Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

[4four4]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

Neither will this year's #2 scorer.

Steve do you know who the leader was back in the day?

[Pirateasaurus]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

ballz. I was hoping to find a schedule here. I am very curious because PSU will fascinate me this year. They ARE in fact scheduled to take a trip up to East Lansing in January so i am quite excited to see what they look like in person.

I personally think they will struggle greatly against D-1 schools. It'll take a few years of good recruiting.

But it's really gotta be a dream come true for those former club players. Now they're D-1 hockey players and will be facing off against Michigan State and who knows what other big programs.

[Scally Lama]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

ballz. I was hoping to find a schedule here.

FWIW, here's everything we know about it so far.

It has 21 games completely slotted out, as well as 8 others without a firm date, one of which is an exempt game (NTDP).

So that leaves, at most, six unknown games. I've heard that there's going to be another ACHA series in there somewhere, and that it's going to be Oklahoma. I'm guessing we won't get any more DI games unless there's something with Huntsville in the works (I hope so). We're at 20 DIs now, and administration has said we're doing 20-22 for the first year. Also, just about everyone else is booked up by now. So I'm thinking those last four games will be some combination of UAH and DIII, but that's just a semi-educated guess.

Might as well chip in on my expectations...I think close to .500 this year. The ACHA/DIII games should be 8-10 wins, and I think we'll be good enough to pick off wins against low AHA teams like AIC, Army, Sacred Heart, etc. A record somewhere around .500 and maybe one nice looking upset (like ruining RIT's homecoming?) and that's a great first year to me. We're probably going to get killed in year two, I think it's naive to expect otherwise. 10 total wins would be a major accomplishment. I'm not the type to trash on players, but the cold reality is that fringe lineup guys who left UAA, Minnesota and St. Cloud for more ice put together with some ACHA players and a bunch of guys whose choices were PSU, AHA and DIII probably aren't going into Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota and shocking the world. I do think they'll be good enough to not be embarrassed though. Like someone above said, the losses will be more like 4-1, not 11-0.

The Gadowsky track record says we progress from there, and come 2014 and 2015, we're going to start to get guys who are high-end recruits, like a Kevin Kerr. Thing is, guys who are good enough to go pro before four years aren't going to throw away those less than four years in a transitional season or in the current rink. By about years four and five, we'll have a reason to start playing around with PWR predictors and caring about other games (not saying we'll make NCAAs in those years, just that the idea won't be completely beyond comprehension).

[Scally Lama]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

I would think PSU would as well. For example, if they play Army or Cornell, won't the PSU media guide note the team record from when they played decades ago?

Thank You, Terry blog has some nice history on the past varsity seasons.

Thanks for the shoutout...I try to tell the story as much as I'm able. PSU hockey's going to get a lot of attention from people who have no idea what came before Terry Pegula, and it's something that needs to be known. Here's another post where I talk about one of the few pieces of memorabilia still around from that team and wax poetic about why history fascinates me so much.

The thing about that varsity team that always blows my mind: if it happens at any other time in history, PSU already has a historic, long-standing hockey program. Instead, it happened right before WWII, which took away players, kept teams from traveling, and blew up any idea of building a permanent rink on campus.

As for the records, I think a lot depends on what still exists. We know the dates, scores and locations for the four games against teams still playing NCAA and of course PSU sources are corroborated by those schools' media guides, so I don't see why that shouldn't be incorporated. When PSU plays Army this year, I'd love the idea of PSU trying to recover an 0-2 series history while playing them for the first time in 65 years to be a storyline to that game.

For other things, it might be tougher. We know, for example, that John Dufford, Peany Gates, Ted Cauffman were some of the top scorers in the history of the old team. Possibly the top three. But I'm not sure that anyone knows how many points they had. If someone does, I'm not sure that it would be at all accurate. I had enough trouble finding agreement from the student paper and yearbook on simple scores and dates of games. Record keeping was very...not good back then.

[Pirateasaurus]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

FWIW, here's everything we know about it so far.

It has 21 games completely slotted out, as well as 8 others without a firm date, one of which is an exempt game (NTDP).

So that leaves, at most, six unknown games. I've heard that there's going to be another ACHA series in there somewhere, and that it's going to be Oklahoma. I'm guessing we won't get any more DI games unless there's something with Huntsville in the works (I hope so). We're at 20 DIs now, and administration has said we're doing 20-22 for the first year. Also, just about everyone else is booked up by now. So I'm thinking those last four games will be some combination of UAH and DIII, but that's just a semi-educated guess.

Might as well chip in on my expectations...I think close to .500 this year. The ACHA/DIII games should be 8-10 wins, and I think we'll be good enough to pick off wins against low AHA teams like AIC, Army, Sacred Heart, etc. A record somewhere around .500 and maybe one nice looking upset (like ruining RIT's homecoming?) and that's a great first year to me. We're probably going to get killed in year two, I think it's naive to expect otherwise. 10 total wins would be a major accomplishment. I'm not the type to trash on players, but the cold reality is that fringe lineup guys who left UAA, Minnesota and St. Cloud for more ice put together with some ACHA players and a bunch of guys whose choices were PSU, AHA and DIII probably aren't going into Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota and shocking the world. I do think they'll be good enough to not be embarrassed though. Like someone above said, the losses will be more like 4-1, not 11-0.

The Gadowsky track record says we progress from there, and come 2014 and 2015, we're going to start to get guys who are high-end recruits, like a Kevin Kerr. Thing is, guys who are good enough to go pro before four years aren't going to throw away those less than four years in a transitional season or in the current rink. By about years four and five, we'll have a reason to start playing around with PWR predictors and caring about other games (not saying we'll make NCAAs in those years, just that the idea won't be completely beyond comprehension).

Ah, thanks for the link and the insight. Just curious, why do you think year 2 is going to be worse than year one? I checked out the roster and it looks like you guys lose 5 seniors. That's certainly not huge turnover or anything.

Also, The series with Air Force one month into the season is going to tell you guys a lot about your team in year one. I don't know what AF will have next year but most years there aren't many teams they can't skate with.

EDIT: Oh wait, i got it. Your "real" D-1 hockey schedule begins. It didn't cross my mind that you guys won't be filling half of your schedule with D3 opponents and weaker AHA teams.

[SteveP]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

Steve do you know who the leader was back in the day?

John Dufford was one of the offensive leaders while Larry Lightbody was the Marty Brodeur of the day. I have interviewed Mr. Dufford many times. He's now 92, drove by himself from his home in CT to the Pegula Arena groundbreaking last month, and says he'll be on hand to drop the ceremonial faceoff on opening night at PIA.

John left Penn State to join the marines, and served as a fighter pilot in WWII and Korea. Quite a life and quite a character!



*****http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7227/7238166412_929aca8bdf_n.jpg******

FWIW, here's everything we know about it so far.

It has 21 games completely slotted out, as well as 8 others without a firm date, one of which is an exempt game (NTDP).

So that leaves, at most, six unknown games. I've heard that there's going to be another ACHA series in there somewhere, and that it's going to be Oklahoma. I'm guessing we won't get any more DI games unless there's something with Huntsville in the works (I hope so). We're at 20 DIs now, and administration has said we're doing 20-22 for the first year. Also, just about everyone else is booked up by now. So I'm thinking those last four games will be some combination of UAH and DIII, but that's just a semi-educated guess.

Might as well chip in on my expectations...I think close to .500 this year. The ACHA/DIII games should be 8-10 wins, and I think we'll be good enough to pick off wins against low AHA teams like AIC, Army, Sacred Heart, etc. A record somewhere around .500 and maybe one nice looking upset (like ruining RIT's homecoming?) and that's a great first year to me. We're probably going to get killed in year two, I think it's naive to expect otherwise. 10 total wins would be a major accomplishment. I'm not the type to trash on players, but the cold reality is that fringe lineup guys who left UAA, Minnesota and St. Cloud for more ice put together with some ACHA players and a bunch of guys whose choices were PSU, AHA and DIII probably aren't going into Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota and shocking the world. I do think they'll be good enough to not be embarrassed though. Like someone above said, the losses will be more like 4-1, not 11-0.

The Gadowsky track record says we progress from there, and come 2014 and 2015, we're going to start to get guys who are high-end recruits, like a Kevin Kerr. Thing is, guys who are good enough to go pro before four years aren't going to throw away those less than four years in a transitional season or in the current rink. By about years four and five, we'll have a reason to start playing around with PWR predictors and caring about other games (not saying we'll make NCAAs in those years, just that the idea won't be completely beyond comprehension).

I agree fully with Kyle's assessment of the next couple of seasons. The guys will take their lumps some nights, but will surprise some teams as well.

He's got most of the schedule --- I know the players to be named later, but I'm sworn to secrecy until the schedule is officially finalized. A couple of surprises yet to come.

[SteveP]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

We know, for example, that John Dufford, Peany Gates, Ted Cauffman were some of the top scorers in the history of the old team. Possibly the top three. But I'm not sure that anyone knows how many points they had. If someone does, I'm not sure that it would be at all accurate. I had enough trouble finding agreement from the student paper and yearbook on simple scores and dates of games. Record keeping was very...not good back then.

The records are incomplete, and there's teams that were "club" squads and ones that were varsity.

Penn State athletics historian Lou Prato (first director of the PSU All Sports Museum) did research that showed Penn State first put a hockey team on ice in 1909. Sorry for the poor video quality - something happened during the upload to YouTube.

[Scally Lama]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

EDIT: Oh wait, i got it. Your "real" D-1 hockey schedule begins. It didn't cross my mind that you guys won't be filling half of your schedule with D3 opponents and weaker AHA teams.

Yeah, mostly that. Coach Gadowsky also raised the point that teams like MSU and Wisconsin will be playing to win in year two, because the games will then count for league postion/playoff seeding, etc. Not that I think we'll win any of those four this year, but if they treat them like exhibitions, which they certainly won't do in 2013-14, there's at least something more than a 0% chance.

[Scally Lama]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

The records are incomplete, and there's teams that were "club" squads and ones that were varsity.

Penn State athletics historian Lou Prato (first director of the PSU All Sports Museum) did research that showed Penn State first put a hockey team on ice in 1909. Sorry for the poor video quality - something happened during the upload to YouTube.

Some people say that it's a miracle that PSU finally has NCAA hockey. I say it's a miracle that we didn't until now. You can go through almost any decade and find a legitimate push for it. That informal 1909 team was, of course, squashed by administration after a couple as Mr. Prato points out. Numerous failed attempts at outdoor rinks in the 1920s probably would have led to a team with a better outcome - former AD Hugo Bezdek was a huge proponent of hockey. Some senior classes in the late 20s gave their class gifts towards a "sports park" that would have included a rink, but funding fell through. The informal team of the 1930s led to the varsity team of the 40s that was killed off primarily by WWII. A permanent rink with actual artificial cooling finally came in the 1950s (seven years too late to have a chance of saving the 1940s team) and was given walls and a roof in the 1960s, which led to renewed enthusiam but no team. The Icers started in 1971. The current Ice Pavilion was completed in 1980-1981, and was originally supposed to be capable of housing an NCAA team but was scaled back...on and on. It really has been quite the run, but I'm certainly glad to see the end of that 100-year history of almosts.

[SteveP]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

Some people say that it's a miracle that PSU finally has NCAA hockey. I say it's a miracle that we didn't until now. You can go through almost any decade and find a legitimate push for it. That informal 1909 team was, of course, squashed by administration after a couple as Mr. Prato points out. Numerous failed attempts at outdoor rinks in the 1920s probably would have led to a team with a better outcome - former AD Hugo Bezdek was a huge proponent of hockey. Some senior classes in the late 20s gave their class gifts towards a "sports park" that would have included a rink, but funding fell through. The informal team of the 1930s led to the varsity team of the 40s that was killed off primarily by WWII. A permanent rink with actual artificial cooling finally came in the 1950s (seven years too late to have a chance of saving the 1940s team) and was given walls and a roof in the 1960s, which led to renewed enthusiam but no team. The Icers started in 1971. The current Ice Pavilion was completed in 1980-1981, and was originally supposed to be capable of housing an NCAA team but was scaled back...on and on. It really has been quite the run, but I'm certainly glad to see the end of that 100-year history of almosts.

Don't forget, that the Bryce Jordan Center was originally going to have an ice plant, but it was cut to save money. Good thing too - it's too big for college hockey. Just ask the folks at tOSU.

[Scally Lama]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

Don't forget, that the Bryce Jordan Center was originally going to have an ice plant, but it was cut to save money. Good thing too - it's too big for college hockey. Just ask the folks at tOSU.

Yeah, that too, just to keep it going. It opened in 1996 (for the outsiders).

In hindsight, I'm okay with the extra 15 years of waiting for the facility trade-off there. Easy for me to say now, I guess, I was pretty mad about that for quite a while. UNO's another school that struggles with atmosphere playing in a large arena, and they actually draw very well. But when you play in a cave...

[Scally Lama]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

I know the players to be named later, but I'm sworn to secrecy until the schedule is officially finalized. A couple of surprises yet to come.

FWIW, Princeton still has an OOC slot left, and both they and PSU have 11/3 and 1/19 available (as far as I know) as Saturdays within the season. So let's guess PSU-Princeton in Philly, two with UAH, two with Oklahoma, and toss the exemption because it doesn't really matter this year. I'm either right or wrong, I know that much!

[Spydey629]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

Guess we'll find out today...

Hoping to make it up to Happy Valley for a game this year, at least I am pretty much guarateed to see two games here in the Burgh.

That said, my torn allegiances are hoping for the only blemish on the season coming on December 15 (and possibly December 29).

Just thrilled to see everything finally come together after all these years!

[Stripes55]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

FWIW, here's everything we know about it so far.

It has 21 games completely slotted out, as well as 8 others without a firm date, one of which is an exempt game (NTDP).

I've heard they're also going to a tournament hosted by Vermont (along with Union and one other team that escapes me)....did that fall through?

[SteveP]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

Here's the full schedule, and the press release (emphasis mine).

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Highlighted by four matchups against future Big Ten opponents Michigan State and Wisconsin and a home weekend series against Air Force, the Penn State men's hockey team's first NCAA Division I schedule has been announced by head coach Guy Gadowsky.

In 2012-13, the Nittany Lions will compete as an independent and play 23 games against NCAA Division I opponents from all five conferences - Atlantic Hockey, CCHA, ECAC Hockey, Hockey East and WCHA - and fellow independent Alabama Huntsville. Penn State will also face off against three NCAA Division III foes, while playing eight exhibition contests.

In all, the Nittany Lions will host 16 games at Greenberg Ice Pavilion, and ticket packages for all home games will go on sale Tuesday, June 12. For more information on purchasing ticket packages and to be put on a waitlist, fans can call 1-800-NITTANY (1-800-648-8269) weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

"This brings us one step closer to dropping the puck on Penn State's first NCAA Division I season," said Gadowsky. "We've been able to schedule some marquee matchups both home and on the road that will help provide a measuring stick for the program moving forward."

The Nittany Lions will also play at least six games against NCAA tournament teams from a year ago. The Air Force Academy, which captured the 2012 Atlantic Hockey regular-season and tournament crowns en route to its second straight NCAA tournament appearance, highlights the home slate and will visit University Park for a two-game series Nov. 9-10.

Two weekends later, Penn State will travel to Schenectady, N.Y., for a pair of matchups against 2012 Frozen Four participant and ECAC Hockey champion Union Nov. 23-24. On Jan. 25-26, the Nittany Lions will make the trip to Michigan State, which appeared in the 2012 NCAA tournament, for a weekend series against the Spartans.

Penn State, which last played a varsity game on March 3, 1947, against Georgetown, will open its first-ever NCAA Division I season on Oct. 12 when it hosts American International. Following Friday night's matchup, the teams will face off on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Casey Plaza, home to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.

Following Penn State's opening weekend, the team will embark on a season-long five-game road trip. The Nittany Lions will travel to western New York to face NCAA Division III's Buffalo State (Oct. 19) and RIT (Oct. 20), with the latter being played at Blue Cross Arena, home of the AHL's Rochester Americans.

The Nittany Lions will then visit Army (Oct. 26) and Sacred Heart (Oct. 27) before they conclude their road trip against NCAA DIII Fredonia State (Oct. 30).

November will begin with three straight home games, starting with Buffalo State on Nov. 3. Following the Air Force series, Penn State will travel to Union before heading east down Interstate-90 for a two-game series against Holy Cross on Dec. 7-8.

The Nittany Lions will then return home on Dec. 15 for a matchup against Robert Morris before playing in the Pittsburgh College Hockey Invitational Dec. 28-29 with Miami (Ohio), Ohio State and Robert Morris. Opening night pairings for the four-team tournament have not been set.

Penn State will open the New Year in Storrs, Conn., with a pair of matchups against Connecticut (Jan. 4-5) before hosting the U.S. National Under-18 Team Jan. 11-12 and NCAA Division III Neumann on Jan. 15.

The Nittany Lions will then face Hockey East foe Vermont on Jan. 19 at the Wells Fargo Center, home of the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers. Penn State will also host Alabama Huntsville Feb. 8-9 before concluding the season in Madison, Wis., against the Badgers on Feb. 24-25.

The Nittany Lions will also host six exhibition games against American Collegiate Hockey Association club opponents, including Arizona State (Nov. 30, Dec. 1), Ohio (Feb. 1-2) and Oklahoma (Feb. 15-16).