Penn State men’s hockey to open Big Ten Conference play with home series against Notre Dame
Some builders and construction workers would probably complain about architects, suggesting certain ideas that look good on paper might not be so simple to execute in reality.
It turns out that’s the case in college hockey, too.
As 17th-ranked Penn State opens Big Ten Conference play this weekend with a two-game home series against Notre Dame, it’s seeking to produce a consistent level of intensity and performance — which has been elusive since the start of the season.
“The coaching staff gives us the blueprint to win, but ultimately our leadership has to be better and we need to hold ourselves more accountable and execute what they want us to do — and then we’re going to have success,” said captain Christian Berger. “We know what we have to do to succeed, sticking to all those details the coaching staff preaches, but sometimes it’s not easy.”
Penn State has struggled with that consistency from game to game and sometimes from period to period through the season’s first seven games.
Finding it gets no easier with the Fighting Irish in town because conference play usually brings an added level of intensity and physicality. Plus, the stakes are higher with wins and losses translating to points in the conference standings.
Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky has experienced this before, though, and knows every team must adapt, grow and learn those lessons on its own. That does not minimize any frustration that invariably accompanies the process, or the early season struggles.
“Right now it’s an educational mindset,” he said. “Every team goes through its own unique challenges, yet you can learn from the past. It takes a real mindset that you have to develop and right now this team doesn’t have it or took it for granted, one of the two.”
Still, Gadowsky has consistently praised the calm, quiet leadership of Berger, a senior defenseman, and alternate captains Xander Lamppa and Christian Sarlo, both senior forwards. Ultimately, it falls on them to help bring the plan to life on the ice.
Berger said it’s important not to forget what’s already happened because it provides a lesson and an opportunity to improve.
Things have not been much easier to this point for Notre Dame. While some fret about Penn State’s two non-conference losses (AIC, Alaska Anchorage), the Irish lost three times in non-conference play (Clarkson, RIT and No. 9 Boston University).
They come to town after a non-conference sweep, though, dropping Mercyhurst by a combined 9-3 score last weekend.
Notre Dame has played fewer games (14) in Hockey Valley than any other Penn State opponent.
No. 17 Penn State (5-2) vs. No. Notre Dame (4-3)
Series: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Sunday
Broadcast(s): 103.1 FM, GoPSUsports.com, BTN (Sunday only)
Notable: Notre Dame leads the all-time series, 19-9-3, including an 8-4-2 advantage at Pegula Ice Arena. … Senior forward Landon Slaggert leads Notre Dame (and ranks second nationally) with seven goals. … Junior forward Ryan Kirwan leads Penn State with three goals. … Notre Dame ranks ninth nationally with a .547 faceoff percentage. Penn State is 29th at .507.
