“We’re successful because we have guys that are ‘Penn State Tough,’” said head coach Guy Gadowsky. “We play hard, we play physical, we’re hungry to get to the net.”
As a group that has been clever and creative in their scoring methods, Penn State has consistently been near the top of the country in scoring, and is hoping to match, or even exceed those standards after returning to more of its identity last weekend.
The Nittany Lions’ offensive prowess has been a key attribute to their success since joining the Division I ranks in 2012, finishing each season amongst the top scoring in the nation, while encouraging production across the lineup.
Throughout nine games, the Blue and White have had twelve different players record goals, with scoring efforts led by Reese Laubach, Aiden Fink and Danny Dzhaniyev, each tallying four thus far.
While trying to expand on this success, more concentration has been placed on toughness in the neutral zone to allow more opportunities for success as a team; one major point of emphasis in this realm comes down to the faceoffs.
Possession off of the dot has been the biggest improvement amongst the Penn State unit this season, currently averaging a 56% success rate, good for tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally, while on pace to mark the highest team faceoff percentage since the program joined the Big Ten in 2013.
The ‘Penn State Tough’ mentality has served as prime bulletin board material throughout the year, and continues to prevail on the ice, something that has been continuously acknowledged by the coaching staff.
According to Gadowsky, the Nittany Lions have been playing with an unstoppable grit that translates in all zones, and throughout the lineup. Despite dropping the weekend series to Wisconsin, the road ahead looks bright.
Freshman center Charlie Cerrato served as a key contributor this past weekend, registering two goals and an assist as the Nittany Lions attempted to extinguish the Badgers five-game win streak that they entered the series with.
“He’s a very tough kid, he’ll take on anybody, he’s physically very, very strong, but he’s also a skilled guy who makes plays and sees the ice incredibly,” said Gadowsky. “He fits really well into what Penn State does, and I expect him to continue to produce at a high level.”
Not only in finding ways to cut the deficit in the dirty areas, the Maryland native embodies the gritty nature that Penn State prides itself on by dominating in the faceoff circle going 36-of-50, and battling through each 50-50 puck.
“What’s awesome about him is he is already playing great, but he’s nowhere near hitting his ceiling yet,” said teammate Aiden Fink. “He came up when we needed it most, and we’re excited to see what else he can do.”
In an intense night-one battle with the Badgers, the two foes embraced the scrappy nature of Big Ten hockey, demanding production out of all competitors. In a competition that saw the Badgers reach a 3-1 advantage, the Nittany Lions fueled off that momentum to close out regulation with a 4-4 tie.
Generating the incredible comeback was credited to their ability to score in varying situations, and their discipline on the 50-50 battles. In a high-stakes third period that the Nittany Lions started in a two-goal hole, the defensive unit put on a clinic to give the forwards prime opportunities to come back.
Penn State registered 27 blocked shots throughout the series to keep the Blue & White competing, junior Jarod Crespo led the charge with six blocks alone.
Looking forward, the Nittany Lions welcome the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines in their weekend slate, followed by a midweek series against Colgate, which will be played next Tuesday and Wednesday.