Three Stars: September 30-October 6

Even PSU's Cooperall phase deserves to be remembered

3. Men's Hockey Media Day - Sights and Sounds
(GoPSUSports.com)

Much like with the women last week, I figured I could link 38 stories using the quotes given at last week's media day, or I could just give you the raw material.

PS. Is it just me, or is "sights and sounds" a really, really stupid label for something about a media day? Sights: People sitting behind a table and a microphone. Sounds: People talking. It's not a carnival.

2. Good Life: Q&A with Guy Gadowsky
(Centre Daily Times)

I've had sort of a mancrush on Guy Gadowsky ever since he revealed his music tastes to Pennsylvania Puck a while back, but I don't think I truly "got" him until recently. This interview, while good, doesn't break a ton of new ground - although this caught my attention:

We’re still very young and, obviously, competing against the programs in the Big Ten that we are, we’re not looking at expectations in terms of wins and losses. We certainly have very high expectations to continue to build on that foundation and areas that we can control.

Raise your hand if, the first time you heard him say something about laying and/or building on a foundation, you expected him to still be saying it heading into his third season at PSU. I didn't. But now, I don't really expect him to ever stop, which is something I can certainly appreciate. You could probably rephrase it as "take care of the little things and the big things (the wins and losses) take care of themselves," a line often attributed to one former Penn State coach.

1. How Penn State hockey got here
(Big Ten Network)

Finally. Someone who gets it with respect to PSU hockey history. His name is Jeremy Woo, and you can thank him by giving him a click and read.

For what it's worth, I did my part by a) linking it and b) arranging for this tribute.

Best of the Rest

Freshman goalie Eamon McAdam, during his first appearance in a full PSU uniform

A closer look at the players between the pipes for Penn State ice hockey in 2013-14
(Stack the Pads)

PennLive goalie expert Derek Meluzio gives his take on the men's crease situation, sure to be a major topic of discussion as the season gets underway.

Fans Flock To Pegula Ice Arena For Midnight Practice
(StateCollege.com)

A nice wrap up on the men's midnight practice Friday night/Saturday morning from Ben Jones, including a photo gallery.

Captain Practice A Unique Wrinkle As Season Approaches
(StateCollege.com)

Jones earned the rare double with a nice feature on how the team deals with the fact that the NCAA doesn't allow full practices until one week before most teams begin the regular season.

In move that alters landscape of college hockey, Pegula proud to unveil new era at Penn State
(Associated Press)

This one made it in more because it's an AP story that received heavy distribution than due to anything particularly fabulous about it, but I did like this quote near the end from Joe Battista:

“Someday, wouldn’t it be great to turn on the television and see Penn State play Alabama in ice hockey?”

Not if Nick Saban is allowed anywhere near that program.

PSU All-Sports Museum's Hockey Exhibit to Open Oct. 11
(GoPSUSports.com)

In last week's Three Stars, I shared a photo gallery of the new hockey exhibit at the All-Sports Museum. I thought it was open then, but apparently, it opens Friday.

Big Ten Network Makes Investment in College Hockey
(New York Times)

This one ought to get people talking:

If college hockey takes off on television, Minnesota Coach Don Lucia said he hoped two more Big Ten institutions might add the sport.

The Big Ten associate commissioner Jennifer Heppel, who oversees hockey, said she would not rule out adding associate members for hockey alone, as the conference did for Johns Hopkins in lacrosse, though not soon.

“It’s hard to predict the college landscape right now, especially Division I,” she said.

Nebraska-Omaha or UNO or Omaha or whatever they're calling themselves these days has always been tossed out as a possible Big Ten affiliate member, due to being part of the University of Nebraska system that also includes Big Ten member Nebraska-Lincoln. I suppose the same logic puts Minnesota-Duluth out there as well.

Freshman David Thompson is expected to play a big role on the Penn State blueline

Blueline depth bodes well for Penn State
(The Daily Collegian)

The Collegian is over halfway through a comprehensive and well-conceived ten-article season preview for the NCAA men. The first entry is linked above, and here are the others out so far:

B1G and Pegula will help lure recruits
Offense looks to improve with depth and experience
Potential NHL talent factor in to this season and future
Student Section looks to terrorize opposition
Penn State's nine most formidable foes
Penn State eyes underdog role with tough schedule

With the season already underway for many teams and about to be there for the rest, similar efforts are all the rage. Here are a few more...

Penn State Men’s Hockey Season Preview
(PSU ComMedia)

It really is pretty refreshing to see people finally treating the Nittany Lions like an actual hockey team and not just a... oh wow, Pegula Ice Arena is amazing, you guys. The Collegian's on board with that, as is ComRadio's Ross Insana, who checked in with his version of a men's preview.

Insana also wrote a column regarding PSU's size and physicality. We sure do have some big hombres on the squad, especially up front.

2013-2014 Big Ten Preview: Individual Awards
(Western College Hockey Blog)

WCHB - which still hasn't been re-named, despite its now-national scope - took a fairly predictable approach with respect to their guesses at Big Ten awards by largely ignoring PSU other than tossing the two recent NHL draft picks on the all-rookie team.

Penn State Season Preview
(USCHO)

Flipping over to the women, USCHO hit the Nittany Lions in their team-by-team previews and highlighted the fact that Penn State didn't really get run out of the rink by anyone in NCAA year one.

“The fact that we were there in those games, with so many close contests last year, to me was a very pay-it-forward type thing,” [Josh] Brandwene said. “We’re looking to get better defensively, we’re looking to get better offensively. We want to improve every day and build upon the opportunity we had last year to be competitive and then take it to the next level.”

Penn State Women’s Hockey: Season Preview
(Victory Bell Rings)

VBR's Mary Clarke (who did a phenomenal job tweeting the women's games over the weekend, make sure you're following her), had this to say:

Last year, Penn State surprised some people with their resilience and overall team tenacity. This year, look for the team to improve overall, with a few new additions to the forward core, a new face on the blue line, and a strong goaltending team in net. Keeping the opponent’s shots on goal to a minimum and increasing their own shots towards the net, in my opinion, will be a key to their success this season.

Also, she called me lovely, which made me feel pretty good about myself.

Blue Liner Notes: ACHA Teams Get Underway
(Black Shoe Diaries)

IcersGuy began his weekly rundown of UPark's four teams for the season with a look back at the opening series for the Women's Ice Hockey Club and the Ice Lions.

Robert Morris extends Colontino through 2016-17
(USCHO)

In an abbreviated "opponent news" section, RMU women's coach Paul Colontino received a two-year contract extension. Colontino is just beginning his third season and, in 2012, led the Colonials to the CHA playoff title.

Lofty goals for Robert Morris hockey this season
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Over on the men's side, Derek Schooley's gang will come into the season motivated by their NCAA Tournament at-large bid near-miss last season. RMU was left out of the show despite wins over Quinnipiac (the eventual tournament runners-up who spent most of the season ranked number one) and in the Three Rivers Classic title game over perennial power Miami.

Welcome, Josh Healey!
(Deadly Nuts)

Deadly Nuts recently completed a series profiling Ohio State's freshman, and it's pretty fantastic. Possibly because other people care about annoying things like "copyright infringement" (sounds like a made up thing to me), both this post and the entire blog are illustrated with MS Paint cartoons. And I've said it before, but the writing is sort of what I was/wanted to be before I lost my edge sometime in 2011 and started writing dry recaps of other people's work once a week.

I picked Healey to link because he's from that PSU recruiting hotbed of Edmonton, AB and because he played with Dylan Richard for Canada West at last year's World Junior A Challenge.

Robert Pelletier vs Conor Garland Sep 22, 2013
(YouTube)

Once in a while, something reminds me that I never deleted my "Conor Garland" Google alert. Finally, this time around, I succumbed to my morbid curiosity. So I went to look up something about him that I could use here and found... a fight video. Didn't expect that. If you're hoping to see the diminutive Garland take a Boogaard vs. Fedoruk-level beatdown (admittedly, I was) you'll be disappointed, but he eats a high enough number of quality blows for me to keep it in.

Anyway, in a partial 2012-2013 season for the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats (26 games), Garland had six goals and 17 points for a club that went 42-23-3 but was bounced in the first round of the playoffs. So far this year, Moncton is 4-6-0 with Garland's 11 points placing him third on the team in scoring. He's eligible for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, but at 5'7", 170 pounds opinions on where he'll go are mixed, even with his ridiculous skill level.

Sophomore Jordin Pardoski and her teammates were wound up after beating Vermont

@JordinPardoski
(Twitter)

Jordin Pardoski, reporting from the bus on the way back from the tie-win weekend in Vermont:

This maaaaaay or maaaay not be the first bus ride where NO ONE is sleeping #WoundUp

Big Ten, Hockey East Issue Challenge

After January's sellout, the Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff has a say in a trophy this season.

At the Hockey East media day on Tuesday, the conference announced that it will conduct a 13-game "challenge" with the Big Ten from October 18th through 27th similar to the well-established, and probably more familiar to Penn Staters, Big Ten-ACC Challenge in basketball.

The Nittany Lions only play one game as part of the challenge - the Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff against Vermont in Philadelphia on October 26th - but it's actually quite an important one in terms of the league showdown. Should the Big Ten and Hockey East end in a tie after all games are completed (two points will be given for a win, one for a tie and a bonus point for a road win), the PSU-UVM result will serve as the tiebreaker. Outside of that catfight, six games will be played in Hockey East venues on the first weekend, October 18th and 19th, with six games in the Big Ten's arenas following on the October 25th through 27th weekend.

Five of the 13 games have already been picked up by various television outlets, including the Philly Faceoff which, according to Hockey East, will air on Comcast outlets in both Philadelphia (The Comcast Network) and New England (Comcast SportsNet New England).

It's not immediately clear whether this will be an annual event, but given that the involved parties are tossing around the word "inaugural" and the fact that there will be a trophy called the "Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge Cup," the sane money is on yes.

Shortly after the challenge ends, Penn State will welcome Hockey East's UMass-Lowell to Pegula Ice Arena for a bit of a follow-up on November 14th and 15th. The River Hawks, the 2013 Hockey East regular season and tournament champs and also a Frozen Four participant, were tabbed as the number one team in the league at media day, one day after receiving the top spot nationally in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine preseason rankings.

Here's the full press release from Hockey East, including the entire slate of games at the bottom.

---

Eleven of the country's most storied college hockey programs will compete this fall in the inaugural Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge, it was announced today by the Big Ten Conference and the Hockey East Association. Eleven different institutions will participate in 13 designated games to be played between October 18-27, with six games in Hockey East arenas on the first weekend, followed by six games in Big Ten arenas and a single game on neutral ice on the second weekend.

"The Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge will offer a tremendous opportunity to build a relationship between our two conferences and to promote the strong traditions of college hockey on a national level," said Big Ten Associate Commissioner Jennifer Heppel. "The student-athletes will also benefit from the chance to take part in meaningful non-conference competition against other top programs."

"The college hockey landscape is going through a major change this season and each conference needs to look beyond its familiar boundaries," said Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna. "We have great respect for the hockeyplaying institutions in the Big Ten and we hope to develop this concept to allow all of our programs to participate in this competition in future years."

A Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge Cup will be presented to the conference that records the most points from the 13 games. Points will be awarded as follows: two points for a win, one point for a tie and a bonus point for a road win. Should a Big Ten school utilize a shootout in any of its home games, it will not factor into the result. Should each conference record the same number of points, the results of the Penn State - Vermont game, played on neutral ice, will serve as the tie-breaker.

The seventeen schools that play in these two conferences have compiled an unparalleld record of success in the history of college hockey, combining to claim 33 national championships during the 66 seasons that the NCAA has sponsored the sport. Of the 11 schools participating in the inaugural Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge, five took part in last season's NCAA Championship.

Below is the full schedule for the inaugural Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge:

Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge Schedule
(All times EST and 7:00 p.m. unless noted)

Friday, October 18
Wisconsin at Boston College
Michigan State at Massachusetts
Michigan at New Hampshire (7:30 p.m.)

Saturday, October 19
Wisconsin at Boston University
Michigan State at Massachusetts
Michigan at New Hampshire

Friday, October 25
Boston College at Minnesota (8:00 p.m.)*
Boston University at Michigan#
UMass Lowell at Michigan State@

Saturday, October 26
Boston University at Michigan State
UMass Lowell at Michigan#
Penn State vs. Vermont %
(Philadelphia, PA - 5:00 p.m.)

Sunday, October 27
Boston College at Minnesota (2:00 p.m.)^

* Big Ten Network
# XFINITY Channel 900
@ Fox Sports Detroit
% Comcast Philadelphia and New England
^ Fox Sports North and Sports Time Ohio

Big Ten Media Day Roundup

Big Ten head coaches Steve Rohlik (Ohio State), Guy Gadowsky (Penn State), Tom Anastos (Michigan State), Red Berenson (Michigan), Don Lucia (Minnesota) and Mike Eaves (Wisconsin)

On Thursday morning, coaches, players, staff and journalists from the Big Ten converged on St. Paul, MN's Xcel Energy Center for the conference's first-ever hockey media day.

The festivities began at about 9:00 a.m. eastern, with the release of the Big Ten's preseason coaches poll and players to watch list (covered separately here). From 10:00, each of the six bench bosses engaged in a ten-minute press conference with the assembled media that was streamed worldwide by Big Ten Network. Guy Gadowsky was up fifth, following Don Lucia (Minnesota), Mike Eaves (Wisconsin), Steve Rohlik (Ohio State) and Tom Anastos (Michigan State) and preceding Red Berenson (Michigan). Rather unsurprisingly, he was peppered with questions about laying the foundation for Division I's newest program, Pegula Ice Arena and the local reception to the program so far - and not about his projected lineup on October 11th.

One of the built-in flaws of the event was its relatively isolated location. Few journalists from Michigan, Ohio or Pennsylvania were willing to make the long and costly trek up to St. Paul for a payoff of, essentially, three hours on a Thursday morning. That left personnel from BTN and Minnesota/Wisconsin outlets to ask a vast majority of the questions. The result, as mentioned, was Gadowsky saying a lot of things we've already heard him say several times.

In any case, the Big Ten published transcripts of Gadowsky's Q-and-A (PDF link) as well as those of the five other coaches, along with a photo gallery and a quick highlight video. BTN also produced video of each session (here's Gadowsky's, with the others easy to locate from the link) and put together an interesting video mashup of comments from the coaches.

Following the press conferences, the representatives of each school (Nate Jensen and Tommy Olczyk were the student-athletes present on behalf of Penn State), as well as league officials coordinator Steve Piotrowski, were available for one-on-one interviews.

Tommy Olczyk (left) and Nate Jensen (right) field questions during the one-on-one session

Here's the best of what came out of media day with an emphasis on the PSU perspective (analysis of how Lucia will replace his pro departures need not apply), as of the end of the day Thursday. The pool of candidates for inclusion was actually much more shallow than expected, so I'll leave the door open for an update to this post should a flood of content present itself on Friday or through the weekend.

Big Ten Hockey Preview
(PSU ComRadio)

Ross Insana produced what, quite simply, is the most comprehensive preview of Penn State's Big Ten opposition out there so far, helped along by things the coaches said at media day.

Big Ten Media Day notes
(The Daily Collegian)

Darian Somers did a good job breaking down what was really a pretty light occasion for PSU-specific news by honing in on the exposure BTN will give Big Ten hockey and also touching on the preseason coaches poll, watch list and trophies.

Gadowsky shares newness at Penn State with Big Ten
(The Daily Collegian)

The Collegian also noted how Gadowsky was left to answer a bunch of "we don't know anything about your team yet so talk about the arena" questions, although the coach admitted to not really knowing what he has in his team either.

Gadowsky looking forward to first Big Ten season
(PennLive)

Greg Pickel is another consistently excellent writer covering Penn State hockey, and his contribution to media day was another article that focused intently on Gadowsky's press conference comments and surrounded them with context.

Big Ten hockey off to a high-profile start
(Wisconsin State Journal)

The notable Andy Baggot from the WSJ (no, the other WSJ) delivered some thoughts on how the Big Ten's event - contrasted with his experience covering the WCHA - indicates that the conference is well on its way to elevating the credibility of college hockey as a whole.

Big Ten Coaches Excited for New Beginning
(College Hockey News)

Many observers noted that "excited" was among the most frequently-used word at media day. CHN's Nate Wells dug into that angle here, showing how the Big Ten has given new purpose to the six conference coaches, from first-year head man Rohlik to occasionally-crusty legend Berenson.

Big Ten hockey begins as sport enters new era
(Associated Press)

So... other than the BTN video interviews that we probably won't see until the first intermission of the PSU-Army broadcast on October 11th, did anyone bother with Olczyk or Jensen during the breakout session? The AP's Dave Campbell did manage to grab a quote from Olczyk for his overview/"spririt of the thing" write-up.

Polls, Players To Watch, What The Coaches Are Saying
(B1G Ice Hockey)

Much like the Collegian, the B1G Ice Hockey Blog presented a nice overview of key stories. One interesting insight from Jessi Pierce: her interpretation of one of Gadowsky's comments as a reaction to Penn State's omission from the preseason players to watch list issued early Thursday morning.

Spartans picked fourth in Big Ten
(Lansing State Journal)

The most significant non-manufactured news to come from media day? Michigan State's announcement that forward Matt Berry and defenseman John Draeger would each miss the next 8-10 weeks for surgery on "lower body injuries." PSU doesn't play the Spartans until January 17th, so it's probably a non-factor in terms of the Nittany Lions, but the absences - particularly leading scorer Berry - certainly won't help MSU rebound from a disappointing 2012-2013.

Big Ten Reveals Puck, Watch List, Coaches Poll

To kick off media day festivities on Thursday, the Big Ten made three key announcements. One, obviously and shown above, was the reverse side of the game puck, showing the logos of all six schools (above). The side with the conference logo has been out there since last month.

Second was that media day staple, the preseason coaches poll. Not surprisingly, Penn State was picked last:

1. Wisconsin
2. Minnesota
3. Michigan
4 (tie). Michigan State
4 (tie). Ohio State
6. Penn State

Generally, conference media days also see the release of a preseason all-conference team. Instead, possibly due to the small number of teams in the league, the Big Ten tweaked that format into a 13-player "watch list."

Michigan: Mac Bennett (D), Alex Guptill (F)
Michigan State: Matt Berry (F), Jake Hildebrand (G)
Minnesota: Kyle Rau (F) (unanimous), Mike Reilly (D), Adam Wilcox (G)
Ohio State: Ryan Dzingel (F), Max McCormick (F)
Wisconsin: Nic Kerdiles (F), Jake McCabe (D), Michael Mersch (F), Mark Zengerle (F)

Yep, that's right, not a single Nittany Lion. No Eamon McAdam, no Casey Bailey, no David Glen. Being shut out from an all-conference team is one thing, because in that case it has to be argued that a Penn Stater deserves a spot more than someone else. But a "watch list?" Would it have killed anything to list three from each school? Ask the six coaches to name two or three players from each opponent, pick a couple with the most mentions. The ease of doing something like that makes this watch list pretty absurd in my view. Why shaft one conference member when it's not even necessary?

Big Ten Unveils Playoff Trophy

Wednesday afternoon, on the eve of the Big Ten's inaugural media day, the conference unveiled its tournament trophy on Twitter. This piece of hardware will go to the winner of the league playoffs, held March 20-22 in St. Paul, MN's Xcel Energy Center:

Just to complete the set, here's the Big Ten's trophy for the regular season champion, which has been out there since March:

Based on an early scan of the feedback I may be in the minority, but I like both of them, especially the regular season version, which screams "hockey" (think skate blades and a puck) at me more than it screams "trophy." And that's what I want.

While many consider the playoff trophy too boring and the regular season version too non-conventional, what exactly was the Big Ten supposed to do? It's a new conference for hockey. It's really a Catch-22 for the league. Go classic, and people will say it's boring and lacks tradition. Own your newness and take things avant garde, and people will make jokes. The Big Ten did both and therefore gets the worst of both worlds from critics.

Somehow generating something that's been contested for decades wasn't exactly on the table. And outside of that fact, the Big Ten tournament trophy isn't significantly different from the WCHA's MacNaughton Cup or the ECAC's Cleary Cup, if people are being honest with themselves. Tradition only comes with time, and provided that the Big Ten doesn't conduct a redesign every six years, in 50 years, these will carry every bit of the emotional capital of other conference trophies, even though it doesn't appear as if the Big Ten trophies will travel.

Disagree? That's fine. But you have to admit that it's better than this, eh?

PSU on National TV Ten Times in 2013-14

Penn State will attempt to keep its spotless BTN record intact in 2013-2014

The Big Ten's long-awaited BTN television schedule was released Monday afternoon, and Penn State received a nice bounty of exposure: six regular-season games at at least one from the league tournament will air nationally on Big Ten Network (of the 27 total on BTN's schedule), beginning with the Pegula Ice Arena lidlifter October 11th against Army.

The network looks to deliver what it calls "unprecedented coverage" for hockey...

...including eight straight weeks of “Frozen Friday” doubleheaders in January and February and the 2014 Hockey City Classic at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. BTN also will televise the entire Big Ten Hockey Tournament, set for March 20-22, 2014, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn.

At 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 11, prior to the season opener between Penn State and Army, BTN will air a 30-minute Big Ten Hockey Preview Show to highlight the season’s key storylines, players and matchups. Beginning Jan. 10, “Frozen Fridays” also will include pregame, intermission and postgame reports.

Rick Pizzo will host the BTN hockey studio, with game announcers including Dan Kelly (play-by-play), Rob Andringa (analyst), Ben Clymer (analyst), Matt Shepard (play-by-play), Fred Pletsch (reporter), along with others to be announced.

Penn State, of course, made its Big Ten Network debut last season with a 2-0 record in a pair of appearances. January 26th was the first, with PSU taking a 3-2 decision at Michigan State. The second was even more memorable: the season-closing 3-2 overtime win at Wisconsin on February 25th.

Great, right? Hold on, there's more.

Beyond the BTN schedule, the Big Ten has also reached agreements with ESPN (seven total games) and regional Fox Sports outlets (36 total games) that will produce another four television games for the Nittany Lions, with contests against Michigan State and Ohio State airing on ESPNU, another matchup with the Buckeyes on ESPNews, and the February 22nd trip to Michigan broadcast regionally on Fox Sports Detroit Plus.

As a result of the television arrangement, nearly all of PSU's conference games were also assigned start times, after being listed as "TBD" while TV was being worked out.

Additional television games may be announced at a later date. Last year's Three Rivers Classic was broadcast on a tape-delayed basis by Root Sports Pittsburgh while the inaugural Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff in January was live on The Comcast Network in southeastern Pennsylvania. This year's versions of those events would seem to be likely television candidates as the games approach.

Perhaps most intriguing of all: the idea that the Nittany Lions may appear on NBC Sports Network, a channel best known in hockey circles for its national NHL contract, although it entered the college hockey landscape last season through 20 games, most due to a deal with Hockey East. Prior to the Big Ten's announcement, the schedule on Minnesota's official website leaked NBCSN airing the March 1, 2014 Penn State trip to Minneapolis.

Minnesota quickly deleted that note after the Big Ten TV schedule was revealed, but a couple things are worth mentioning. First of all, the announcement was delayed by a couple hours, from 3:00 p.m. to roughly 5:00 p.m. Second of all, the time of that March 1st game is still listed as "TBA" by Penn State, one of just three remaining games without set times. Put it all together, and it's not completely off the map to conclude that NBCSN will be part of the Big Ten broadcast package, with things hitting a (probably minor) snag on Monday, resulting in those games being announced at a later date. Credible sites like Gopher Puck Live continue to insist that the Penn State at Minnesota game will be carried by NBCSN at 7:00 eastern.

In any case here's PSU's full schedule as we know it, with television noted and puck drop times updated:

Date	Time (ET)	Opponent	Television
Fri. Oct. 11	8:00 p.m.	Army	Big Ten Network
Fri. Oct. 18	9:05 p.m.	at Air Force
Sat. Oct. 19	9:05 p.m.	at Air Force
Fri. Oct. 25	7:00 p.m.	RIT
Sat. Oct. 26	5:00 p.m.	vs. Vermont (at Philadelphia, PA)
Fri. Nov. 1	7:05 p.m.	at Robert Morris
Fri. Nov. 8	7:00 p.m.	Sacred Heart
Thu. Nov. 14	7:00 p.m.	UMass-Lowell
Fri. Nov. 15	7:00 p.m.	UMass-Lowell
Sat. Nov. 30	7:00 p.m.	Union
Sun. Dec. 1	7:00 p.m.	Union
Fri. Dec. 6	8:00 p.m.	at Wisconsin*
Sat. Dec. 7	9:00 p.m.	at Wisconsin*
Fri. Dec. 27	7:35 p.m.	vs. Robert Morris (at Pittsburgh, PA)
Sat. Dec. 28	4:35 or 7:35 p.m.	vs. BC/BG (at Pittsburgh, PA)
Sun. Jan. 12	7:00 p.m.	Minnesota*
Mon. Jan. 13	TBD	Minnesota*	Big Ten Network
Fri. Jan. 17	6:30 p.m.	at Michigan State*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Jan. 18	TBD	at Michigan State*
Sat. Jan. 25	7:00 p.m.	Boston College
Fri. Jan. 31	7:05 p.m.	at Ohio State*
Sat. Feb. 1	2:00 p.m.	at Ohio State*	ESPNews
Fri. Feb. 7	7:00 p.m.	Michigan*
Sat. Feb. 8	5:00 p.m.	Michigan*	ESPNU
Fri. Feb. 14	6:30 p.m.	Michigan State*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Feb. 15	3:30 p.m.	Michigan State*	ESPNews
Fri. Feb. 21	6:30 p.m.	at Michigan*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Feb. 22	7:00 p.m.	at Michigan*	FSN Detroit +
Fri. Feb. 28	9:00 p.m.	at Minnesota*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Mar. 1	TBD	at Minnesota*
Fri. Mar. 7	7:00 p.m.	Wisconsin*
Sat. Mar. 8	7:00 p.m.	Wisconsin*
Fri. Mar. 14	7:00 p.m.	Ohio State*
Sat. Mar. 15	3:00 p.m.	Ohio State*
Thu. Mar. 20	3:00 or 8:00 p.m.	Big Ten Quarterfinals (St. Paul, MN)	Big Ten Network
Fri. Mar. 21	3:00 or 8:00 p.m.	Big Ten Semifinals (St. Paul, MN)	Big Ten Network
Sat. Mar. 22	8:00 p.m.	Big Ten Championship (St. Paul, MN)	Big Ten Network

Three Stars: September 9-15

The women's team was all smiles after moving into Pegula Ice Arena

3. Hockey Welcomes Five to 2013-14 Roster
(gogriffs.com)

As first reported here (yes, I closed my eyes and smelled myself as I was typing that), former Icers and Ice Lions defenseman Brandon Russo has transferred to Canisius, where he'll play for the Golden Griffins' NCAA team. He's now officially added to their roster.

ACHA to the show? Yeah, it's been done.

2. 2013-14 Men's Hockey Yearbook
(issuu.com)

The men's team's 2013-2014 yearbook is now online, complete with the usual trappings and the continued neglect of Icers history.

Alabama-Huntsville treats their club titles with the appropriate level of respect. The yearbook for the Lindenwood women contains all-time results for the ACHA years, ACHA records and even a full page highlighting their four national championship teams. Yearbooks for NCAA DI programs that have spent time in DII or DIII manage to highlight history from those eras.

Penn State had the most successful program in ACHA history, one that is directly responsible for Joe Battista, Terry Pegula and everything happening right now. There's no excuse.

1. The Move Into a New Home Signals New Era
(gopsusports.com)

It's old news by now, but easily the most enjoyable thing from last week - sorry student ticket line - was observing the excitement of the Penn State's hockey players as they moved into Pegula Ice Arena for the first time.

Best of the Rest

Former UConn Huskies Taylor Gross, Nicole Paniccia and Jenna Welch

@D1WomensHockey
(Twitter)

The ex-CONNS! Hahahaha get it?

Steve Hass, the guy behind that Twitter account, had a good week on PhotoShop, also dropping in TPeg Claus in recognition of the "Christmas" celebrated by the women's team last Monday and addressed in the first star (the men's team too I suppose, although they weren't knocking out Christmas carols ahead of their move-in).

@PennStateMHKY
(Twitter)

Big Ten media day is Thursday morning in St. Paul, MN, and most conference schools have named those in their respective delegations.

Penn State: Head coach Guy Gadowsky, Tommy Olczyk, David Glen
Michigan: Head coach Red Berenson, Mac Bennett
Michigan State: Head coach Tom Anastos, Greg Wolfe, Jake Hildebrand
Ohio State: Head coach Steve Rohlik, Curtis Gedig

I haven't seen announcements from Minnesota or Wisconsin yet. Of course, the Gophers can pretty much bring the whole damn team, should they choose.

A Very Special Move-In Day at Pegula Ice Arena
(statecollege.com)

Think Joe Battista had a good perspective on the move to PIA? Yeah, probably.

@AndyJohnsonB5Q
(Twitter)

It sounds like we're (finally) about to get the long-awaited Big Ten television schedule.

Since media day is coming up on Thursday, the guess here is that it will be revealed then to give pop to Big Ten hockey's first installment of what, generally, are pretty bland events stacked with "we're excited for the season" quotes and those preseason coaches polls that everyone talks about for two days before forgetting them.

Worth a quick mention: the CHA is entering the final year of a streaming deal signed in 2011 with America One, so the arrangement for the women will be identical to last season.

Penn State Hockey Roundup – One Month to Go
(Victory Bell Rings)

I've said this before, but I'm really glad people like Mary Clarke and IcersGuy (at Black Shoe Diaries) exist, because they both excel where I fall short: at taking a step back, a deep breath and a look around. Here's a solid ICYMI from Clarke to reset things.

A Manning Texts Mauti, Bacon Talks Origins of Book
(statecollege.com)

John Bacon's new book Fourth And Long, which looks at several college football programs during the 2012 season including obviously-newsworthy Penn State, has been a discussion machine of late with the pigskin crowd.

On Thursday, Bacon spoke at PSU and revealed that Josh Brandwene actually played a small, but vital, role in delivering full access to Bill O'Brien's program:

---

"The scene was Friday, April 20," Bacon said. "I was at a lunch for the ground of the new ice rink being broken. Bill was there and I let him know that I was coming. This wasn't an ambush at all. He was there and he knew I was coming.

"There was an empty seat at his table and Josh Brandwene, the current coach for Penn State women's hockey is sitting at the table. I had known Josh from over twenty years ago when we were both coaching at a Penn State hockey camp at the old rink. And he sees me and goes "Bakes!" and I think "Thank God." Before I know it I'm spending 15-20 minutes with Bill O'Brien just kind of introducing myself.

"Later on that day I walk across the street and he asks if I want to hop on the bus to take a ride to the stadium for the walk through before the night before the spring game. And I said 'Yes.' and I was there and then went to the spring game on Saturday and that's how the whole thing started. Rather informal actually."

---

Official Online Auctions
(gopsusports.com)

Piece of history alert: With the varsity teams both receiving new jerseys this season, the old ones have started to make their way to auction, with a blue 2 (Rich O'Brien) and a white 13 (Kenny Brooks) posted right now.

Can Casey Bailey snipe his way to Hobey Baker contention?

The Big Ten's Top 5 Preseason Hobey Baker Candidates
(Western College Hockey Blog)

Sophomore forward Casey Bailey wasn't in Nate Wells' top five Big Ten candidates for the Hobey Baker Award, but he did score an honorable mention along with seven others. Top 13 in the league? That's not terrible - have you looked at the talent in the league lately?

Women's Hockey Names 2013-14 Captains
(lindenwoodlions.com)

Alyssa West will be Lindenwood's captain this year, while Kendra Broad and Chelsea Witwicke will serve as alternates. Witwicke is a native of Roseville, MN and was a high school teammate of PSU's Paige Jahnke, while West came up in the Little Caesars and Victory Honda programs and is therefore pretty familiar to most of the PSU Michigan Mafia (Shannon Yoxheimer, Birdie Shaw, Katie Murphy, Madison Smiddy and Jordin Pardoski).

Michigan Loses Recruit Bryson Cianfrone to OHL
(Western College Hockey Blog)

Oooooh sorry about your luck Michigan!

In all seriousness though, losing Bryson Cianfrone to major junior isn't a crippling loss for the Wolverines. Cianfrone's Ann Arbor entry had already been postponed from this year until next year and he didn't exactly set the USHL on fire in 2012-2013 (as a teammate of Nittany Lions freshman David Goodwin and commit Alec Marsh in Cedar Rapids).

"Outside the Crease" with LVC forward Klayton Garman
(Stack The Pads)

Lebanon Valley College has always been an interesting program to me, for reasons including the fact that they keep the fires burning at old Hersheypark Arena and their status as sort of an anti-Penn State that fell off a cliff in NCAA Division III before resetting as a successful ACHA team.

Anyway... here's PennLive blogger Derek Meluzio's Q-and-A with LVC forward and York, PA product Klayton Garman.

Women's Ice Hockey Club seniors Carly Szyszko, Katie Vaughan and Allie Rothman

@raVAUGHANous
(Twitter)

This is how I want to remember the Ice Pavilion: some of my favorite hockey players under yellow-orange lighting... and a pretty legit photobomb from the Zam driver.

Three Stars: September 2-8

3. Club plays crucial role in success of Penn State hockey
(The Daily Collegian)

As a Hockey Management Association alumnus - that's how I got involved with Penn State hockey in the first place, for those who don't know - I'm absolutely thrilled to see that the organization survived the NCAA transition and continues to thrive, including a robust turnout at the year's first meeting last week.

I'm a little less thrilled with current president Eric Bress, who apparently feels that now "the club will have a lot more hands-on jobs compared to other years." Bress is a junior and probably isn't fully aware of the state of things before the athletic department became involved, the quote in question was paraphrased and he didn't elaborate on what was meant, so I won't lay into him as originally planned. I'm maturing, I guess.

2. Joe Battista’s Dream Will Soon Become Reality
(Onward State)

In what was an unusually competitive fight for the top three slots this week, particularly with a new Pegula Ice Arena story seemingly out every day, Jessica Tully and Onward State win the coveted honor. Why? Because Tully went above and beyond "wow, the arena's nice" to truly understand the subject matter, offering the historical backdrop that framed one man's 30-plus year journey to October 11th.

1. @BattistaJoseph
(Twitter)

As has been mentioned in a couple posts already, the official move to PIA began early Friday morning and is expected to be complete on Monday afternoon. It turns out that moving isn't very photogenic, but given the significance of the story, Joe Battista's shot entering the reception area for the last first time should do the trick.

Best of the Rest

@PSUA_IceHockey
(Twitter)

Penn State football legend Derrick Williams held his first weight room session with the Altoona campus' team last Tuesday. Here's some evidence.

Toontown's season gets underway against IUP on September 28th at 3:50 p.m. in Galactic Ice Arena.

WJAC-TV Exclusive: Tour of Pegula Ice Arena
(WJAC)

The exclusive "tour of Pegula Ice Arena" was really more like a Battista interview with a few establishing shots mixed in, but nevertheless, it's good watching. Battista, by the way, indicated to WJAC that talks about holding a game in Beaver Stadium are "ongoing."

The Pegula Ice Arena will be ready to rock during its Homecoming Weekend debut
(State College Magazine)

So what does this PIA article offer that the other 87 don't? Admittedly not much, although it does have a couple photos, some discussion of the facility's amenities, and - if you haven't heard it yet - the story of how the men's team's THON child will have his or her own stall in the locker room.

Rinkside Update: Patrick Koudys 8/19/13
(Monumental Network)

A video interview with Patrick Koudys from (I think) July's Capitals Development Camp that apparently wasn't posted until August and didn't hit my radar until September. Well done all around on that one. Nevertheless, it's an interesting look as the RPI transfer discusses his developmental goals and his expected role at Penn State this season.

Things Always Happen in Threes
(statecollege.com)

JoeBa used his column last week to reflect on the recent passing of three friends, most notably (for our purposes) including former club sports czar Vance McCullough. And as Battista tends to do, there's also a bit of news buried in there:

The director of the documentary we are producing on Pegula Ice Arena, (former Icer Mike Messner), asked me what I was thinking about just before I took the first step onto the new ice surface in the arena. I said it was a dream come true, that I was so grateful to Terry and Kim Pegula and that I wanted to dedicate that first step to the memory of my friend and mentor, Vance McCullough.

Documentary, eh? Messner's involvement more or less ensures that it will be fantastic - you may remember his work from this now-incredibly dated video (warning: watching it now will give you some sort of negative feeling, but not because of the production). Can't wait for that.

@MarkHorgas
(Twitter)

PIA photos? Sure, why not?

Other than the Community Rink photo above, the Horgas Collection also includes that rink's lobby, the student section, a 45-pound plate from the weight room (not as boring as it sounds, trust me), an overview of said room, and an exterior view from the staff parking lot.

Big 10: Ranking the Offenses by Returning Players
(Western College Hockey Blog)

In what can be classified as your typical Jeff Cox McPost (working definition: quick filler posts that probably didn't need to be anything more than a tweet), it's observed that Penn State returns more of its scoring production than any other team in the Big Ten. And immediately after, Cox argues that it's pointless to look at PSU's returning scoring due to the team's schedule last year. Okay. Thanks for that.

If you couldn't tell, I'm not really a fan of the post. Just doing my job and sharing it.

Students Invent Bag to Get Around Stadium Security
(Onward State)

While Beaver Stadium has been the focus of Penn State's new policy prohibiting bags other than ones that are clear, plastic and one gallon or less in volume, it's important to remember that the rules apply to all athletic events - including those at Pegula Ice Arena. Fortunately, enterprising individuals, including a group of current PSU students and recent alumni, are already at work helping people cope with the new reality through an innovative new product.

Single-Game Tickets on Sale Tuesday
(ohiostatebuckeyes.com)

Ohio State's men's single-game tickets are on sale now, which obviously includes Penn State's trip to Columbus on the January 31-February 1, 2014 weekend. Go forth and conquer.

PS. The women are also at OSU this year, on January 3rd and 4th of next year, but those are free admission.

So. Much. Weed.
(Deadly Nuts)

Sticking with the Buckeyes, here's an amazing review of the men's team's new alternate jerseys from a blog that makes me think OSU people aren't all that bad, provided they're not big American-style football fans.

Not looking any better for Michigan State
(Big Ten Ice Hockey Blog)

After calling for a last-place Big Ten finish for the Nittany Lions, the Big Ten Ice Hockey Blog has pegged Michigan State for fifth. I just don't see it. If anything, I have a bias in favor of Sparty - I sincerely like the school and the program, and MSU is certainly one of the most storied programs in the sport. But PSU is a better hockey team right now.

2014 Hockey City Classic: Outdoor College Hockey Doubleheader Announced For Minneapolis
(Western College Hockey Blog)

On January 17, 2014, Minnesota will host an outdoor doubleheader at TCF Bank Stadium. The Gopher women open up against Minnesota State at 5:30 p.m. eastern, followed by the men's team versus Ohio State. So if you're one of those people who still gets excited for open-air hockey not involving your favorite team (I'd place myself in the "heightened interest" category, but "excitement" is too far), enjoy.

@GopherPuckLive
(Twitter)

It looks like Mariucci Arena is ready for the Big Ten:

Three Stars: August 19-25

3. Beantown Classic – Scouting the Forwards
(Over The Boards)

Forward A.J. Greer, a Nittany Lions commit scheduled for 2015 entry, participated in the highly-regarded Beantown Classic showcase from August 10th through 14th. And did quite well for himself - OTB rated him the number two forward there and had this to say:

Greer started strong here and never let up. Consistently created chances and used his outrageously long reach to score a number of creative goals including a wrap-around and a full-reach fake that got one of the better goalies here to bite just enough for Greer to bury in the ensuing opening. Surprisingly deceptive and will only get better. Would like to see more snarl from the forward but he did show a mean streak here at times. Youngest player in the pro division but finished second in overall scoring.

Just one guy's opinion? Au contraire, mes amis. USHR tabbed Greer the number two forward in the pro division (1996 birth years and older, in case you're wondering).

AJ Greer, late ’96 F, KUA (#11 Bombers) – 6’4”. The youngest player in the pro division, the Penn State recruit is not even draft-eligible until 2015. A power forward in the making.

We got ourselves a pretty good one here, guys.

2. Preseason Previews: PSU Still Too Many Unknowns
(B1G Ice Hockey)

The Big Ten Hockey Blog predicts that PSU will finish last in the conference, largely due to the unknown quantity of conference play for the young program.

I'm not going to say too much about it here, because I'm still contemplating writing a full post in response (I did fire off a few points in the comments over there if you're interested). However, I think relegating the Nittany Lions to the basement out of hand because the other league teams "have been doing it for decades" is a mistake. Banners don't skate, as the saying goes, and I sincerely cannot identify a single reason to say that Penn State is any worse than Ohio State or Michigan State right now. Given the whole 2-1-0 situation against that pair in 2012-2013 with eight pure ACHA players on the roster, there is reason to see it the other way around.

1. Penn State breaks in new Pegula Ice Arena ice sheet
(Western College Hockey Blog)

For the record and on Thursday, Joe Battista, Guy Gadowsky, Josh Brandwene and their families were the first to go for a skate at Pegula Ice Arena. Evidence of the happenings comes from Battista's Twitter, the men's team's Instagram (twice), and the women's team's Instagram (again, twice).

Most coverage of the ice's initiation focused exclusively on Gadowsky, which is understandable to a degree, as the men's team is the one that draws the eyeballs. But also a mistake, because it meant whiffing on a story like this:

(Belated) happy anniversary guys! The next 21 go pretty fast, from what I hear.

Best of the Rest

@Fung_er
(Twitter)

It certainly took a while, but the Women's Ice Hockey Club's Mary Kate Tonetti finally has her ACHA Women's Division 2 Off-Ice MVP award after being named its winner back in March.

York City Ice Arena to Host CHE Playoffs
(psuwihc.com)

Sticking with the ACHA women, some pretty great hockey will be coming to York on February 22nd and 23rd in the form of the College Hockey East playoffs. The four teams that make up this season's inaugural edition of CHE (PSU, West Chester, California (PA) and Delaware) were half of the field at the 2013 ACHA WD2 National Tournament, including both championship game participants.

Charles Vance McCullough
(Centre Daily Times)

Here's the obituary for Vance McCullough, the long-time head of Penn State's club sports who passed away unexpectedly last Monday at age 69.

Vance was a driving force in creating a club sports department supporting many programs that were organizationally on par with NCAA teams. His legacy includes the Men's and Ladies Icers Hockey teams, as well as the nationally recognized men's and women's rugby teams.

Hey wait, that sounds awfully familiar...

McCullough was a driving force in creating a club sports department supporting many programs that were organizationally on par with NCAA teams, but for the recognition and the existence of scholarships. His legacy included not only the Icers and later the Lady Icers, but continues today through the success of the Ice Lions and Women's Ice Hockey Club, as well as Penn State's nationally-recognized men's and women's rugby teams.

Flattered, Koch Funeral Home guy who wrote the obit.

Top 5 Big Ten Off-Season Stories
(Western College Hockey Blog)

PSU doesn't even register in this rundown of the Big Ten's offseason beyond a mention of the school's first NHL draft picks, with stories like the Illinois rumors and Ohio State's post-Osiecki meltdown collecting the attention. The crazy thing? PSU doesn't really deserve to register in a rundown of the Big Ten's offseason beyond the draft picks and maybe Pegula Ice Arena's completion.

Basically, Penn State's program has finally reached sort of an awkward milestone: it's more or less completely normal.

Other than new program-type stuff, making offseason news is bad roughly 92 percent of the time. So here's to never, ever appearing in one of those types of posts again.

@OhioState_MHKY
(Twitter)

Ohio State has new alternate jerseys (above), and suddenly, I want to go get Taco Bell.

Although they include a few striping modifications, they're essentially a white adaptation of the jerseys the Buckeyes wore for the Frozen Diamond Faceoff, a January 15, 2012 outdoor game against Michigan in Cleveland.

Just made you smarter than your friends on a completely useless topic. You're welcome.

In other OSU news, the team named its leadership group last week, headlined by captain Curtis Gedig.

Pittsburgh-born Saad savors his day with Stanley Cup
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Brandon Saad, the brother of former Nittany Icer George who became the first Pittsburgh born and trained player to win the Stanley Cup in June, got his customary time with sport's most iconic trophy on Thursday.

Penn State Athletics Announces National Anthem Performer Auditions for 2013-14 Year
(gopsusports.com)

Karen Newman, Lauren Hart, Jim Cornelison, Jeff Jimerson, Rene Rancourt... anthem singers can become legends to their team's fans in hockey. If you think you're up to it, September 5th is a date you should circle.

Bennett takes his hockey show to the Lone Star State
(Foster's Daily Democrat)

Luke Bennett, a Rochester, NH-native forward who recently signed with Corpus Christi in the NAHL, is interested in Penn State. But not that interested.

Bennett has grown to like the western brand of hockey.

“I like the style,” Bennett said. “It’s a little different. It’s faster with less fights (than East Coast hockey). I’m a skill guy, not a fighter. I’m 165 (pounds). I’m not throwing around too much.”

Bennett plans to use his time in Texas to expand his game and draw D-I college attention. He mentioned schools like Western Michigan, Penn State and UMass-Lowell, but adds that in his heart he wants to stay in the west.

Construction Webcam
(rit.edu)

Last week, structural steel went up on RIT's Gene Polisseni Center. The 4,500-seat arena, which will replace PIA as NCAA Division I's newest hockey venue, is scheduled to open in time for next season. The Nittany Lion women, of course, will play there each year as part of the CHA schedule.

Despite the lost distinction for Penn State, it actually is quite fun watching someone else's dream building materialize. And if you still have the urge to hate, just remember that Polisseni Center broke ground during RIT's homecoming last October - a weekend that was spoiled (for Tigers faithful) by the PSU men and their big win in Rochester.

@GopherHockey
(Twitter)

A quick bit of setup: Minnesota fans have been very vocally opposed to the Big Ten's "intrusion" into the hockey bubble because they'll miss their big games against Bemidji State and Mankato State Minnesota State-Mankato Minnesota State in the WCHA, or something like that. Furthermore, despite his pair of national titles, four Frozen Fours and seven conference regular season or playoff championships, they aren't exactly thrilled with their coach, Don Lucia, either. Because they're the State of Hockey, as they're more than happy to remind you, and if they don't win everything ever, THINGS WILL EXPLODE.

So with all of that out there and from a Penn State perspective, you can understand why the photo above, of Lucia (left) presenting Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany with a Gophers jersey, could be considered quite entertaining.

@TYTBlog
(Twitter)

A quick, shameless self-link to share some news for the Twitter-free among you:

Confirmed: Rodney Martin will return as PA announcer for the inaugural Pegula Ice Arena season. Fantastic news.

Really could not imagine things any other way.