How Evan Barratt’s versatility on the ice is paying off for Penn State men’s hockey
He’s an elite-level college hockey player, an NHL draft pick, and one of the more consistent and productive members of the ninth-ranked Penn State hockey team.
Still, Evan Barratt often flashes other-sports skills that serve him and the team well. His baseball swing last week was a perfect example.
On the ice, it was highlight-reel material, an opportunistic and important goal off a rebound against Ohio State. It looked like a short, swift batting stroke ideal for punching a hit through the infield. Barratt could appreciate the comparison.
“I played pretty much every sport growing up,” he said. “Anytime a situation like that comes up I feel confident in my abilities.”
Those multisport roots and Barratt’s on-ice confidence, combined with a determined, gritty approach, often pay dividends.
“Those are 100% the reason I play the way I play. I don’t consider myself the most skilled player, the best skater, but I do know when I’m out there I’m giving it my all and working to come out with the puck any way I can,” he said. “That’s, my whole life, the way I’ve played and that’s what’s going to bring me to the next level.”
Barratt’s effort and productivity have been vital for Penn State. He’s second on the team in goals (11, behind Sam Sternschein’s 12), assists (21, behind Nate Sucese’s 24) and points (32, behind Sucese’s 34).
On a talented team, the junior forward often sets a tone. His toughness — and especially his creativity — regularly impress coach Guy Gadowsky.
“You’re dealing with a different animal with his mind. The stuff that he manages to do at game speed is really ridiculous. The reason I can’t tell you how it comes about is because my mind could never do anything like that,” Gadowsky said. “Even though he does practice that stuff, practicing it when no one else is around and doing it at game speed are two completely different things. How he consistently finds unique ways to score is amazing.”
Creativity and mentality matter again this weekend for Penn State as it travels to Wisconsin, which has lost five games in a row and has just three victories in its last 13 Big Ten games.
Conference coaches picked Wisconsin to finish third at the start of the season and the Badgers were ranked as high as sixth nationally in October. They’re likely to miss the NCAA Tournament for the sixth year in a row at this point, though.
While Wisconsin has encouraged its fans to wear pajamas to the Valentine’s Day game, with early arriving students receiving a Wisconsin hockey onesie, Gadowsky knows his team cannot afford to sleep on what he considers an excellent opponent, even if Wisconsin is mired at the bottom of the conference standings.
He believes Penn State’s leaders, including Barratt, will prevent that from happening.
No. 9 Penn State (18-9-3, 10-7-3 Big Ten) at Wisconsin (10-17-1, 5-14-1)
Series: 8 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday
Radio/TV: Game coverage on 103.1 FM and GoPSUsports.com
Notable: Penn State leads the series, 19-12-3, although it’s knotted 6-6-2 at Wisconsin. …. Penn State won both games and outscored Wisconsin, 10-3, during their two-game series at Pegula Ice Arena earlier this season. … Penn State is 15-1-2 this season when scoring first and 14-0-2 when leading after two periods. … Penn State’s Nate Sucese leads the Big Ten with 34 points, just ahead of teammate Evan Barratt and Wisconsin’s Cole Caufield (32 each).
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 5:52 PM.