Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1179560
A s the emotional spark plug and flashy playmaker at the center of a line that spent the past season and a half grinding up college hockey's defenses, Evan Barratt isn't new to the idea of dominance. But that doesn't stop the goose bumps from popping up when Barratt talks about his place alongside Alex Limoges and Liam Folkes and just how good they've been together. "I mean, I get chills," Barratt said, motioning to his arm. "When we started this the sec- ond half of [my] freshman year, no one knew. We didn't know, we just enjoyed what we do." Everything about this trio's success is organic, from the line's con- ception on a whim to the freewheeling way it moves around as one on the ice. The passing is pristine, the stickhandling creative. And of course, the finishing ability is potent. Barratt, Limoges and Folkes combined to score 57 times last season. Two of col- lege hockey's 60 teams never reached that total, with Alaska An- chorage and Colgate limping their way to 40 and 55 goals, respec- tively. No three players on any other team – never mind the same line – filled the net more than Barratt, Limoges and Folkes did last season. Now they're back, with the kind of cohesiveness and continuity that's rare in a sport that tends to graduate a hefty portion of its best talent to the NHL ranks after every season. Each player returned for his own rea- sons. Hip surgery squashed any ideas of Barratt joining the Chicago Blackhawks – who own his draft rights – in the spring. Limoges drew interest from NHL teams as a free agent but said he's close to fin- ishing his degree in supply chain man- agement. The interest wasn't as heavy for Folkes, who had an easier choice. No matter their personal circum- stances, though, the three players em- M E N ' S I C E H O C K E Y LAMP LIGHTER As a sophomore, Bar- ratt scored 16 goals and tied for the team lead with 27 assists last season. His 43 points were the third-highest total in school his- tory. Photo by Ryan Snyder TRIPLE THREAT Penn State's Barratt-Limoges-Folkes line looks to continue its o!ensive dominance |