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and white jersey, sporting a 14-1-1 record in net through the team's first 19 games. A native of Bensalem, Pa., he was lead- ing the Big Ten in goals against average (2.04), while also ranking in the top 20 nationally in save percentage (.918). Jones' numbers place him among the top freshman goalies in the country, and that's all that his head coach needs to see. "In the goaltending position, we really make it clear that we evaluate on num- bers," Gadowsky said. "[We evaluate] on wins and losses, your goals against, your save percentage and then your work ethic, commitment and how you are as a team- mate and how well you represent Penn State University." From the season's onset, Jones has proven that he has the ability to thrive under pressure. In his regular-season debut against 16th-ranked St. Lawrence, Jones helped to stave off a fierce third- period rally by the Saints and preserved a win for the Lions that kick-started their excellent first half. Jones again displayed his affinity for the clutch moment in the crucial finale of Penn State's series with Ohio State. The Lions were sent to the penalty box seven times, an unusually high total for a squad that had accumulated the 10th-fewest penalty minutes in the nation. But Jones again proved equal to the task, saving 24 shots and holding the Buckeyes to two goals, as Penn State avoided the sweep to remain atop the Big Ten standings. Gadowsky said he's confident in Jones' ability to be the stopper that the Lions need him to be when they aren't playing well. "He's actually been very timely, so he's made big saves when we've needed them, and quite honestly, Chris Funkey has as well," Gadowsky said. "We've gotten big, big saves. He's stopped a 2-on-0, he's had to make huge saves to keep us ahead, and although I can say that I expect that to be consistent moving forward because he's shown that all along, I certainly hope we don't put him in that position very often. We put him in that position a lot more [against Ohio State] than we would like." Despite his quick ascent, Jones isn't getting caught up in his own success. He prefers to focus on the team's develop- ment. "It's cool to see where we're ranked, but it's all about getting better every day, working on the way we play, and just get- ting better at playing Penn State hockey," Jones said. "I think the more we work on that, the more it shows on the ice, and the more it will pay off in the long run." ■ MEN'S ICE HOCKEY Lions surge past Spartans for sweep Four goals in the third period helped Penn State erase a one-goal de9cit and earn a weekend sweep against Michigan State. The fourth- ranked Nittany Lions surged to a 5-3 victory Jan. 14 at Pegula Ice Arena, improving to 16-2-1 and 5-1-0-0 in the Big Ten. Rallying from a 5- 2 loss to the Lions in the series opener, Michigan State opened the scoring in the 9rst period, as Taro Hirose stayed with the play a:er his initial shot was stopped and col- lected the rebound in the right slot, beating freshman goaltender Peyton Jones under the le: pad. A:er Penn State's Chase Berger tied the score early in the second period, the Spar- tans regained the lead on a power play goal by Mason Appleton later in the period. But the third period belonged to the hosts. Penn State tied the score on a goal by Ricky DeRosa, then took its 9rst lead on a power play goal by Dylan Richard. Nine seconds a:er Richard's tally, Berger scored again, and Denis Smirnov added a late goal to give the Lions an insurmountable lead. "I thought it was a really good game all along," Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said. "I don't think we lacked. I thought we played very well the entire game. I give our guys a ton of credit. This was an excellent game and an excellent win." Jones improved to 14-1-1 on the year a:er collecting 25 saves. He be- came the all-time leader at Penn State for single-season wins by a goaltender, breaking Eamon McAdam's record of 13 from last season. ■ Recent signee Brett Murray, a Buf- falo Sabres draft pick from Toronto, announced in December that he was forgoing the remainder of his junior hockey season in order to enroll a se- mester early at Penn State. A 6-foot-5, 222-pound forward, Murray played the first half of the 2016-17 season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League. In 27 games with Youngstown, Mur- ray collected 20 points on seven goals and 13 assists while turning in a plus- nine rating. His point total was good for third on the team, while his 13 as- sists paced the squad and his goals were the third-highest mark through the opening half of the season. "At 6-5, Brett is an imposing power forward," coach Guy Gadowsky said. "His ability to both think the game and get up and down the ice will allow him to make a smooth transi- tion to college hockey." Murray was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Draft last June by the Sabres. He made his Penn State debut on Jan. 13, collecting an assist in the Nittany Lions' 5-2 vic- tory over Michigan State at Pegula Ice Arena. ■ BERGER Sabres draftee joins PSU in January

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