Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/916653
P enn State hockey coach Guy Gad- owsky has only one complaint about senior Trevor Hamilton, and it doesn't relate to his play, but rather his time on the ice. "The only thing I really regret is that we only get him for two years, be- cause we just love him," Gadowsky said. "He's so good for a team, such a good person. Honestly, I wish we could have him for 12 years." Hamilton's route to Penn State was anything but direct. The defenseman from Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., spent his full freshman season at Miami (Ohio) before leaving the Redhawks a year later. He briefly played with three different United States Hockey League teams over the next two seasons before finally find- ing a home at Pegula Ice Arena. Now thriving as a Nittany Lion, Hamil- ton quickly earned the respect of his teammates and Gadowsky with his pro- duction and presence in the locker room. "He's always been an incredible warrior, and that's really his best trait," Gadowsky said. The blue-liner's success starts with his willingness to give up his body in Penn State's defensive zone. Hamilton rarely hesitates to throw himself in front of a shooter, an attitude essential to a Nittany Lion team that struggles to keep oppo- nents out of the back of the net from time to time. Hamilton leads the Nittany Lions in blocked shots and ranks among the na- tion's leaders in that category. Although his jersey isn't embroidered with a cap- tain's letter, each time he blocks a shot, his determination to win ignites a similar fire in his teammates. THE PUCK STOPS HERE Fearless defenseman Trevor Hamilton ranks among the nation's leaders in blocks | HAMILTON VARSITY VIEWS I C E H O C K E Y N O T E B O O K KERR INJURED Penn State will once again be without one of its top defense- men for an inde8nite period. Junior Kevin Kerr su9ered a broken wrist in the Nittany Lions' 4- 0 victory over Ohio State on Dec. 2. Kerr was hurt in the sec- ond period, and al- though he 8nished the game, it is un- known when he will be able to return to the ice. The blue-liner had only recently returned from a lower- body injury that sidelined him for the better part of the season's opening month. Kerr had earned a plus-7 goal differ- ential over four games since returning to the ice, tallying six assists and a goal. "Talk about kicking someone while he's down – it's tough," said Trevor Hamilton, who had been Kerr's defen- sive partner since his return. "Kevin's a strong kid. Obviously, we've got a break [in the schedule] coming up here soon. If it was to happen, it happened at a good time. I'm excited to have him back. I hope he heals well." Kerr was the second of Penn State's top four defensemen to be sidelined this season. Erik Autio su9ered an in- jury against Arizona State in mid-No- vember, and coach Guy Gadowsky had no update on his status at his Dec. 5 news conference. Despite those injuries, the Nittany Lions had won six of eight a:er sweep- ing a two-game home-and-home se- ries against Robert Morris Dec. 8-9 and were up to No. 15 in the USCHO.com poll. The games against the Colonials were the last ones for Penn State for nearly a month. The fall semester break extends through the rest of the year, as the Nittany Lions won't be back in ac- tion until Jan. 5 when they welcome Wisconsin to Pegula Ice Arena for the opener of a two-game weekend series. SMIRNOV LINE CLICKS Gadowsky said he thought some rust was evident when sophomore forward Denis Smirnov, Penn State's top o9ensive threat, made his return against Ohio State a:er missing the team's Novem- ber schedule with an illness. But that didn't stop his unit from making an im- pact. The line of Smirnov, Brandon Biro and Nate Sucese was on the ice for three even-strength goals over the weekend, as the Nittany Lions' most dangerous group of forwards was re- united for the first time in eight games. "Any time you take three guys as skilled and talented as they are, we ex- KERR