Blue White Illustrated

n 2012, Pegula Ice Arena was a hole in the ground, and the Penn State men's ice hockey team was perceived as being in a similar condition, at least in terms of how it compared to the college game's more-established programs. Three years later, the Nittany Lions are coming o7 their 6rst winning season and re- cently produced their 6rst National Hockey League player, as forward Casey Bailey decided in March to forgo his senior season to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bailey was one of the nation's most dynamic o7ensive players this past season, 6nishing in a tie for the Big Ten lead with 22 goals. His strong season helped propel Penn State to an 18-15-4 record. The team also 6nished above .500 in Big Ten play, going 10-9-1. But its season ended on a disap- pointing note with a 3-1 loss to Ohio State in the quarter6nal round of the Big Ten tournament March 19. The Lions will lose one of Bailey's line mates, Taylor Holstrom, as well as goalie P.J. Musico, forwards Patrick Koudys, Max Gardiner and Jacob Friedman, and de- fensemen Peter Sweetland and Nate Jensen. Looking ahead, coach Guy Gadowksy is relying on returnees to 6ll the void le8 by those eight departing players. He has made sure that all the returnees know they are going to be relied upon in 2015- 16 and know it is in their "best interest" to come back a8er the summer in the best shape possible. "Everybody that we have coming back had better be ready to go from the start, because they will be very much counted on," Gadowsky said. Named the Big Ten Coach of the Year, Gadowsky knows it's up to the players to show the initiative needed for Penn State to take that next step. If the Lions are to continue their steady improvement, one of the key players will likely be forward Scott Conway. In his debut season, Conway totaled 10 goals and 16 assists. He earned a spot on the Big Ten's All-Freshman team and enjoyed what Gadowsky called a "really good o7en- sive year." Despite his early success, Conway has plenty of room for improvement in his game, Gadowsky said. "I look forward to seeing the commitment he shows toward that," he said. "I think he can be a top player in this league." Another player Gadowsky talked about frequently this past season was forward Eric Scheid. The coaches liked Scheid's quickness, and while they don't know if he has "another gear," Gadowsky is eager to see the redshirt junior continue his de- velopment. "As a coaching sta7, we are excited to see if he takes another step," Gadowsky said. "This year, when he was healthy, he looked like he was playing at another speed. I'm curious to see what he brings next." However, the Nittany Lions' future suc- cess is not going to be determined by one player, one speci6c improvement or one | I CONSTRUCTION ZONE After first winning season, Lions seek continued improvement ICE HOCKEY GADOWSKY Bailey is first Lion to play in NHL One week after wrapping up his Penn State career at the Big Ten tournament, junior forward Casey Bailey made his NHL debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 26, playing against the Florida Pan- thers. Bailey's decision to skip his senior season deprives the Nittany Lions of their top goal-scorer, but coach Guy Gadowsky isn't fixated on the im- pact of his departure on next sea- son's outlook. "In the long run, it's going to be nice for the program," he said. "It's going to be a hit short-term be- cause he was such a big part of our team and such a big part of our of- fense."

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