Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

[Pigfarmer]

Big ten rules are big ten rules .... They don't relax things

I was talking scholly not transfer

 

[Stripes55]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

They are going to play some club teams and at least one Div 3 teams, so they should be able to get some wins on the record. In terms of the Div 1 competition, they'll probably lose most of the games, but I'm expecting more 4-1 type losses as opposed to 11-0 against the full scholarship teams. Even if the players they are bringing in are competitive, they'll lack the depth to hang with teams for full games.

A bit OT, but when DOES the schedule come out?

 

[4four4]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

Steve or anybody else know if PSU will restore all the old individual and team records before the new season? Or will they start from scratch?

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

I would think proper decorum would allow for the club record books to exist, but that everything else from here on out is considered part of the "varsity" record books.

Put it this way, I would guess that if PSU did a media guide 40 years from now, there will probably be a few pages noting PSU's club history and all the records will reflect varsity accomplishments.

 

[SteveP]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

I would think proper decorum would allow for the club record books to exist, but that everything else from here on out is considered part of the "varsity" record books.

Put it this way, I would guess that if PSU did a media guide 40 years from now, there will probably be a few pages noting PSU's club history and all the records will reflect varsity accomplishments.

Pretty sure that's how it will happen. There will also be a reference to the original varsity teams in the 40s and the Icers will be an integral part of the timeline display in the Pegula Ice Arena.

As for the schedule - no word yet on when it will be released.

 

[4four4]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

I would think proper decorum would allow for the club record books to exist, but that everything else from here on out is considered part of the "varsity" record books.

Put it this way, I would guess that if PSU did a media guide 40 years from now, there will probably be a few pages noting PSU's club history and all the records will reflect varsity accomplishments.

In your opinion will history of the 1940's varsity teams be used with the new varsity teams?

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

In your opinion will history of the 1940's varsity teams be used with the new varsity teams?

In theory, I don't see why they shouldn't be. I'm pretty sure UW's media guide included the information from the first incarnation of the varsity program.

 

[sideshowbob]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

In theory, I don't see why they shouldn't be. I'm pretty sure UW's media guide included the information from the first incarnation of the varsity program.

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.

 

[4four4]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

So the top point leader of next years team probably will not be the varsity all time points leader in PSU history?

 

[SteveP]

Re: Penn State Recruiting Thread - Let the Fun Begin

So the top point leader of next years team probably will not be the varsity all time points leader in PSU history?

Neither will this year's #2 scorer.

 

[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!

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/p9LzHgRIU_g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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.

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1FKPKzZ-in8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[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.