Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1210671
M att Erlichman was out working in the yard. Will Holtforster was toiling away in a class lab. Both got a few calls from an unknown phone number, and they were each pretty irritated by the per- sistence of what they assumed was a tele- marketer on the line. "Finally, I pick it up – mad – and I'm like, 'What do you want?' " Erlichman re- membered. Erlichman and Holtforster quickly real- ized no one was trying to sell them a shady new car insurance plan or tempt them with a "free" vacation. Taking place roughly three years apart, both calls were made by the same man with the same pur- pose. Penn State ice hockey coach Guy Gadowsky was on the other end of the line, try- ing to connect with Erlich- man and Holtforster so he could offer them a spot on Penn State's roster. These were no standard re- cruiting calls. Erlichman and Holtforster each had three years at Penn State under their belts by the time Gadowsky reached out. Both had played goaltender for the Penn State Ice Lions, a club-level team that competes in the ACHA's Division II. Erlichman was the first to make the jump from practicing with his buddies to working out with future pros, when Gad- owsky needed a third goalie for the 2016- 17 season. He spent the next two seasons with the Nittany Lions. In the same posi- tion before this season began, Gadowsky phoned Holtforster. "We tried it with [Erlichman], and it was so great," Gadowsky said. "He's just such a great team guy that came in and the guys loved him. It was just such a hit that we wanted to do it again. "Being a good goaltender is just one of the criteria," Gadowsky added. "There are also musts in terms of [being] a great student, a great person and a great team guy. In [Holtforster's] case, he did all the travel and accommodations for the club team while playing. That just shows you what kind of person he is, and he's just been great." No matter who you ask on Penn State's roster, the sentiment is the same. "They're awesome," starting goalie Peyton Jones said. "They're just guys that are there because they love the game, they love being around the team and the guys. "Will was told right away that he wasn't going to play, and you would never know it," Jones continued. "He's working hard, staying after in the gym and he's always the last one taking shots from the other guys." Erlichman and Holtforster each made impressions on their teammates because of the same traits Jones described. Rarely is either player discussed without an em- phasis on their work ethic. But there was a kind of instant connec- tion between the former club goalies and the rest of the Nittany Lions, too. Both said it didn't take long for them to feel comfortable with their teammates. In Holtforster's case, Aarne Tavlitie went out of his way to make sure he felt welcome when he first arrived. "He comes and gives me a huge hug, this guy I've never met before," Holt- forster said. "I thought it was really cool. That I really helped me feel a part of it." On the ice, things didn't come as easily at first. Quick, well-placed shot releases from players who could very well play in the NHL one day are a little different from what a typical club hockey forward might muster up. Jones, a kind and helpful tutor for both SOMETHING IN RESERVE Goaltending call-ups help strengthen Penn State's varsity ice hockey program | VARSITY VIEWS NET GAINS Erlich- man (left) and Holtforster started out play- ing for the Penn State Ice Lions be- fore being tapped by Guy Gadowsky to join the varsity squad. Photo by David Eckert