After a non-conference loss, Penn State men’s hockey’s next games have added importance
It might be early for urgency, but there’s no doubt Penn State’s two-game non-conference men’s hockey series that begins Thursday night in Pegula Ice Arena is important.
Fifteenth-ranked Penn State split last week’s home series with AIC (the series-ending loss Saturday snapped a 21-game non-conference winning streak) so another non-conference loss would not be helpful in the team’s pursuit of postseason play.
Yes, it matters even in October — or maybe especially at this time of year.
“You can argue they’re more important because of the PairWise ranking and how the RPI works, and we believe that,” coach Guy Gadowsky said. “The fact that we lost one, especially compared to last year, makes the remaining games very important.”
There’s no arguing why Penn State lost. Faceoffs and odd-man rushes were a problem. Penn State did not have enough success in either area.
In addition, the Nittany Lions again started slowly, looking a little ill-prepared or unmotivated from the outset. It was an issue for the second weekend in a row for the team, which ranks as the nation’s oldest (22 years, 2 months) and seemingly should have the experience to be prepared.
Gadowsky, who enters this week with 198 victories at Penn State, said he and his staff generally leave me motivation part of game preparation to the team’s leadership group.
“Our coaches’ job is not to come in with pom-poms and get you going,” said Gadowsky, who’s 371-367-62 in 24 seasons of coaching. “If we’re going to take it that it’s on us to motivate them every game, then I don’t think we’re doing them a favor.”
He said he likes the approach of the team’s lead-by-example, quiet leaders and believes the slight early season struggles are important — at least as a potential learning opportunity.
Alaska Anchorage, which did not put a team on the ice in 2020-21 and 2021-22 after the WCHA disbanded, went 8-19-1 last season as an independent. This season’s team has split its first three series (against UMass Lowell, Lake Superior State and Air Force) and is making its second trip to the Lower 48 with this visit to Happy Valley.
The Seawolves go back north after this week and returns south four more times — visiting Arizona State and Wisconsin (Nov. 17-25), UMass (Dec. 8-9), Providence (Jan. 19-20), and Lindenwood and Augustana, both located in Missouri (Feb. 16-24).
No. 15 Penn State (4-1) vs. Alaska Anchorage (3-3)
Series: 7 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast(s): 103.1 FM, GoPSUsports.com
Notable: Penn State leads the all-time series, 3-1-2, although the teams have not met since 2016. … Junior forward Maximilion Helgeson leads Alaska Anchorage with four goals and seven points. … Four of the Seawolves’ first six games have been decided by one goal, and the team has played into overtime twice already. … Penn State has allowed an average of 20.4 shots per game during its first five non-conference matchups. That number ranks fourth nationally.