2021-22 Penn State Nittany Lions

[Reddington]

Two things jump out at me: Players are leaving Clarkson in droves. And Diffendahl from RMU can be to PSU as Hoppner was to Syracuse. I'm shocked that girl has not been picked up by anyone let alone PSU. I have to agree with some of the other posters on the extra year of eligibility throwing things into a tumult. If you think the girls side is something, the boys side is really the wild west.

[ARM]

I guess I'm having a hard time imagining a player making any lasting impact on a program when she will only be there for one season.

"Lasting impact" is a rather high standard. How many four-year players make a lasting impact that extends beyond their graduation?

For an example, looks to men's NCAA BB. Teams like Kentucky have featured one-and-done freshmen for years. Duke won a title recently featuring freshmen who were gone a year later. Granted a single player can impact a basketball team more than a hockey team, but by the same token, there are far more programs in the hunt in BB. If freshmen can come into a program and make a big splash, why can't seniors?

[Lindsay]

My take is there are some schools that seem like junior national programs, and then there is everyone else trying to get to that level. The teams trying to get to that level need to find their edge where they can within the rules of course.

I wouldn’t take just any player for a 5th year, for the reasons Zed describes. But for an unranked team, if there’s a 5th year that might help you win a few games and get you ranked, that’s a data point “top ten team last year” that might help you pick up some future recruits. Then maybe those recruits get you into an NCAA game, maybe your coaching staff gets to work for USA Hockey/ Hockey Canada which doesn’t hurt recruiting, maybe you eventually win an NCAA game etc. Takes years of course. Maybe we get real parity and the same 4 teams don’t win national championships repeatedly. When I played we had a junior transfer in who I believe accelerated the upward arc of the program. Probably cost me some ice time though, lol. But Im proud to have hopefully contributed to making the program something she’d want to be a part of. I’m sure other schools have similar stories.

Obviously coaches need to balance what is best for their program, need to keep credibility in the recruiting circles, but good to give off a vibe that you are actually trying to win and constantly better your team as well and not just signing players based on high school performance and calling it good and collecting a pay check, also.

I’m not connected to the recruiting scene in anyway, I assume it’s more complex than I understand, but my initial thought is coaches should stand by the $ and college admissions they commit to, but ice time and dressing for games isn’t guaranteed. Chasing off good humans who follow team rules and work hard on the ice that you once committed to doesn’t seem right either. Also think as a coach it might be nice to coach a player four years rather than constant churn.

Tl:dr 5th years / transfers have their place, and a small thing like a couple big wins can have a lasting impact on a program. Just my thoughts and I’m sure there are angles I haven’t considered and always interested in others thoughts too.

[Reddington]

CHA players Marmen, Harley, Polaski, Diffendahl and Jenna Brenneman all drafted in the NWHL. Could be others but these ones I am familiar with. Also former Lindewood player T Girard taken first overall. There is talent in the CHA.

[ZedLeppelin]

"Lasting impact" is a rather high standard. How many four-year players make a lasting impact that extends beyond their graduation?

I think it depends on where a program is when that player starts her four years, her attitude, and how far apart her skills are from the rest of the team. One higher-skilled player isn't going to carry a whole team, but in four years she can make a difference in other players' drive and work ethic, and be the player who changed a team's personality and focus. That's going to translate into better things for the program after she's gone. Or maybe I'm a dreamer.

If freshmen can come into a program and make a big splash, why can't seniors?

Absolutely, a senior transfer can make a big splash, but then she's done and gone after a season. A hotshot senior on a mediocre team will be a star for a season - a hotshot senior on a hotshot team will just blend in. Either way, I just don't think it's enough time to make any real difference for a program. Freshmen having a great season, as Penn State got from last year's freshmen, have three more years to make seasons like that the standard at Penn State. They have time on their side.

[ARM]

Beyond performance on the ice, I think that a person can impact a program off the ice. Consider someone like Catherine Ward playing one season at BU in 2010-11. Sure, that team had Poulin, but she was a freshman, where Ward was a bit older and also coming off winning Olympic gold. Her presence, and helping the Terriers reach the NCAA Championship, was bound to make some impression on her teammates going forward. Maybe the other D learn something about stick positioning or when to pinch or not. Or how to train off the ice, or deal with a loss in the biggest game of the year. Having quality student athletes come through a program is never a bad thing.

If one of your star freshmen suffered a career-ending injury over the summer and never played another shift for PSU, would you dismiss her impact on Penn State's program moving forward? I understand that four years is great, but by the same token, a single season is still something.

[ZedLeppelin]

Consider someone like Catherine Ward playing one season at BU in 2010-11. Sure, that team had Poulin, but she was a freshman, where Ward was a bit older and also coming off winning Olympic gold.

Marie-Philip Poulin was on the same 2010 Olympic gold medal team with Ward, so a duo like that would definitely put a spark in an NCAA team.

Her presence, and helping the Terriers reach the NCAA Championship, was bound to make some impression on her teammates going forward. Maybe the other D learn something about stick positioning or when to pinch or not. Or how to train off the ice, or deal with a loss in the biggest game of the year. Having quality student athletes come through a program is never a bad thing.

I agree. Any player of a high caliber should make at least some difference - I just think any lingering impression she makes in one year would depend on what level the program is at. It would be like Elizabeth Giguere transferring to Penn State for a fifth year, at the start of Penn State's D-1 era, when struggle was the name of the game. Sure, Giguere would have been fun to watch, but the players coming back the next season just weren't the same caliber as she is. She'd have an influence for that season, for sure, but those early teams were what they were.

If one of your star freshmen suffered a career-ending injury over the summer and never played another shift for PSU, would you dismiss her impact on Penn State's program moving forward?

Not at all, if she remains involved with the team, like Jenna Brenneman did. Actually, losing her could maybe even be a motivating factor.

I understand that four years is great, but by the same token, a single season is still something.

I'm really not unconditionally dismissing a senior transfer. I just think her impact depends on a lot of things.

[ARM]

It would be like Elizabeth Giguere transferring to Penn State for a fifth year, at the start of Penn State's D-1 era, when struggle was the name of the game. Sure, Giguere would have been fun to watch, but the players coming back the next season just weren't the same caliber as she is.

That is an excellent example. You're right that the first Penn State team was never going to contend, based on the talent on the roster. However, one of the problems with the first Penn State team was that the coach really hadn't been around a D-I hockey program. Had you been able to expose that roster to E.G. for a year, that would have been an eye-opening experience. If you want to be an All-American, this is what you have to do every day.

[ZedLeppelin]

Five are Freshmen. This is the one transfer I know that is coming. https://clarksonathletics.com/sports...-mitchell/6801

Any idea who the fifth freshman is?

[zambonidriver]

Alexis Bedier

L

06/11/03

Lake Country, B.C.

Pursuit of Excellence (CSSHL) former Ohio State commit Causality of Muzzy de-comitting her incoming Freshman class. Picked up in Place of Emma Conner who decomitted to go to Minnesota.

[ZedLeppelin]

Alexis Bedier

L

06/11/03

Lake Country, B.C.

Pursuit of Excellence (CSSHL) former Ohio State commit Causality of Muzzy de-comitting her incoming Freshman class. Picked up in Place of Emma Conner who decomitted to go to Minnesota.

And, just like that, Penn State announces Bedier coming in this season: https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/7/...xi-bedier.aspx

[ZedLeppelin]

So Jeff Kampersal is adding three forwards (Audrey Shirer, Mya Vaslet, and Alexis Bedier) and three defenders (Karley Garcia, Erika Shirer, and fifth-year Clarkson transfer Avery Mitchell) to the roster this season. Penn State's defense only lost Jessica Adolfsson to graduation ("only" being an understatement), but that left Kampersal with just four defenders, so these three defensive newcomers will be expected to work as soon as they start here.

Offensively, everybody's back, plus these three new forwards, so Kampersal will have plenty of options on that side with fifteen forwards to work with. They set the bar for themselves last season - I hope they're putting in the work this summer.

[Reddington]

Hope the former OSU hopeful can play with a chip on her shoulder after watching her OSU commitment video. That really is something that OSU did not honor any of their commitments. Meanwhile, PSU honored all theirs this time around. The coaching staff is awfully quiet this year on the recruiting, but I have wondered in past years if it just means whomever was writing the blurbs in the past year graduated.

[Timothy A]

That really is something that OSU did not honor any of their commitments.

That is a recruiting gift to other schools that will keep on giving.

[zambonidriver]

Don't know if this is a trend or mirage but it seems as if the top WCHA schools are more active using the transfer portal than other schools in college hockey. One has to wonder if recruiting is evening out across the country as the game grows. Wisconsin and OSU seem to be the biggest users of the portal with Duluth starting to become more heavily involved. Minnesota not so much. Seems like Penn State will only use it to fill a glaring need. Brenneman two years ago and now to replace Adolffson. They have 4 pretty good ones with Uhlein, Hemminger, Gangarosa, and Lobdell, so the two additons should fit nicely into a really solid back end. Hopefully the new forwards will add to the fire power up front. The nice thing is it will be real hard to focus on just the line of Heising, Zanon, and Gough, when you also have Weiss, Machado, and Wallin who I think is the female version of Brett Hull, Also a real good third line of Conolly, Ciarochi, and Dobson who provide Energy with scoring add the depth of Promesberger, Byrnes, and Lantto, with the incoming Freshman and you you have some real competition for lineup spots up front. Barring injury they should make their first trip to the big dance this year. Hopefully they will be playing at Pegula. Over Thanksgiving they will get a big test as they will be playing OSU and Duluth in DC. Should be a fun year.