose UNO, Providence, Alaska, RIT and UAH would be the other half, although I could be forgetting someone).

Breakout Past: Penn State vs. Ohio, 3/15/2009

First, a confession: I have a bias against non-championship seasons. No matter how great the moment, it's always poisoned in my head with "yeah, but."

For example, most hockey fans are undoubtedly familiar with Steve Yzerman's game seven, double OT bomb to knock out the Blues in 1996. Most probably consider it a defining play of Yzerman's career and worthy of every highlight reel documenting the Detroit Red Wings' storied history. Me? Kind of, but not really. I can't think of that goal without also thinking of the trucking the Wings received courtesy of Colorado in the next round. Unless the story ends with a Cup, either Stanley or Murdoch, the memory is at least a little bit sour.

So it's with a warning to disregard a shutout loss to Illinois in the semifinals two days later that we go back (but not too far back) to one of the great games in the storied Penn State-Ohio rivalry, a second-round matchup at the 2009 ACHA National Tournament. The Icers, one of the tournament favorites as a No. 2 seed, were coming off of a ho-hum 5-2 win over Duquesne. OU, on the other hand, was an uncharacteristically low No. 10 seed and upset Rhode Island 4-3 in the first round's only overtime game.

What followed was a tilt great enough for me to purchase a DVD within an hour after it ended despite being in attendance, then spend a ridiculous amount of time over the last two weeks pulling out each goal scored in the game and uploading it to YouTube (there are about 12 long stories in there). Apologies for the video quality - I promise that it's pretty much how it looks on the DVD. Also, I'm a little bit limited with respect to video size by TYT's layout, so by all means, go here to see it in its original glory.



Here's what the Collegian said about it:

[Frank] Berry, who sustained a knee injury against Drexel in mid-February, scored his third goal of the season in overtime of Sunday's 3-2 ACHA Division I national quarterfinal win. The goal propelled No. 2 Penn State past No. 10 Ohio and into the national semifinals, which will be held Tuesday in Gates Mills, Ohio.

"I took a draw and took off with it. I put my head down and skated as hard as I could to the net," Berry said. "It felt good. I was relieved -- I just wanted anyone to score so we could win the game."

Penn State goalie Nick Signet said the team knew Ohio was looking to atone for its performance in the season series.

"We knew going into it, it was gonna be tough because every time we play them it's tough," Signet said. "We knew they were coming out for revenge and wanted to beat us real bad."

The Icers (32-7-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Jaime Zimmel and Taylor Cera. However, Ohio tied the game at two late in the game to push the contest into overtime, setting up Berry's heroics.

"I thought we played a great, great hockey game and I didn't want us to lose in overtime after playing a great game all night long," Penn State coach Scott Balboni said. "Frank's a gritty player -- Jaime [Zimmel] made a nice feed to him and he buried it."

A major factor in the Icers' win over Ohio was the play of Signet, who notched his 55th career win. Balboni said Signet made several saves down the stretch to keep Penn State alive.

"I think Nick played phenomenal," Balboni said. "He made some key saves all night long. He probably had one of his best games all season today."

Signet earned the praises of his coach.

Of course, goal number three doesn't happen if not for goals one and two, so Ryan Paradis deserves a mention for his seeing-eye pass on the first goal (and sticking with the puck) that found Cera, which doesn't happen without the several keep-ins of defensemen Carey Bell and Steve Thurston during the sequence. Zimmel's blast for the second goal was a lot more straightforward, but Bell obviously played an important role - that of Bobby Orr - there as well.

One thing didn't occur to me until I was writing this - the Icers have won just one meaningful game at nationals since then. As mentioned, PSU lost to Illinois in the following game in 2009. The win was a tougher-than-the-score 7-3 decision over Canton the next year, but that was followed by the overtime stunner against Central Oklahoma. And of course last year, for the first time ever, the Icers lost the first game at nationals (before winning a consolation game). It's time to drop the puck and get to work on changing that.

New Club Hockey Association Forms

The National Association of Intercollegiate Hockey is now part of the college hockey scene, as of an announcement on its website yesterday.

A new men’s collegiate ice hockey association – under the working title of National Association of Intercollegiate Hockey has formally established in the United States, with play beginning in the fall of 2011. Initial schools will include the non-varsity teams at Brandeis University, Clarkson University, Dartmouth College, Hobart College, Middlesex Community College, Saint Lawrence University, Southern New Hampshire University, SUNY Canton, Union College, Wheeling Jesuit University, and Yale University.

The formation of the National Association of Intercollegiate Hockey has no membership dues or any fees to be a member and encourages members of existing associations to join the new association immediately. The association is open to 2 and 4 year schools throughout North America. The association will not hold a national tournament in the initial year but plans to hold at least one tournament next year with the possibility of the annual Fall Classic, Regional Tournaments, and National Tournaments in the future. All the members of the association will operate independently.

Members of the new association will not experience any changes in the initial year. The goal of the association is every game to be played under one rule book, follow a single manual for operations procedures, and playing for a national championship. The association formation is driven by the rising cost of being a member of another association.

The association operations will focus on cost-containment and shared communications efficiencies. The association will implement a comprehensive marketing and branding campaign leading up to the 2011 launch date.

It's important to note that "SUNY Canton" is not the same team that currently competes in ACHA Division 1. The NAIH's Union entry is the former ACHA Division 3 team, making the Dutchmen club the first ACHA-to-NAIH defection. The remaining NAIH members were not in the ACHA.

Speaking of competing, how about that shot across the bow of "another association," as related to membership dues (incidentally, ACHA dues for D1 are $1600 this season)? Other features of the NAIH, according to its Twitter account, may include eligibility for former major junior players, computer rankings and programs outside the United States. If they pull all of that off, it's not hard to see the appeal in that sort of a product, and their membership may quickly grow beyond 11 low-level organizations.

I suppose you could file this all under "no longer our problem," but it will still be an interesting development to follow. It's far, far too early to even guess as to how this all plays out, but it is worth mentioning that in two days of existence the NAIH already has a far better website than the ACHA and is about 20 times as savvy with social media. Besides, how many ACHA members are completely satisfied with the association?

Three Stars: August 8-14

3. Cru prepare to make roster
(Sherwood Park News)

Most junior teams are right on the cusp of camps and preseason (in fact, by the next Three Stars, Jonathan Milley's Pembroke Lumber Kings will have played an exhibition game), so before we move forward with tracking the progress of recruits who didn't play major junior, here's one more look back at Jessi Hilton - the recruit that wasn't - and his squad.

"We've got a strong goaltender in Pat Terriss and returning players like Jesse Koch and Jessi Hilton, so expectations are high," [head coach Tim Fragle said]. We want to have a good season this year and finish in that top-four position in the North Division to get home ice."

Hilton stepped up as the team's captain approximately halfway through the season, with the departure of former captain Josh Lee, who was traded to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.

He'll have big stats to live up to this season, having earned 50 points in his 60 games played, managing 28 goals and 22 assists.

2. Linaker focused on winning
(St. Albert Gazette)

Okay, now we can get on to probably the most informative and comprehensive thing written about a PSU recruit to this point - and it's one of our best, Reed Linaker. He's poised to break almost every St. Albert Steel scoring record, provided he stays healthy, which has been an issue in the past. Here's the big Penn State quote from the article.

“It was pretty much talk to me and sell me it. They offered me a scholarship right way so it was kind of hard not to say no,” said Linaker, who will check out the Penn State campus for the first time in early September. “I had some serious talks with Wisconsin, but I figure going to Penn State would be a pretty cool experience. Obviously I can put my own stamp on the program and maybe be the face of the program with some hard work over the next few years. If I work hard, I have the opportunity to be a go-to guy there, so I love that.”

Oh, and there's this: Linaker has a well-regarded, hockey-playing younger brother, Cole. If PSU wants to get serious with the 1995 birth year, they'll have to keep him away from the WHL's Kelowna Rockets, who own his draft rights (6th round, 2010). But maybe the shot at playing a couple years with his brother turns the tide, who knows.

1. Meet Assistant Coach Keith Fisher
Meet Assistant Coach Matt Lindsay
Meet Director of Hockey Operations Bill Downey
(YouTube)

GoPSUSports has come up with literally five men's hockey articles and one video since the aftermath of Guy Gadowsky's hiring. Three of the articles were announcements - the hirings of the three subjects of these videos, and the Scott Balboni resignation. Another was an admonishment concerning NCAA rules.

So it's nice to finally get some fresh content beyond what's absolutely necessary from the official site, even if it's just 9:28 spread over three interviews. Steve Penstone, incidentally, spent 5:45 with Downey alone, scooped the people who hand out the access by nearly two months, and asked questions that demonstrated knowledge of the subject (the best moment of the three videos was the completely serious "what brings you to Penn State" inquiry at the beginning of the Downey interview).

Why Fisher at the top? Why not?

Best of the Rest

O'Handley pleased after Black Hawks camp
(wcfcourier.com)

One more recruit-related article, this one on 2013 goalie Eamon McAdam's team. Waterloo's USHL entry just completed an orientation camp, and reading between the lines, it doesn't sound like the goalies did too well. Here's head coach/general manager P.K. O'Handley to explain that one.

"As far as the goalies, I liken the goalie position at this time of the year to maybe a golfer who has had the winter off. Now all of a sudden you are thrown into a competitive environment and you're going to struggle from time to time.

"We're going to score because we have more skill. I wouldn't read too much into all the goals we allowed this week. I'm certainly not. We did not put in any form any kind of team defense. It was fairly wide-open out there.

"Plus, I don't think these guys were ready for [former Black Hawk and UMass Minuteman and current Worcester Shark] James Marcou [who participated in the camp] to be barrelling down on them."

Waterloo figures to carry veterans Jay Williams and Eamon McAdam as its top two goalies this year, but Petersen, the Waterloo native, also will factor in when he arrives back.

Big movements on campus
(Pennsylvania Puck)

A new site, Pennsylvania Puck (papuck.com), takes its shot at summarizing PSU's DI program to this point.

The site is launching in the fall, although it's obviously posting articles and it has a pretty active Twitter account (not to mention a pretty flexible definition of "launch"). Semantics aside, I'm intrigued. If it's done right, with a good deal of focus on minor, college and junior hockey, I think it could be a fantastic addition to the internet.

Indians ready for another winter of Snow Days
(indians.com)

Fenway may host UMaine hockey
(Portland Press Herald)

Penn State and Neumann continue to work on the proposed game at Citizens Bank Park, but six other schools are set (or at least reportedly set) to play outdoor games at other baseball stadiums. Michigan-Ohio State at Cleveland's Progressive Field is finally official for January 15th. Eight days prior, a doubleheader of New Hampshire-Maine and Vermont-UMass is everything-but-official for Fenway Park.

Is Joe Paterno Influencing the Climate?
(statecollege.com)

I could not run the same study on Joe Battista's hockey teams when he was coaching cause they never had any down years, show-off that he was.

Yeah, Joe Battista was kind of okay.

The_TimmyC
(yfrog)

Tim Carr's mask continues to just crush it.

2011-2012 Women's Ice Hockey Tickets
(rmu.edu)

Getting into the Lady Icers' season opener at Robert Morris on September 23rd will cost most people $7. If you're in the Pittsburgh area, or even if you're not, get to it.

DII Penn State Plucks DI Assistant to Fill Head Coach Slot(hockeyyall.com)

Because it's a quiet week, I'll pass around this Josh Hand piece one more time. By the way, the origin of the link is truly one of the best college hockey sites out there. It's specific to non-varsity hockey in the south, but since the Ice Lions are actually in the Southeast Region of ACHA D2...basically, it works out quite well for us.

Curtis Carr was once one of the ACHA's most dynamic players at Kent State. Now he's rapidly rising through the coaching ranks.

Carr joins coaching staff at Merrimack College
(ushl.com)

As a general rule, I only give coaching moves involving the Big Ten or CHA a mention here, but I'm definitely willing to make an exception when an ACHA guy quickly moves up the ladder. Carr was a former player (1999-2003) at Kent State, then moved into coaching with the Golden Flashes as an assistant (2003-2004) and head (2004-2006) coach.

Probably as much as any individual, Carr was responsible for KSU's rise from the waste left over from their failed NCAA program - the Icers beat them 65-5 over the first six meetings after the loss of varsity status in 1994, through the 1998-1999 season - into a respectable ACHA entry with two nationals appearances as a player and one more as a head coach.

Since leaving his alma mater, Carr had been with the Youngstown Phantoms for five seasons, rising from an assistant coach with personnel and development responsibilities to head coach and general manager during the 2010-2011 season. Notably, he helped the Phantoms move from their previous home in the Tier II NAHL to the Tier I USHL in 2009. Now he's an assistant with an on-the-rise Hockey East program that went 25-10-4 and made the NCAA tournament last season. Not a terrible career track.

N. Dakota ready to drop Fighting Sioux
(espn.com)

I routinely take jabs at NoDak, but regardless of the circumstances or your opinion of them, you have to feel for the vast majority of Sioux fans who are obviously passionate and well-intentioned (basically, meaning that they like the nickname but aren't racists). I really don't know how I'd react if "Nittany Lions" was suddenly - or not so suddenly, since this has been going on for a couple years, after all - ripped from PSU.

That said, if the Sioux people were of one mind and approving of the nickname, this is never an issue. Miami somehow survived without "Redskins," and UND will be fine as well.

Laurenzi Becomes First 2012 Women's Recruit

If following men's hockey recruiting is hard, doing the same on the women's side is close to impossible - an ambiguous mash of luck and close attention. Therefore, it's with plenty of excitement and a healthy dose of surprise that I'm able to introduce the first known member of the women's recruiting class of 2012, Emily Laurenzi. Laurenzi popped on to the TYT radar thanks to a Facebook announcement from the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid, NY, her current address.

Emily Laurenzi

Forward
National Sports Academy (Prep)
5'5", 125 pounds
Townsend, DE
DOB 1993

NSA girls' hockey page

Season   Team                   Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM
-------------------------------------------------------------
2010-11  Nat'l Sports Academy   Prep   72   15   72   87   68

Last season, NSA, a prep school for winter sports athletes and nicknamed the Mountaineers, finished 12-13-2 and third in the Junior Women's Hockey League's Major Junior East Division. Laurenzi's contributions included her 20 points in JWHL league games (on three goals and 17 assists), good for second on the team behind Beth Hanrahan, who will be playing at Providence this fall. Her 87 points over the full NSA schedule were third behind Hanrahan and Brown-bound Brittany Moorehead.

The Mountaineers and Laurenzi both finished the JWHL season strong - she with ten points over the final six games of the season (including three assists in the finale against the Minnesota Thoroughbreds, the team with a 5-1-0 record in those games. That run carried over into the JWHL playoffs, where NSA upset Balmoral Hall and the Thoroughbreds to make the semifinals before falling to eventual champion North American Hockey Academy.

It was a second consecutive third-place division finish for the Mountaineers on the heels of 2009-2010's 13-10-3 JWHL mark.

In addition to the JWHL schedule, Laurenzi and her NSA teammates (obviously, considering the large discrepancy in the number of games) play in their share of tournaments and showcases. One such event is the Tier I U19 New York Girls State Ice Hockey Championships. After a second-place finish in 2009, the Mountaineers dominated their way to the 2010 title (outscoring opponents 40-4 and outshooting them 304-71). Laurenzi was fantastic in the subsequent USA Hockey National Championships, scoring six points in four games. NSA fell back to second place in this year's tournament, missing out on nationals.

Laurenzi comes with her share of honors, including a selection to the 2009 USA Hockey Select 16 Camp, and another one year later to the 2010 USA Hockey Select 17s. She was chosen by the JWHL coaches for the league's all-star game this past season, and was the East Division player of the week for February 11-13. Two years ago Laurenzi won the NSA's Community Service Award for the class of 2012, and she is also an honor student.