Three Stars: September 23-29

3. Women's Hockey Media Day Wrap-Up
(GoPSUSports.com)

The NCAA women's team held their media day last Thursday. Unfortunately, it was pretty lightly covered, so I didn't have the material for a roundup/link dump post.

Not that it really needs one when GoPSUSports recorded the entire thing on video and even threw in a transcript of Josh Brandwene's press conference. As someone who tries to peel back the layers of interpretation that are inevitable in journalism and give you as much raw material as possible, I approve.

2. A Salute to 32 years at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion
(StateCollege.com)

As mentioned in last week's Three Stars, Joe and Heidi Battista took the final skate at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion a little over a week ago (the facility's fate is still a bit unsettled, although it won't be an ice rink any longer).

Naturally, that meant a "Joe Battista tells stories" column for his subsequent entry on StateCollege.com. Gather 'round, children.

1. Katie Vaughan looking to backstop the Penn State women's ice hockey club to a national championship
(PennLive)

I'm sure some of you are crying bias because I gave first star to the Women's Ice Hockey Club (assuming anyone actually cares where I place the links in these posts). Of course I'm biased. We all are, it's part of the human condition. At least I'm up front with you guys about mine.

Regardless, WIHC goalie Katie Vaughan is one of the finest student-athletes Penn State has to offer and she laid down a fantastic interview here. Hopefully, we're all biased in favor of that.

Best of the Rest

@PegulaIceArena
(Twitter)

Penn State held an open house at Pegula Ice Arena on Saturday which, as it turned out, doubled as a reunion of NHL alumni. Above, obviously, is Mario Lemieux, pictured with Heidi Battista.

Former Red Wing/Whaler/Hurricane/Flyer Keith Primeau was also there, and while he might not be in the "greatest ever" discussion, he did once do this.

Szyszko Retains Captaincy, Rothman and Schaffer Named 2013-14 Alternates
(psuwihc.com)

UPark's ACHA teams named their 2013-2014 letter-wearers last week. As should be fairly obvious from the header, Carly Szyszko will once again wear the C for the women, while Allie Rothman and Ashton Schaffer take the As.

The Ice Lions also have some highly-worthy leadership: Max O'Malley is the captain, with Creek Lewis and Ryan Urban serving as alternates.

Ice Chips Blog - Season previews for 2013-14
(achahockey.org)

Both of those teams were picked to return to nationals this season on the ACHA website.

Ohio State hockey: B1G dreams beckon
(Land-Grant Holy Grant)

Here's a well-done preview of the Ohio State men's team from OSU's SB Nation blog...

...I'm a little worried though. To this point, the people who support and write about Buckeye hockey appear to be very nice, reasonable and articulate. In other words, the polar opposite of their neanderthal football brethren. So basically, what are they up to?

Tougher schedule would help MU women's hockey
(GoErie.com)

Over in Erie, people are fretting because they don't view Mercyhurst's schedule as tough enough to prepare the Lakers for their annual NCAA Tournament trip.

But after [the Minnesota State, Ohio State, Cornell, Clarkson, Robert Morris and St. Lawrence] games, which teams on the 33-game schedule will give the Lakers the battles they need to prepare for the postseason?

Syracuse? The Orange are winless in 23 career meetings with the Lakers. The rest of the CHA? Lindenwood, Penn State and Rochester Institute of Technology finished last season with a combined 30-68-10 record. Lindenwood begins only its third year in NCAA Division I. Penn State and RIT joined D-I last year.

I guess I should probably be mildly offended, but I'm not. We're a second-year NCAA program. We'll get there.

RMU women’s hockey team seeks to climb conference
(City of Champions)

A nice preview of the perenially-tough RMU Colonials who, with all due respect to a growing Syracuse program, have emerged as Mercyhurst's primary College Hockey America threat most of the time.

Women's hockey drops 2013-14 regular season opener to No. 3 Clarkson
(RITathletics.com)

Five regular season games have already been played by CHA teams. Lindenwood lost to and tied with Bemidji State over the weekend, while Mercyhurst split that aforementioned Minnesota State series. Then there's this one, a 12-1 win by third-ranked Clarkson over RIT. Yikes.

New Community/UNO Athletic Facility
(YouTube)

The first time one of my favorite teams won a championship, I really enjoyed the offseason. Got the t-shirt, got the hat, went to the parade, basked in the glow. It was glorious. Then, just before the next season started, I realized something obvious but generally forgotten in brief moments of euphoria: they don't cancel the league so that my team can be the champs forever. You still have to go out and defend the title, and you probably won't do it successfully.

That's sort of how I feel about Pegula Ice Arena right now. Other schools aren't going to stop building new arenas just because we have one. And much like PSU people feel PIA is better than new facilities at Notre Dame, Miami and Minnesota-Duluth, others will feel that their place beats ours.

One of the early challengers will likely come from UNO, and while it looks fantastic, it's going to double as a basketball arena. So I think we'll be okay up against that one.

Penn State All-Sports Museum
(Facebook)

Hockey exhibit at the all-sports museum? Hockey exhibit at the all-sports museum.

You know, it's interesting... the more I learn - the outstanding collection of memorabilia shown above being the latest bit of knowledge - the more I'm convinced that my issues with the handling of Icers and Lady Icers history are not due to an institutional flaw, but instead are a result of stubborn and/or lazy individual(s).

Basically, I'm not sure what exactly USA Hockey teaches in the course of its prestigious Brian Fishman Internship, but I'm not impressed.

Three Stars: August 12-18

3. 150 Miles for a Cure...
(Bike MS)

Women's assistant Casey McCullion is once again participating in the 150-mile-long Bike MS City to Shore ride to fight multiple sclerosis, which takes place this year on September 28th and 29th. I'll let her do the talking from here:

I've registered for Bike MS because I want to do something for the people who have been diagnosed, including my friend from Holy Cross (and riding buddy) who lives with MS every day. I want to do everything to prevent more people from learning what it means to live with this disease. Just as I did last year, I am dedicating my ride to him and hope that he will be able to join me (even if it's just for a few training rides)! Today, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability.

She's only $205 away from her fundraising goal... just saying. If you listened to me last time and donated, thank you. If not, please consider it if you're able.

2. @B1GHockey
(Twitter)

Confirming earlier reports, the Big Ten has officially announced its hockey media day:

The site of media day will be Xcel Energy Center which, of course, will also host the inaugural Big Ten tournament from March 20th through 22nd. According to Let's Play Hockey, the event will be held from 9:00 a.m. until noon local time, so 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. in the eastern time zone. Interestingly, the NCHC has scheduled its media day elsewhere in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis' Target Center, to be specific) on the same date, in an overlapping window, 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. local. Have fun with that one, actual journalists.

Media day should, in theory, be an interesting glimpse into the type of coverage Penn State can expect from its conference rivals and even its own outlets. However, considering the geographic isolation of the site, the low return on investment for those making the trip from any distance and the nature of PSU hockey coverage to this point, it could wind up being a bunch of Minnesota and Wisconsin writers asking Gadowsky about Pegula Ice Arena. Ain't no such thing as bad publicity, but I'm not expecting to learn anything.

Nittany Lions players involved? Your guess is as good as mine, but one has to think that the letter-bearers (Tommy Olczyk, Nate Jensen and David Glen) are leading candidates, with former Minnesota Golden Gopher and Minnetonka High School product Max Gardiner also receiving strong consideration. Supposedly - I feel like I saw this somewhere, but can't remember where - just one player per team will attend.

1. @D1WomensHockey
(Twitter)

Hey, why not?

Best of the Rest

Flames' hockey to don new jerseys for 2013-14 season
(liberty.edu)

Liberty, the Women's Ice Hockey Club's season-opening opponent on September 27th and 28th, is debuting new uniforms this year. They're nothing spectacular, although they are consistent across all five Flames hockey teams (there's your trivia for the week - LU is the only school to have a team in all five ACHA divisions). The only exception to the previous sentence: the D2 women, D2 men and D3 men will wear the wordmark across the chest (as shown above) while the D1 men and D1 women will have the school's new logo front and center:

Tri-City Storm
(Facebook)

What's Kenny Brooks been up to lately? Glad you asked, because the Tri-City Storm, his junior team, caught up with him recently for a quick interview.

Waterloo Black Hawks’ Coach On Islanders’ 2013 Picks
(CBS New York)

I haven't been at this New York Islanders thing long, but WFAN's Daniel Friedman is easily my favorite guy covering the team to this point. He was one of the only people offering anything of substance from the team's development camp last month and now, he's scored an interview with P.K. O'Handley, who coached two 2013 Isles draft picks - Eamon McAdam and Taylor Cammarata - with the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks last year.

O'Handley, unfortunately, fell a little flat on his end, giving mostly useless replies. Compare McAdam to an NHL goalie? "He’s a big mobile goalie. I think you could make a comparison to quite a few." How did he stack up in the rotation with Cal Petersen last season? "McAdam was the veteran. It was a unique situation with two draft-eligible goalies. I thought McAdam was good and was rewarded by being drafted." Keep up the good work Mr. Friedman, all you can do is ask the questions.

NTDP Defenseman McAvoy Commits to Boston University
(Western College Hockey Blog)

Long Island native Charlie McAvoy, recently picked for the National Team Development Program U17s, visited Penn State at one point but has opted for Boston University. The 1997-born offensive defenseman will likely join the Terriers in 2015.

UNO hockey trio accused of starting fight with racial slurs
(Omaha World-Herald)

Fun fact: Nebraska-Omaha used to be my favorite NCAA Division I program. So, uh, thanks again Terry.

The essentials of this story (file it all under "allegedly" so I don't have to insert the word in every sentence): On August 3rd, Maverick players Matt White, Alex Simonson and Preston Hodge were involved in a racially-charged altercation outside of an Omaha bar with "a small group of African-Americans" that began with "racial slurs and epithets." Hodge then began pushing a man named Lamar Triplett (who is black, but apparently was not part of the original group and was just walking through the wrong place at the wrong time), and Triplett responded by Derek Boogaarding him. White also threw a punch at Triplett and missed, while Simonson stepped in with the bar parking lot fight equivalent of face washing - shoving other members of Triplett's party.

UNO reacted swiftly, dismissing White and Hodge from the team and revoking their scholarships. Hodge, a freshman defenseman, had yet to suit up for the Mavs, but White is a particularly tough blow to the team as a co-captain and close to a point-per-game player for his career. Senior defenseman Simonson, apparently the least involved of the three, has been suspended pending further investigation. Court appearances for all three and Triplett on their disorderly conduct citations are scheduled for September.

@MiHockeyNow
(Twitter)

Michigan coach Red Berenson, for the record, is 73 years old. The photo above was taken at UM's alumni game a couple weeks ago.

NCHC to Use Shootout in Regular Season Contests
(NCHC)

I'd love to make fun of the fact that the NCHC will be using shootouts, but the Big Ten is using them too, so that's off.

Honestly though, it's not the worst thing ever in my opinion. Shootout games will count as ties for national purposes, most notably, the PairWise Rankings and NCAA Tournament selection, with the extra points awarded to shootout winners only applying towards the conference standings. I suppose that opens the door for someone to win a regular season title over someone else due to being better at shootouts, but how often will that actually happen? The price might be worth having a winner and a loser for every game, as artificial as it may be.

In other, more anticlimactic NCHC news, the new conference has officially been recognized and awarded a tournament autobid by the NCAA.

At World Junior camp, Big Ten had a big representation
(USCHO)

Nine of the 31 players surviving to the end of the recent World Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, NY go to Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin. That bodes well for the size of the Big Ten's delegation to Team USA for this season's World Junior Championships.

Details announced about Frozen Frontier hockey event
(WHEC)

CHA rival RIT is the latest college program to get in on outdoor hockey, as the Tiger women will play Clarkson at Rochester's Frontier Field (normally home to the Rochester Red Wings of minor league baseball) on December 14th. RIT's men, who also play Penn State in 2013-2014, will cap the doubleheader against Niagara that evening.

An AHL game between the Terry Pegula-owned Rochester Americans and the Lake Erie Monsters on December 13th is both the launch point and the centerpiece of the ten-day Frozen Frontier festival.

Penn State Ranks 19th in Merchandise Royalties
(Onward State)

PSU's Collegiate Licensing Company merch ranking is 19th this year. That's down from 12th last year, but all things considered, not too bad. Now if only the idiots out there could stop celebrating the drop because they think it scores points in their crusade against Rodney Erickson and the Board of Trustees.

I'll be honest: I'm not ready for this anyway

Maryland's move to Big Ten at a cost of tens of millions
(CBS Sports)

Can we all agree to stop dropping Maryland as a potential NCAA hockey candidate for a while? They're bleeding, rather profusely. Even accounting for the Big Ten's rather large checks soon to be headed their way, it's going to take them a bit to get to the point where hockey will even be on the table.

Anything's possible with a billionaire in your corner? I suppose, but at the same time, Penn State's athletic department was completely healthy and turning a profit in 2010. If 2013 Maryland fell into $102 million, they would probably want to do something other than build a hockey rink with it. Just saying.

Code of Conduct Violation Grounds KSU for 2013-14
(HockeyYall.com)

Back in 2005, Georgia school Kennesaw State almost had NCAA Division I hockey. Seriously. However, there's quite a bit of distance between then and now, as the still-ACHA Division 3 Owls have been suspended for the 2013-2014 season due to "misbehavior involving alcohol" at the D3 national tournament last season.

Wisconsin Recruit Dvorak to Sign with London of OHL
(Western College Hockey Blog)

As far as I can tell, it's sort of against the college hockey code to laugh when major junior poaches a recruit from a rival - it's a problem we all face together, and your school could easily be next. Nevertheless... hahahahahaha.

The recruit in question here is ex-future Wisconsin Badger Christian Dvorak. He's a 1996-born, 2014 NHL Draft eligible who played midget major for the Chicago Mission AAA last year. Instead of going to UDubs in 2014 as originally planned, Dvorak will sign with the OHL's London Knights (incidentally, the team that holds Eamon McAdam's CHL rights) and leave the Badgers extremely shorthanded at forward. Which is fine by me, since PSU might have needed Thomas Welsh to defend against him.

Pegula Ice Arena - Interior
(oxblue.com)

Let's close this out with a quick check on the first-ever ice building process at the arena, which began on Friday.

Workers have been on the floor each day since then as well, resulting in the above photo from 11:28 Sunday night. With a couple layers down, the familiar white color will follow early this week, with more layers and markings after that. And then, in a couple days, a playing surface for hockey games. Cool.

Three Stars: July 1-7

3. 2013 NHL Draft Has Definite 'Penn State' Flavor
(statecollege.com)

What has two thumbs and got to hang with Terry Pegula in the Sabres' suite during the NHL Entry Draft? Joe Battista! That one doesn't really work in the third person and in writing, does it?

Anyway, here is JoeBa's perspective on the day, as well as a few words about the schedule, ticketing (we're up to 4,100 season ticket deposits as seat selection is set to get underway in just over a week) and things like that.

2. College Hockey Recruiting: Penn State
(Over The Boards)

OTB editor Jasper Kozak-Miller, trust me, knows his stuff. So when he has a generally positive opinion of Penn State's recruiting for this season and beyond, you should probably listen to him. And his sources. Especially his sources.

1. Q&A with Men's Hockey Freshman Eamon McAdam
(YouTube)

Ready for this beast of a Three Stars entry? You better be.

Penn State held a media event last Tuesday to give the local press the material to pump out some coverage of PSU's NHL draft picks. Eamon McAdam was there, as was assistant coach Keith Fisher, while Mike Williamson spoke via telephone from his home in Leduc, AB.

The leading link is a video interview with McAdam conducted by Penn State Athletic Communications that day. And precisely as they planned, a wave of stories from most of the usual suspects followed shortly after.

Draft A Good Sign For PSU Hockey (WTAJ)
McAdam, Williamson reflect on being drafted (The Daily Collegian)
McAdam surprised but elated about becoming an Islander (The Morning Call)
McAdam and Williamson Ready for Next Chapter of NHL Journey (StateCollege.com)
McAdam, Williamson savoring interest from NHL (Centre Daily Times)
McAdam, Williamson react to being selected in NHL Draft (PennLive)

Since we're already here, let's use the opportunity to clean up a few things I've seen on the draft picks not covered elsewhere.

First, a couple of Penn State blogs and their "general" draft posts:

NHL Draft: Incoming Penn Staters McAdam, Williamson Selected (Black Shoe Diaries)
Two Penn State Hockey Players Selected In NHL Entry Draft (Victory Bell Rings)

In the specific-to-McAdam department, we have:

The Waterloo Connection (New York Islanders)
Scouting Report: Eamon McAdam (IslesNation)
Isles Trade Nino, Fill Pipeline At NHL Draft (CBS New York)
NHL Draft Wrap-Up: 2013 NHL Draft Review, East (Hockey Prospectus)

Williamson has really received the short end of the stick so far, in terms of media coverage - it's staggering how much less attention one gets simply by not showing up at the draft. No glam shots, no video interview on Canucks.com, no quotes in outside articles, etc. He can hardly be blamed for not flying most of the way across North America when he wasn't the near-lock McAdam was to be chosen, but regardless, it would be nice to see a bit more on him. Here are the two things I did find:

Vancouver Canucks 2013 draft review (Hockey's Future)
NHL Draft Wrap-Up: 2013 NHL Draft Review, West (Hockey Prospectus)

It's disappointing how formulaic a lot of these reviews of draft picks are, even for some of the top players... check the league, check the goals and assists, check the measurements, render a superficial judgment concerning player type, ability and ceiling. I promise that nobody who has actually seen Williamson play, and I watched several of the Spruce Grove Saints' playoff games in the spring, is calling him an "off-the-board" selection (or worse, in other places). I'll concede that he's a project in terms of pro potential - and let's be honest, everyone outside of the first half of the first round is to some degree - but he won't be a wasted pick.

Best of the Rest

Rick DiPietro in a nutshell. Really do feel for the guy though...

Tim Thomas: From The Bunker To Barclays?
(The Hockey Writers)

Okay, we're not quite done playing out the NHL string yet, sorry about that. Hey, it was overwhelmingly the biggest thing this week, what do you want from me?

Although McAdam is a few years out from plying his trade in Uniondale Brooklyn, I can't help but be riveted by the Islanders' current goaltending situation. It wasn't a terrible week to feel that way either, because it's been a ride.

First, Rick DiPietro, the former Boston University star and top overall pick in the 2000 draft, was finally bought out of his contract by the team, ending an excruciating 13-year saga that made history for mostly the wrong reasons (his groundbreaking-at-the-time 15-year deal signed in 2006, and his freakishly long list of injuries that made the contract a point of ridicule chief among those). That left the team, temporarily, without a certified NHL goalie - Evgeni Nabokov, the primary guy last season, and Tim Thomas, who the team acquired in February despite the fact that he was in the middle of sitting out the 2012-2013 season, were both unrestricted free agents. Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson are well regarded and on call, but the two have played a combined 25 NHL games.

Thomas complicated things by kicking the tires on a possible comeback just before free agency opened up on Friday. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner is of questionable value (he's 39 and just took a year off, after all) and likely with no loyalty to the Islanders, as he never played a home game in Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. But... hey, you never know. GM Garth Snow, though, passed on waiting for Thomas and instead signed Nabokov to a one-year contract. So the Isles will have a goalie for the coming season, although things are hardly settled for the long term.

Top 10 Prospects 2013: Organizational Rankings
(Hockey Prospectus)

No Penn Staters are mentioned by name in this ranking of each NHL team's prospect group current through the just-completed draft, but for what it's worth, the Islanders are 2nd, Washington is 11th, Vancouver is 20th, and St. Louis is dead last in 30th. Is this a case where it's good, for our purposes, to be bad? Does Max Gardiner have some advantage that McAdam doesn't? Eh... play well and those things tend to take care of themselves.

Quick note: You're not alone, the title confuses me too. Author Corey Pronman considers all 30 NHL teams, and while he doesn't name more than ten pipeliners in any one entry (that would be kind of obnoxious, given the length of each blurb), it seems clear to me that he's judging the entire developmental pool of each organization.

If nothing else, in the last week I learned this week that I'm glad I'm not an NHL blogger - they have roughly 30 times more stuff to read to keep up on things than I do. Let's transition back to college stuff through the common interest of the draft.

Big Ten sees plenty of firsts in New Jersey
(Western College Hockey Blog)

The National Team Development Program's J.T. Compher, headed for Michigan in the fall, became the first NHL draft pick for the Big Ten, as the Buffalo Sabres scooped him up with the 35th overall pick.

Also of note: thirteen Big Ten players were selected in all. The Wolverines led with five, Minnesota had four, while PSU and Wisconsin both checked in with two. Yep, second-year NCAA program Penn State did as well as Michigan State, Ohio State (both were skunked, if you're not so good with math) and Wisconsin put together. I don't hate it.

@DanRubin12
(Twitter)

Then again, was Compher actually the first Big Ten player picked, or does that remain on the table for next year? Technically, Michigan was still a member of the CCHA (and Penn State was technically still an independent) on June 30th, the date of the draft.

Midnight on July 1st is the magic time each year when NCAA conference changes across the board become official. But don't worry, nothing happened prior to that to turn the Big Ten hockey tattoo you got the day after the national championship game into a terrible idea.

So officially: Welcome to college hockey, Big Ten! And rest in peace CCHA, I was always a fan and will forever be grateful for the slightly damaged Danny DeKeyser all-conference award I purchased while you were cleaning out the offices.

The CCHA was once home to varsity hockey at ACHA schools Ohio and Kent State.

Penn State Hockey-Summer News Roundup
(Victory Bell Rings)

If you've been in the basement since February, Mary Clarke has you covered with a rundown of the offseason for the men's team so far.

Townsend athlete plays ice hockey for Penn State
(Middletown Transcript)

I'm an unapologetic Emily Laurenzi fan, so it's great to see her get a quick look in the papers near her hometown.

Pegula Ice Arena Exterior Photos (July 5, 2013)
(Facebook)

With most photo updates of late focusing on the PIA interior after the exterior stopped looking drastically different all the time, it's nice to step back outside to see that the thing is done enough for trees to have been planted around the perimeter.

Pegula Ice Arena at night 
(YouTube)

Know what nobody thought to do until now? Take PIA photos at night with the main lobby lit up. And put them in a video with the beginning of Aerosmith's Dream On playing. Add people and you pretty much have game night.



Jean Stothert backs $6 million for UNO arena
(Omaha World-Herald)

Now that Pegula Ice Arena is about to open, it doesn't really matter that Penn State could have already been playing NCAA hockey for about 15 years, had ice capability not been cut from the Bryce Jordan Center during its construction. But what if...

The case of UNO, which drew 7,233 fans per game in the 16,680-seat CenturyLink Center last season, seems pretty well on point in that department. The Mavericks started up in 1997 (just after the BJC's completion), and following six years in the multi-purpose Omaha Civic Auditorium - a venue perhaps most famous for Lloyd Bentsen's "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" blast in 1988 - moved into their larger multi-purpose current home. And for almost that entire time, they've still been pushing for their own hockey-only facility sort of like the one about to fire up on University Drive.

In our alternate reality where PSU plays at the Jordan Center, does the whole $102 million donation thing even happen, when it wouldn't be needed for varsity hockey? Hey, sometimes things work out for the best.

Anyway, back to the point, things are inching forward in Omaha as the cash-strapped city is still in for $6 million of site improvements in anticipation of the proposed $76 million arena.

Josh Fenton named head of NCHC, CC's conference
(Colorado Springs Gazette)

If Las Vegas actually cared about the NCHC, I'm guessing that the odds on new commissioner Josh Fenton outlasting his predecessor would be pretty good. Said predecessor, Jim Scherr, was on the job for all of 18 months and left to become the chief operating officer of the 2015 European Games prior to the NCHC playing any games (or, technically and as noted above, having any teams).

Three Stars: October 15-21

Penn State's mastadonic win over RIT Saturday night boosted the Nittany Lions in the meaningless early-season PWR. Photo: Omar Phillips/USCHO

3. Another Great Night in Hockey Valley
(statecollege.com)

Do I put Joe Battista's column in the top three every single week? Sure seems like it. But why wouldn't I?

2. Shaw brings multiple aspects to women's hockey squad
(The Daily Collegian)

I've been very impressed with the work of both the men's and women's writers at the Collegian so far this season, including this feature on freshman women's forward Birdie Shaw.

So how does someone get to be known as "Birdie?"

Shaw was born Samantha Shaw but never went by that name. Shaw said her brother struggled to pronounce her name and it came out something like “Manta-bird.” Her father picked it up and kept referring to her as Birdie since she was three months old.

Is it just me or do a ridiculous number of sports nicknames start with a sibling mispronunciation?

1. Men’s Division I PairWise Rankings
(USCHO)

Eventually, when it's needed (or when I'm less lazy about it), I'm going to write a post explaining the PairWise Rankings (often called PWR) for Penn Staters who are either new to college hockey or only familiar with the ACHA's coaches poll as a method for national championship tournament selection.

The essential knowledge, for now, is that PWR is an objective means used to award NCAA Tournament at-large bids. It takes every team in the country with an RPI over .500 (called Teams Under Consideration or TUC in PWR parlance) and compares them to each other in four different categories: RPI, record against other TUCs, record against common opponents and head-to-head record. The number of comparisons won by each team are then counted up, and the TUCs are then ranked in that order. Here's how that process stood after the games of this past weekend:

Luckily, DIII games don't count towards PWR.

Penn State won 19 comparisons of the 25 possible (there are 26 total TUCs, I'm not showing all of them) to rank seventh in the country. So the Nittany Lions would be in the 16-team NCAA Tournament if the teams were picked right now.

As with many statistically-based endeavors, the PairWise relies on a sufficient volume of data, which simply doesn't exist at this point of the season. Basically, don't take it too seriously - and taking it at all seriously is "too" seriously - it's just for fun right now. But it is fun, so first star to that.

Best of the Rest

Three Rivers Classic
(consolenergycenter.com)

Well, the Three Rivers Classic has a logo. It's black and gold yellow and incorporates a bridge. Didn't see that coming.

Diaper Line Reunites In Dallas
(usahockey.com)

PSU hockey dad Ed Olczyk was formally inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame last Monday, as you probably know by now. He was joined at the ceremony by Dave Jensen, his linemate on the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team and yep, another PSU hockey dad. The third member of the line was a guy named Pat LaFontaine.

Nittany Lion goalie Matt Skoff talks about historic first game for Penn State
(Stack the Pads)

A quick Q-and-A with Matt Skoff regarding his experience starting the first game of the NCAA era.

New chapter for Tiger hockey begins with construction of Gene Polisseni Center
(rit.edu)

I've mentioned it a few times already, but one more (with renderings) won't hurt: RIT officially broke ground on their new arena on Friday afternoon, the day before playing (and losing to!) Penn State in their homecoming game. The Polisseni Center will open for the 2014-2015 season, cost $35 million and hold 4,150 fans.

UNO to seek $10 million from city, 'others' toward cost of arena
(Omaha World-Herald)

Meanwhile, UNO looks like they want in on the arena party as well, although they're still way back in the "get the money straightened out" phase of the process.

NCAA Reduces Nic Kerdiles' One-Year Suspension to 30% of Season
(Bucky's 5th Quarter)

I stopped caring about this story at some point last week, but just to close the book on it (since it received an entry in each of the last couple Three Stars posts), Nic Kerdiles' season-long suspension handed down by the NCAA was reduced to 10 games on appeal. He's most likely staying at Wisconsin, as opposed to jumping to the WHL. Oh, and the issue may not have been the blurry photos of Kerdiles holding Sheetz coffee BioSteel tweeted by agent Ian Pulver, it might have been Pulver's paying for Kerdiles' hotel room at the NHL Entry Draft.

Could Nebraska Start a B1G Hockey Team?
(Corn Nation)

Nebraska's SBNation site generated a lot of buzz last week with this roundtable discussion on the possibility of the Huskers starting a DI hockey program which would, of course, play in the Big Ten. Spoiler alert: if you're looking for definitive answers, you're in the wrong place. If you're looking for as thorough of an exploration as you'll ever see on the issue, then click through.

In my opinion, Nebraska will get NCAA hockey eventually, but among Big Tenners, I think Ohio State, Indiana and Illinois are ahead of the Huskers in line.

UPDATE: I'm told Ohio State actually has a DI team already. Sorry for the confusion.



Dylan McLaughlin Goal vs Green Bay- October 13, 2012
(YouTube)

2015 Penn State commit Alec Marsh assisted on this ridiculous goal (he's the center who kicks it wide to McLaughlin), which made SportsCenter's Top 10. SportsCenter, not SportsCentre, so you know it's legit.

Frozen Four 2014: Philly one step closer to also hosting D3 college championship
(Broad Street Hockey)

We're very, very close to making what I'll call the Weekend of Face-Melting Awesomeness (DIII and DI national championships at the same site on the same weekend) official. Philadelphia, as a face-meltingly awesome city, is appropriately in line to host the inaugural edition.

Bucs Forward Commits to St. Lawrence University
(ushl.com)

Fortunately, PSU recruiting misses haven't come up too often to the best of my knowledge. However Michael Marnell, a forward with the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers who has two points in six games so far this year (as a 17-year-old, it should be said), committed to St. Lawence last week after considering the Nittany Lions.



You Can Play - Miami University Hockey
(YouTube)

Know what would make my year? If Penn State joined numerous other hockey teams in producing a video in support of the You Can Play Project, which promotes acceptance of gay athletes in sports.

Thanks for reading
(Inside College Hockey)

Finally, Sunday night was a sad one for college hockey's internet presence, as Inside College Hockey - commonly called INCH - announced that it was shutting down full-time operations after ten years. The move, while unfortunate, was not particularly surprising. The site had struggled to produce fresh, consistent content for the last couple seasons, to the point where referring to the "Big Three" college hockey sites (as was generally done, with USCHO and College Hockey News being the other two) had become a little generous to INCH. Still, at its peak, the site was unsurpassed in quality, and its podcast was essential for college hockey aficionados.

The writers have set up a new site - inchwriters.com - which will continue to be updated with some content, although "posts (and podcasts) there may be sporadic, at least relative to what you’re accustomed to [on INCH]."

Three Stars: February 6-12

3. Family always been there for Chroman
Captain overcomes injuries this season
(The Daily Collegian)

Long-overdue, much-deserved features on Lady Icers senior captains Sara Chroman and Kate Christoffersen.

Quick confession: one of the more embarrassing moments in TYT history was last September when the Lady Icers announced this season's roster. Noting Christoffersen's appearance, I said something like "oh, that's nice that they're still listing her on the roster this year, although she's obviously not playing." Then, after seeing the box score from the first game against Division I Robert Morris, I had to set an all-time record for backtracking. Feel free to laugh at me, but more importantly, understand just how much Christoffersen has overcome to play this year.

2. 

Groundbreaking ceremony announced for new arena
(The Daily Collegian)

If I was to put together an FAQ page of stuff people frequently ask me, this would be on it. Pegula Ice Arena's ceremonial groundbreaking will be on April 20th, also known as Blue-White Friday. Mark your calendars. Or don't, since I want to be able to see.

1. Women's Ice Hockey - Program Update 2-9-2012 
(YouTube)

Crazy week. The Collegian and sports information both acknowledged the existence of the women's program.

Best of the Rest

Photo Gallery: Alumni Weekend 2012
(pennstatehockey.com)

Curtiss Patrick made us laugh. Scott Curry made us cry. And, of course, Jay Paterno proved once again that he's better at public speaking than me. Here's a nice set of photos from Saturday's Festivities.

Penn State Hockey Moving On
(wearecentralpa.com)

Getting on TV is still a big deal, right?

Confirmed: Stars-Lancers to play outdoor game in 2013
(Black and Blue)

As first reported by Lincoln Stars (USHL) blog Black and Blue, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota will play outdoors at Omaha's TD Ameritrade Park (best known as the place that hosts the College World Series). The Stars will meet archrival Omaha in the front end of the doubleheader.

North Dakota to resume use of Fighting Sioux nickname
(USCHO)

Can this story please just go away? I really don't care how you resolve it (short of eradicating whichever Sioux tribe it was that didn't approve the nickname), just figure it out.

Part of what's at issue: a crappier version of the Chicago Blackhawks logo.

Princeton, St. Lawrence meet while in a state of flux
(USCHO)

Just keeping a quick eye on the old school of Coaches Gadowsky, Fisher and Lindsay, which has struggled this year thanks to a plague of injuries.

Where Michigan Goes in Lacrosse, Will Others Follow?
(New York Times)

This isn't a hockey story (obviously), but I still thought it was interesting for its parallels to Penn State. Michigan was sort of the PSU of the club lacrosse world, now they've gone NCAA and we're talking about a domino effect, conference realignment, and the like (yet, as in hockey, nobody ever has enough money).

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).

Superbad?

UPDATE 2:01 P.M.: The Superleague is official, and a press conference is coming Wednesday. Here's a joint release from the six (as of now) participating schools:

We are pleased to announce that six top NCAA Division I ice hockey programs will become founding members of a newly formed hockey conference, which will begin competition for the 2013-14 season. The six institutions are Colorado College, University of Denver, Miami University, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Nebraska Omaha and University of North Dakota.

We understand and appreciate the widespread interest in developments relating to the formation of the new hockey conference. More information will be provided about the initiatives that have been undertaken, as well as the next steps involved, at a news conference in Colorado Springs this Wednesday, July 13. Our programs look forward to continued associations with our current leagues, the WCHA and CCHA, for the next two seasons.

Additional information about Wednesday's news conference will be forthcoming in the next few days. There will be no further comment from athletic directors, coaches or other officials from any of the institutions until Wednesday's news conference.

The remainder from this point is the original post, which went up a couple hours before the joint release, so please don't get all judgmental on my dated statements.

........................

One of my most difficult tasks in doing this blog is one that some might think is second nature - deciding when to post. From the beginning, I've tried to clearly define TYT as a Penn State hockey blog. Some people run high-level college hockey blogs and some run Penn State blogs covering all sports. And most of them do a great job of it. But I know myself, and I know I'd end up in a rubber room if I tried to obsess over anything broader than what I'm doing (and I'm pretty close as it is). So generally speaking, I avoid talking about things that aren't directly connected to my purpose for being in one way or another.

That said, and after my initial intent was a quick link in Three Stars on Monday, I decided that this story is big enough to qualify as an exception to the guidelines. And really, it's only a couple degrees removed from Penn State - after all, it wouldn't be happening without our entry into the world of NCAA hockey.

The story, of course, is that of the so-called Superleague (no, it won't really be called that when the dust settles): a collection of six hockey programs that, depending on your perspective are A) forming a weak imitation of the Big Ten, B) ushering in a brave new era of college hockey, C) hanging a bunch of long-standing programs out to dry and ruining college hockey, D) consolidating power among an elite group of schools that place hockey at the center of their athletic department or E) all of the above. E might be the best answer at this point, because really, it's impossible to say how it will end at this juncture.

All we know right now is that North Dakota, Miami, Colorado College, Denver, Nebraska-Omaha and Minnesota-Duluth reportedly are leaving the WCHA and CCHA to form their own conference, and that it may become official on Wednesday. Notre Dame has a standing invitation but is still considering their options, and Western Michigan's is probably about to be lost in the mail.

Let's start with the story that broke the story and proceed from there, Three Stars-style.

Sources: UND will leave WCHA for new league
(Grand Forks Herald)

While rumors and innuendo had been tossed around, really, since the formation of Big Ten hockey, this is the article that kicked everything into overdrive on Thursday. Read it and catch up with the rest of us.

As with the Big Ten, this is the sort of thing where everyone has an opinion. I've saved you the trouble of reading through and filtering the bad ones (note: there's a difference between "bad" and "I disagree with it").

Best of the Internet Opinions

Out of realignment, an opportunity for growth
Conference changes weaken the sport
(USCHO)

USCHO took the approach of offering columns for and against the Superleague, and both worked - particularly because the authors were the Atlantic Hockey columnist and the Division III/Women's editor, presumably neutral parties.

Don't blame Big Ten for college hockey's upheaval
(Wisconsin State Journal)

Yes. Especially don't blame Penn State.

Would schools like Guy Gadowsky's old Alaska program be better served facing off with mid-majors more often as conference rivals?

College hockey's shifting will create opportunities
(Grand Forks Herald)

I tend to cast a suspicious eye towards those who, knowing their program is safely in a conference, argue the merits of current events (and yes I viewed those from the Big Ten - PSU included - arguing that the Big Ten is good for college hockey the same way). Most obnoxious of all are people from schools who were extremely fortunate to be invited.

However, it's hard to dispute anything said in this article, by the guy who originally broke the Superleague story. The "leftovers," if they're honest with themselves, know (or should know) that they have a better chance of competing, winning, and even being nationally relevant in a mid-major conference, if that's where this all ends up.

In the meantime, everyone in the Big Ten and Superleague - PSU included - did what was best for them. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But for the time being, keep your mouths shut and quit acting like you did those not included a favor.

This is What You Want, This is What you Get
(College Hockey News)

...and your counterpoint. It's also tough to find fault with the view that college hockey is headed down the same road college football and basketball paved years ago. Is that good or bad? Your answer probably depends on the depth of your school's pockets.

Why the super-conference is horrible for NCAA hockey
(Puck Daddy)

The blog to which we all aspire takes the con position as well.

Secondary Six Linkorama
(Western College Hockey Blog)

Chris Dilks took his own crack at what I'm doing right now, and went both barrels at the WCHA's leadership (deservedly so). Of particular entertainment value was his observation of the bombshell's ripple effect on Cincinnati.com, which of course is Miami's market.

One thing that needs to be said: I think these six schools have an extremely inflated view of their value in the mainstream marketplace. There's a line from an old episode of House where a detective investigating Dr. House says to him "I think working around a bunch of nurses has given you a false sense of your ability to intimidate."

It's a line that can probably be applied to this situation as well. Do they run show in our little corner of the sports landscape? Absolutely. But out there in real life, they're a couple of branch campuses, a couple of schools that more often than not are confused for other schools and a couple more that at best inspire vague recognition. In a world where NBC/Versus only televises seven different NHL teams, that's important. So yeah, good luck getting them to trip over themselves to get into the lucrative Colorado Springs market with an amateur version of a sport that, even with recent successes, struggles for viewers on the professional level. Even Cincinnati, one of the bigger markets in the footprint, doesn't seem to care.

Notre Dame, obviously, changes things if they sign up. But Notre Dame's in a position where they can dictate their conference. So why would the Irish choose the Superleague over Hockey East and east coast markets like Boston? More to the point, why would a potential media partner?

Jeff Blashill considered declining the Red Wings' offer, but then Mike Babcock did this.

And what of Western Michigan, mentioned earlier? Increased commitment to their hockey program landed them rising star Jeff Blashill last offseason, and the payoff was their first NCAA tournament bid since 1996. Even one week ago, rumors generally included them in the select group of Superleague schools. Suddenly on Friday, Blashill resigned to become a Detroit Red Wings assistant and (because of it?) they're just as suddenly left to fend for themselves with the other CCHA and WCHA leftovers.

Bad week to be associated with the WMU program? No kidding.