Nittany Lions ready to skate into Big Apple

David Thompson can remember when he hit the ice at Madison Square Garden for the first time last season.

The Penn State men’s hockey team was playing Cornell at New York’s legendary arena just after Thanksgiving, and it was hard for the Nittany Lions not to look up and around.

The junior defenseman remembered seeing — and hearing — the thousands of Big Red fans as he hit the ice.

“It felt like we were in an NHL rink playing an actual away game,” Thompson said. “It was kind of cool to go in there, try to win an away game in someone else’s rink.”

The Nittany Lions are returning to the World’s Most Famous Arena on Saturday night. They expect the experience to be just as special, with a few more of their own supporters in the seats.

No. 15 Penn State (16-6-3, 6-3) will tangle with No. 6 Michigan (15-3-4, 6-1-2-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday in the nightcap of a unique Big Ten doubleheader. The schools’ men’s basketball teams will meet at noon to open the day.

The arena certainly has had its share of highlights over its life, from Stanley Cup finals to NBA championships, from boxing title bouts to tennis matches to concerts, it’s a building that oozes history.

“You look in the rafters, you see the banners that are hanging,” Thompson said. “You see everyone that’s performed there and played, the (retired) numbers that are up there — it’s pretty breathtaking. It’s really cool to take it all in.”

The native of Glen Mills, outside Philadelphia, has played in his share of major rinks during his hockey life, and he even got to score a goal at Wells Fargo Center last season, but he knows how special New York can be.

“I love going home and playing in Philadelphia, don’t get me wrong,” Thompson said. “But there’s something about going to MSG … with all the history that’s been through there.”

Oddly, just nine of the 18 Penn State skaters on the ice last year are still with the team this season, so it will still be a new experience for many Lions.

“It’s going to be awesome,” said junior forward Zach Saar, who was recovering from hip surgery during last season’s trip. “I’ve been a lot of places but I haven’t been to New York City.”

While they all will appreciate the history, it’s not going to be a major jolt to either team, with NHL rinks in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Detroit a stop for one or both just in the last year.

“Usually when you step out on the ice with these big venues, it’s pretty cool for the first part,” Saar said. “Then you realize, it’s all the same ice, whether it’s a community rink or this. So you kind of get back to hockey.”

They also hope their locker room will be one meant for hockey teams — and not for basketball players.

“I know sometimes when you go there they put you in basketball away locker rooms,” Thompson said with a grin. “You have the (dressing room) stalls that are way up there. … Some of the smaller guys might have some issues grabbing their helmets when they’re ready to go.”

The most important thing, however, is to pick up a win — the Nittany Lions will be looking to bounce back after falling 7-4 Thursday night at Pegula Ice Arena. The game featured plenty of highlight passing and plays, and a lot of end-to-end action. But the talented Wolverines were tough to keep up with at times.

The teams also are battling for spots in the Big Ten standings. They were knotted in second place, six points behind Minnesota, before the Wolverines won Thursday, and Saturday marks the midpoint of the conference schedule for Penn State.

“Once the game gets started it’s just another hockey game,” Michigan freshman forward Kyle Connor said after scoring two goals in Thursday’s game. “There’s three points on the line in the Big Ten. It’s going to be cool once we get there to take it in, kind of experience MSG, but we’ve got to focus on the game.”

This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 10:45 PM with the headline "Nittany Lions ready to skate into Big Apple."