Penn State men’s hockey looks to answer key questions as non-conference play winds down
A two-game series that winds down the non-conference schedule for the Penn State men’s hockey team this weekend offers a lot of opportunity, maybe a bit of necessity and even some urgency.
Fifth-ranked Penn State has started the season well, but questions remain about some important things — notably the makeup of what could be one of its top offensive lines.
Along with that, the team’s short but important to-do list for this weekend includes finding a solution to its penalty problems and making some progress determining who’ll get more playing time in goal.
While one line (Matt DiMarsico-Charlie Cerrato-JJ Wiebusch) has been productive and reliable dating to last season, the line with presumptive No. 1 NHL Draft pick Gavin McKenna has not. He’s on one side and Aiden Fink, a preseason all-conference pick and Hobey Baker Award finalist last season, is on the other.
Maybe it’s an abundance of courtesy. Maybe it’s a lack of familiarity and synergy.
Either way, coach Guy Gadowsky has experimented with centers to get the line going and that will continue. Four different centers have paired with Fink and McKenna through the first four games.
“They both have a great deal of respect for each other and they’re both team guys, but at some point, I think they’re both goal scorers at heart and they’re going to adjust and start playing an attack-first game rather than a pass-first game,” Gadowsky said. “When that happens, I think they’ll take off.”
The line has not scored a lot, but it has had chances — and Gadowsky is hopeful chances will eventually lead to goals. So, adjusting that line, and some others, will continue.
He hoped to pin down most lines and defensive pairings by the start of Big Ten Conference play, which begins next weekend at Ohio State. With that tight timeline, solid, unchanging pairings are unlikely.
He’s confident there will be progress, though, and understands changes may come as the result of conference play as well.
Likewise, the team has confidence in its two goaltender options, with Josh Fleming and Kevin Reidler likely to split the starts against Stonehill. Having someone in firm control of the position will also take time.
“We’re waiting to see what happens,” Gadowsky said. “We’ll reassess next week.”
Penalties might be the team’s most pressing problem, though. Penn State leads the nation with 175 penalty minutes, and it’s comfortably in the lead (Clarkson is second with 109). Penn State has allowed its opponents 31 power-play opportunities through the first six games.
That’s in part because its opponents have embraced a physical style of play, attempting to limit Penn State’s preferred fast-paced approach. While officiating plays a role in penalties, Gadowsky said the team needs to do a better job controlling what can, which might be its reaction to how games are played and officiated.
It’ll likely be the approach by all opponents this season.
“I don’t think we’re going to play any teams that come in here and don’t bring their absolute best. And then with the amount of noise we’ve had since the second half of last season and carrying into the summer, we recognize that,” Gadowsky said. “We can expect that every week.”
Players understand that expectations, prior success and highly touted teammates mean opponents with something to prove.
Defenseman Jackson Smith, a first-round pick this summer by the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, appreciates the challenge — and anticipates facing it with his teammates, including McKenna.
“Usually, I just try to focus on my game, and not what the other team thinks,” Smith said. “I’ve played with Gavin and against him through the years. It’s better to play with him.”
No. 5 Penn State (5-1) vs. Stonehill (1-4)
Series: 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday
Audio/Radio: 93.7 FM, GoPSUsports.com
Streaming/TV: B1G+
Notable: This is the first meeting for the programs. ... Penn State’s JJ Wiebusch leads the nation with seven goals, and linemate Charlie Cerrato leads the nation averaging 2.5 points per game. ... Penn State has won 50.5% of its faceoffs and Stonehill has won 50.2%. ... Nolan Collins leads Penn State with seven visits to the penalty box and 22 minutes served. ... Casey Aman has a team-high 15 blocked shots for Penn State.