Sept. 5, 2017
UNIVERSITY Park, Pa. - Head Coach Guy Gadowsky and the Penn State men's ice hockey team announced team captains for the 2017-18 season on Tuesday afternoon. Senior James Robinson (Cochrane, Alb.) will don the 'C' while classmate Erik Autio (Espoo, Finland) and junior Chase Berger (St. Louis, Mo.) serve as alternates.
"I just feel incredibly humbled," commented Robinson. "You look around the room and we have an outstanding number of guys who could be wearing letters this year. It's an honor and a privilege to be a captain for Penn State."
After returning from an upper body injury which held him out all of the 2015-16 season, Robinson appeared in 26 games as a junior last year. Even though he had played just one shift during his sophomore season Robinson's peers voted him a captain last year where he wore an 'A'. In 2017-18 Robinson will become the fifth different captain in Penn State history as he replaces 2016-17 captain David Goodwin '17.
Autio has appeared in all but six games during his first three seasons in Happy Valley including all 39 games last season. The Finnish blue-liner potted three goals while adding 15 assists last year for 18 points and led the entire nation in plus/minus with a plus-33 rating in 2016-17.
Berger hasn't missed a single game since stepping foot on campus in the fall of 2015. He has appeared in all 77 games scoring 26 goals while adding 36 assists for 62 points including 36 points last season, good for fourth on the team. Both Autio and Berger will be wearing letters for the first time when the puck drops on October 6 at Clarkson.
Your first chance to see the Nittany Lions on home ice will be on October 1 when they host Ottawa as part of the International Game. The 2017-18 regular season home opener will be on October 19 against American International College. Verified resale tickets and scattered single seats are still available HERE or you can call 1-800-NITTANY for standing room only.