Penn State news by
Penn State's student blog

Topics

More

Penn State Hockey Ranked No. 13 In USCHO Preseason Top 16 Poll

Penn State men’s hockey checked in at No. 13 in the USCHO’s preseason top 16 poll.

The Nittany Lions finished last season at No. 17 in the same poll after narrowly missing out on the NCAA tournament. Guy Gadowsky’s program actually finished at No. 16 in the final PairWise rankings of the 2018-19 season, which would typically be good enough to qualify for the big dance. However, AIC — the No. 31 team in the PairWise — won its conference to earn an automatic bid into the tournament and knock Penn State out of contention.

Penn State has now been ranked in three consecutive USCHO preseason top 16 polls. The Nittany Lions began the 2018-19 season at No. 16 in the poll — a year after starting as the No. 10 team in the nation.

This year’s iteration of the Nittany Lions is poised for a national title run. Gadowsky will return most of his core from the 2018-19 season aside from Chase Berger, Ludvig Larsson, Alec Marsh, Kevin Kerr, Derian Hamilton, and Chris Funkey, who all graduated and are not back with the team.

The team’s top line of Alex Limoges — who led the nation in scoring with 50 points last year — Evan Barratt, and Liam Folkes is back after scoring a combined 135 points (57 goals, 78 assists) last year. Opposing defenses will undoubtedly key on the three forwards this year, but Penn State has a wealth of options beyond them who can score at a high rate.

Seniors Brandon Biro, Nate Sucese, Denis Smirnov, and Nikita Pavlychev are all back, as is sophomore forward Aarne Talvitie. Talvitie, who got his college career off to an excellent start with 16 points in 17 games, is expected to be ready for the start of the year after tearing his ACL while playing for Finland at the 2019 U-20 World Junior Championship.

Although Penn State’s defense has been a sore spot in years past, this year’s back-end returns fourth-year starting goalie Peyton Jones and four of the six regular defensemen in the lineup last season. Cole Hults and Paul DeNaples — a finalist for last season’s Big Ten defensive player of the year award — will be back as the Nittany Lions’ top defensive pairing, while players like Kris Myllari, Evan Bell, and Alex Stevens will bring tons of experience and skill to the blue line.

The Nittany Lions will open their season with a two-game series against Sacred Heart on October 11 and 12 at Pegula Ice Arena.

Your ad blocker is on.

Please choose an option below.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Support quality journalism:
Purchase a Subscription!

About the Author

Mikey Mandarino

In the most upsetting turn of events, Mikey graduated from Penn State with a digital & print journalism degree in the spring of 2020. He covered Penn State football and served as an editor for Onward State from 2018 until his graduation. Mikey is from Bedminster, New Jersey, so naturally, he spends lots of time yelling about all the best things his home state has to offer. Mikey also loves to play golf, but he sucks at it because golf is really hard. If you, for some reason, feel compelled to see what Mikey has to say on the internet, follow him on Twitter @Mikey_Mandarino. You can also get in touch with Mikey via his big-boy email address: michael.p.mandarino@gmail.com

Follow on Another Platform
113kFollowers
157kFollowers
55.7kFollowers
4,570Subscribers
State College Links
Other posts by Mikey

What About The Class Of 2020?

On the heels of concrete plans for the Class of 2021, last year’s seniors still feel hung out to dry.

Dive In: Mikey Mandarino’s Senior Column

Penn State Hockey’s Peyton Jones Signs Two-Year Contract With AHL’s Colorado Eagles

[Photo Story] Penn State vs. Northwestern

After a soggy football Saturday, we rounded up our favorite photos from Penn State’s win over Northwestern.

Penn State Relay For Life Raises $41,519.93 Virtually

The event was done virtually this year due to the coronavirus, however many teams still participated in the event remotely.

Where To Eat In State College Late At Night: Your Penn State Drunk Food Guide

From tacos to pizza to egg rolls, State College has it all when it comes to late-night drunk food.

[Photo Story] Penn State vs. Northwestern

After a soggy football Saturday, we rounded up our favorite photos from Penn State’s win over Northwestern.

[Photo Story] Penn State vs. Northwestern

After a soggy football Saturday, we rounded up our favorite photos from Penn State’s win over Northwestern.

No. 11 Penn State Survives, Downs Northwestern 17-7

The Nittany Lions grinded through some ugly weather to advance to 5-0 on the season.

Gameday Coverage: No. 11 Penn State vs. Northwestern

Get ready for some ugly weather in Happy Valley.

 
Send this to a friend