FanPost

Blue Liner Notes: So October Happened

As I had expected/feared, life got crazy. And while I kept tabs on the teams, finding time to actually write anything about said hockey teams became nonexistent. I'm actually writing this from the hotel while I'm on vacation - a vacation that included a trip to State College to finally experience the Pegula Ice Arena in all of it's shiny, new glory. Consider me thoroughly impressed with the final result - something many years in the making. And with some more time and "seasoned experience" for our fans and student section, it will be an outstanding hockey experience for all who visit. That being said, there were a lot of hockey games since my last posting, so let's get on with this!


NCAA D1 Men:

  • Weekend Results: 10/11 - 4-1 Win vs Army; 10/18 - 5-2 Loss at Air Force; 10/19 - 3-1 Loss at Air Force; 10/25 - 3-3 tie vs. RIT; 10/26 - 5-2 Loss to Vermont (in Philadelphia)
  • Standings: 1-3-1
  • Notes: After a great opening to the season and the Pegula Ice Arena, the men's hockey team has been struggling mightily. Penalties have been killer, averaging 22 PIMs per game (good enough for 6th in the nation). Newcomers David Goodwin and Eric Scheid have led the way in scoring, while last year's scoring leader David Glen has yet to light the lamp. The Nittany Lions will need to keep out of the penalty box if they plan to make a splash in their second season.
  • Upcoming Schedule: The Nittany Lions have a couple of single-game weekends on the horizon. On November 1st, Penn State heads to Pittsburgh to take on Robert Morris. Then, on November 8th, the men start a 5-game home-stretch, welcoming Sacred Heart to the PIA.

NCAA D1 Women:

  • Weekend Results: 10/11 - 5-1 Loss at Quinnipiac; 10/12 - 4-0 Loss at QU; 10/18 - 2-1 Loss vs. Union; 10/19 - 2-1 Win vs. Union; 10/26 - 8-5 Loss vs. New Hampshire; 10/27 - 3-1 Loss vs. UNH.
  • Standings: 2-5-1
  • Notes: There were some flashbacks to last season during the month, with teams peppering the Penn State goalies with shots, and the goalies being the reason PSU were still in those games. Still, the team is showing vast improvement, including the 2-1 win over Union at home. And even though it was in a loss, the 5-goal showing this past weekend against UNH shows there is better scoring depth on this team than last year. It may take another season or two, to continue to add experience and depth, but this ladies team is definitely making strides in the right direction.

    Also, Hannah Hoenshell is a great find out of Plano, TX. She is, dare I say (Dare! Dare!), Kevin Jaeger-esque. Fun to watch when she gets the puck in space. (For those not as familiar with Icers history, some quick stats on Jaeger, and a short video clip of his work.)

  • Upcoming Schedule: On a short week, the ladies open their CHA schedule with a home set against Robert Morris on Thursday (10/31) and Friday (11/1). RMU has opened their season with a strong 6-2 record.

ACHA D2 Ice Lions:

  • Weekend Results: 10/11 - 4-3 win vs. SIU-Edwardsville; 10/12 - 8-3 Win vs. Michigan State; 10/13 - 5-2 Loss vs. Grand Valley State; 10/18 - 3-2 (OT) Loss vs. Rider; 10/26 - 13-1 vs. Monmouth; 10/27 - 21-0 win at Washington & Jeffeson (ACHA D1).
  • Standings: 8-2-0; 3-1-0 MACHA North
  • Notes: The first three games of those results were at the ACHA Showcase in Kalamazoo, MI. The Ice Lions needed a late comeback to take down SIU-E, and then played very well against the defending champion Spartans. GVSU controlled the final game out in Michigan, handing Penn State their first loss of the season. The losing streak was extended the next weekend, when Rider came to State and squeaked out a 3-2 upset win, in overtime, over the Ice Lions. Apparently pissed off about the whole "losing two games" thing, the Ice Lions decimated their opponents this past weekend - rolling over Monmouth 13-1, before going on the road and taking down ACHA D1 W&J by a score of 21-0.

    That's not a typo. (Well, considering W&J an ACHA D1 might be a vast overstatement.) Penn State scored 7 goals in each period, with Ryan Urban, Austin Meehan, Tim Acker, Franky Reluzco, Neil Laessig, Austin Wagoner each scoring two goals in the game. (For those counting at home, that means 9 other guys picked up 1 goal, making it 15 of the 19 skaters scoring a goal.) Outscore your opponents 34-1 in a weekend? Challenge accepted!

  • Upcoming Schedule: The Ice Lions are going to try to keep that scoring-crazy momentum going as they travel to the University of Delaware on Saturday. The boys then travel up to Philly to take on MACHA North foe Temple on Sunday.

ACHA D2 WIHC:

  • Weekend Results: 10/11 - 1-0 Loss at Cal (PA); 10/12 - 3-1 Win at Cal (PA); 10/19 - 2-1 Win vs. Michigan State; 10/20 - 5-3 Win vs. MSU.
  • Standings: 5-1-0 Overall, 1-1-0 CHE
  • Notes: The ladies traveled to Cal (PA) to take on a very talented Vulcans team. In the first ever CHE conference game, the WIHC and the Vulcans played to a near deadlock until Cal found the back of the net late in the 3rd period. The next night, the WIHC bounced back quickly, with Devon Fisk giving PSU a 1-0 lead just 3 minutes into the game. Geneva Wagoner's goal a few minutes later made it a seemingly-insurmountable 2-0 lead. Fisk added a 2nd goal in the 2nd period, and only a 3rd period Vulcan goal kept this from being a shutout. The two evenly matched teams left the weekend with the same season record of 3-1-0.

    The next weekend, the ladies welcomed Michigan State to the PIA, and got their first experience on the main, varsity rink. MSU would take the lead in the first period, but the WIHC wasn't about to let their good momentum go to waste. Elizabeth Denis tied the game early in the 2nd, and Jackie Saideh put PSU up for good with a powerplay goal less than 2 minutes into the 3rd period. Following the 2-1 comeback victory, the two teams faced off again the next morning. And it was the Carly Szyszko show, as the senior captain's hat trick (and first goals of the season, for that matter), lifted the WIHC to a 5-3 win and a weekend sweep. Lacy Yeatman's first career goal tied the game in the 1st, and Geneva Wagoner's 2nd period goal would turn out to be the game winner. But it was the long-time workhorse Szyszko's night, as the hat trick is a great tribute to all of the hard work she's put into women's ice hockey at Penn State - can't forget her freshman year, where she was asked to play goalie while the two starting goalies were representing the USA in the World University Games.

  • Upcoming Schedule: The ladies are off until November 9th and 10th, when they welcome CHE foe and rival-after-one-season the West Chester Rams to the PIA. It will be an important game for the standings, rankings, and bragging rights between the two teams.

You created a Fanpost! Good for you! Any content from a premium site will be deleted once we catch wind of it--as will any inappropriate content. If you simply want to share a link, quote, or video, please consider using Fanshots instead.