Unusual week ends with historic event for PSU
The Penn State men’s hockey team is facing a bit of an unusual schedule this week, although they have known it was coming for nearly a year.
The No. 15 Nittany Lions face No. 6 Michigan, first at 7 p.m. Thursday — already different from the normal schedule — at Pegula Ice Arena, then as part of a unique doubleheader at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The two schools first meet on the basketball court at noon, then the hockey teams battle at 7 p.m. in the same arena.
The schedule means many things change from the standard games on consecutive days, at the same rink, and throws in the challenge of navigating midtown Manhattan.
Among the different items on the itinerary, the team will have a practice session on Friday at home before heading to New York, and on Saturday there will not be a morning skate at the arena — since the ice will be covered by a basketball court.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky is not concerned about the lack of an early practice session at the arena.
“Personally, I think those are way overrated in my mind,” Gadowsky said. “They’re somewhat good for the goaltenders to get out and look at the angles, look at the puck in the building.”
The team also did not get a morning skate last season when the Nittany Lions met Cornell the Saturday after Thanksgiving. While it would be beneficial not only for the goaltenders to figure out how to track pucks, and also for the skaters to be accustomed to the ice and how pucks bounce off boards, it’s not something anyone should be expecting.
“Growing up, especially the majority if not all these guys, are coming from junior hockey where you’re traveling,” Gadowsky said, “playing in one city one night, traveling through the night and playing in another city another night. Often pregame skates are not the norm. You get used to it.”
The morning skate does help wake up the athletes’ bodies, but they will just have to find other ways to adjust, in their hotel or elsewhere.
“I’m just going to substitute something else,” said defenseman David Thompson, who played in the game there last year against Cornell. “Whether it be stretching or film rolling before instead, instead of getting out on the ice.”
What do you know now?
For fans who do make the trip to New York, if they are looking for the team on its way to the arena, don’t look above ground.
“This year we’re going to take the subway from the hotel instead of trying to time traffic,” Gadowsky said.
With the team hotel a good 20 blocks north near Central Park, last year they were stuck in traffic for a while. This time they expect get to the arena a little quicker, even if they all will need tokens.
“We’re not going to make that mistake again,” Gadowsky said.
There are no plans to take the entire team to the arena for the basketball game, since it is so far away, but Gadowsky did not rule out some individuals making the trek on their own.
However, some haven’t even gotten around to planning their Saturday just yet, or worrying about the subway ride.
“I’m not a huge itinerary guy,” forward Zach Saar said. “I pull it up the day before and make sure I’m there. I hear a lot of the Rangers have to do that (take the subway). Definitely a different world there.”
They will be in town Friday night, so they also get to wander around then.
“Maybe the night before walk around Times Square a little bit,” Thompson said.” Be a nice little tourist for a while.”
Ice adjustments
With the tight turnaround from a covered ice rink for the basketball game, it may mean the ice will not be optimal. It may be soft, bouncy or choppy, but since it will be same for both sides, and given it’s a fairly typical day for the historic, busy arena, the Nittany Lions are not going to worry about potential difficulties.
“There’s always problems with that,” Thompson said. “It might be a little rough to start, but I’m trusting the MSG rink staff know what they’re doing.”
This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Unusual week ends with historic event for PSU."