Blue White Illustrated

A t the conclusion of its 34-game reg- ular season, it was still difficult to measure just how good the Penn State men's ice hockey team really was. The Nittany Lions ascended to the top of the USCHO poll for the first time in pro- gram history after carving up a noncon- ference slate that included only two games against teams in the top third of the Pair- Wise rankings, but they fell on hard times shortly thereafter. Penn State went 10-9- 1 in Big Ten play and fin- ished fourth in the six-team conference, a performance that raised questions about the le- gitimacy of its early- season dominance. But in March, the Nit- tany Lions put all those doubts to rest, as they bookended their fast start with an even more impressive postseason run. After opening the Big Ten tournament with a 4-1 rout of a Michigan team that had swept them a week earlier, the Lions defeated regular-season con- ference champion Minnesota, 4-3, in a double-overtime thriller in the semifi- nals. The final against Wisconsin also went to double OT, and Penn State perse- vered, claiming its first conference tour- nament championship when Liam Folkes found the back of the net on a breakaway to deliver a 2-1 victory. Coach Guy Gadowsky was thrilled with his team's performance in Detroit. "I'm just so incredibly impressed with what they did physically and the mental tough- ness to do that," he said. "I think it's fan- tastic, to win the Big Ten title the way it was won. It was so much fun to be a part of, and I'm so impressed with the guys to be able to do that." On the heels of its Big Ten tournament heroics, Penn State earned its first berth in the NCAA tournament, where it made yet another statement, thrashing ECAC co-champion Union College, 10-3, before bowing out with a 6-3 loss to Denver, the first overall seed. The Nittany Lions fin- ished their season just one win short of the Frozen Four. Calling the win over Union "validating," Gadowsky said it was important to see how the Lions matched up against some of the nation's top teams. "I think every experience you have when you play is a good opportunity to learn," he said. "When you make a couple mistakes that cause you to lose, that lesson sticks, and that's what happened. So, by compet- ing against excellent teams like Denver and Minnesota, you certainly learn areas where you have to get better, which you might not realize in other situations." With a wealth of talent due to return to Pegula Ice Arena next fall, that exposure to high-stakes hockey against elite com- petition could prove extremely valuable. The Lions may have lost sophomore All- Big Ten defenseman Vince Pedrie to the pros, but they are expected to return 22 players from this season's roster, includ- ing five of their top seven point scorers. Among the most notable returnees is electrifying forward Denis Smirnov, who led the Lions in both points and assists as a freshman. Joining him up front is An- drew Sturtz, the team's leading goal scorer. On the blue line, Erik Autio, who held the nation's top plus/minus rating (plus- 33) going into the season's final weekend, will return for his senior year, along with hard-hitting Trevor Hamilton. But perhaps the most exciting returning player for Penn State is the one who stands between the pipes. Freshman goaltender Peyton Jones was outstanding in the post- season, leading his team to the Big Ten title with a stellar performance against Min- nesota before putting on a 51-save clinic against Wisconsin in the title game. Gadowsky said the emergence of Jones, along with backups Chris Funkey and Matt Erlichmen, has him feeling ex- tremely comfortable going into next sea- son. It's a sharp contrast from the previous off-season, in which there were questions about how Penn State would fill the position after Eamon McAdam opted to forgo his final season to sign with the New York Islanders. "I remember being very, very nervous after Eamon signed because we had no idea," Gadowsky said. "Now we have a very good idea, and we feel good about that position for sure." Despite the team's breakout perform- ance, Jones wasn't entirely satisfied. "We had a great year this year, we accom- plished a lot, but there's still a lot to ac- complish," he said. "There's still winning a regional championship, going to a Frozen Four, winning a national champi- onship." ■ JONES Two Penn Staters ink pro contracts Sophomore defenseman Vince Pedrie has decided to forgo his last two seasons at Penn State, opting to sign a professional contract with the New York Rangers. Pedrie's pact is a two-way deal with the Rangers and their American Hockey League a:liate, the Hart- ford Wolfpack. Senior Zach Saar also inked a pro deal a;er the season. The 6-6, 225- pound winger signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The Gulls are an a:li- ate of the Anaheim Ducks. ■ GOING OUT IN STYLE Nittany Lions feeling upbeat about future after postseason surge I C E H O C K E Y |

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