Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey

Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey, formerly known as the Penn State Icers (the name for the former ACHA team), is a college ice hockey program that represents the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to the 2012–13 season the program was designated a club sport and competed at the ACHA Division I level. PSU was previously a member of the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL, although the team competed as an independent ACHA D-I member for the 2011–12 season before moving to the NCAA D-I level. They play at the Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania.
==History==
Penn State ice hockey was inaugurated in 1938, aside from two games in 1909–10. Penn State fielded a varsity hockey team for five seasons in the 1940s (1940–44, 1946–47) before the sport was dropped due to limited facilities.
===ACHA years===
The current program traces its roots back to 1971 when the program was restarted at the non-NCAA level. Consensus in the ice hockey community considered Penn State to play on a level comparable to NCAA Division III teams, with whom Penn State routinely scheduled games prior to the move to Division I. The Icers also played Division I, in-state opponent Robert Morris.
When the program was resumed in 1971, it began playing a mix of non-NCAA club teams, NAIA teams and DIII teams. In 1975–76 season Penn State became the first college ice hockey team to play in Europe. The team moved to the on-campus Greenberg Ice Pavilion, now known as the Penn State Ice Pavilion, in 1980. The 1,350-seat facility was the home of PSU hockey until 2013.
From 1971 to 2012, Penn State teams won 7 ACHA National Championships, were runners-up 9 times, appeared in 29 ACHA postseason tournaments (including 10 consecutive championship games), won 9 conference playoff titles and recorded 8 conference regular season championships.
 
In the program's final season as a member of the ACHA, the team was led by Guy Gadowsky, who stayed on to coach as the team began play in the NCAA. Gadowsky brought a number of transfers and recruits for the NCAA DI team to prepare for a transition from club to varsity status. The team finished the regular season with a record of 27–4 and received a bid to the 2012 ACHA DI National Tournament as the number one seed and ranked first in the ACHA. In the tournament, the Icers defeated West Virginia 4–1, followed by Oklahoma 6–3. In the semifinal round, Penn State faced Oakland (MI), who were ranked as the thirteenth seed. The game was a rematch of 2007 ACHA championship when the Golden Grizzlies upset the Icers. In a repeat of 2007, Oakland ended Penn State's season and era in the ACHA by a score of 5–3. 
The Icers finished the season with an overall record of 29–5, 29–4 in ACHA competition and a 6–3 loss to NCAA Division II Neumann at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as part of the 2012 NHL Winter Classic events in front of a crowd of 6,800.
===Move to NCAA===
Over the summer of 2010 it was reported that Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and Terrence Pegula, a PSU alumnus, billionaire hockey fan, and possible large donor visited Minnesota’s hockey facilities and the new on-campus Notre Dame Ice Arena currently under construction at Notre Dame and other Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) schools. Pegula, who would eventually go on to purchase the Buffalo Sabres, donated US$88 million (later upgraded to US$102 million) to the Penn State hockey programs for the purpose of building an arena.
 In August 2010 Tom Anastos, CCHA commissioner said the CCHA was interested in adding Penn State as a 12th member after Nebraska-Omaha left the league to join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Without a women's league the women's team would not join the CCHA, speculation had the women's team joining College Hockey America (CHA), currently a 5-team league with teams in Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York.
On September 17, 2010, after years of speculation, it was officially announced the program would move to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level along with the PSU women's ice hockey team starting in the 2012–13 season and the program would initially compete as an independent team until the new arena was completed in 2013. The university also announced the construction of a new 6,000-seat ice arena to replace the undersized and aging 1,350-seat Penn State Ice Pavilion.
Following the announcement by Penn State, the Big Ten Conference announced that the conference planned to begin sponsoring men's ice hockey in the 2013–14 season combining Penn State with Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University from the CCHA as well as the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin from the WCHA to form the six-member Big Ten Hockey Conference.
On March 26, 2015, Casey Bailey became the first Penn State player to play in the National Hockey League, debuting for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 4–1 loss to the Florida Panthers.
In 2017, Penn State defeated Wisconsin to capture their first Big Ten Tournament Championship. Freshman goaltender Peyton Jones earned the tournament's 2017 Most Outstanding Player Award. Four Nittany Lions made the All-Tournament Team: Jones, forward Liam Folkes, and defensemen Vince Pedrie and Erik Autio. In their first NCAA Tournament game, Penn State notched 10 goals en route to a 10–3 victory. This marked the first time in team history that Penn State scored more than 8 goals in a varsity game. It also marked the most goals scored by a team in an NCAA Tournament game since 1990.
===Program record===
Prior to NCAA D1 Status 
:First year: 1909–10
:Varsity seasons: 5 (1940–44, 1946–47)
:Varsity record: 13–15–1
:Non-varsity seasons: 45 (1909–10, 1937–40, 1971–2012)
:Non-varsity record: 962–307–44–11
:ACHA National Championships: 7 (1984, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
:ACHA National Runners-Up: 9 (1983, 1985, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
==The Roar Zone==
The Roar Zone is the official student section for Penn State Men's Ice Hockey. Founded in 2013, the Roar Zone was created when Penn State Hockey became a Division I team and moved play from the Greenburg Ice Pavilion to the newly built Pegula Ice Arena. The Roar Zone became an official Penn State University club in early 2015 and is frequently featured on ESPN and Big Ten Network game coverages.
The Roar Zone holds more than 1,000 students on bleachers built to be the steepest allowed by code. All Penn State Hockey student season ticket holders are members of this organization.
The Roar Zone frequently works with Penn State Athletics to plan away game bus trips to watch conference and non-conference games. Notable trips include a bus trip to watch Penn State play in Madison Square Garden for the first time on January 30, 2016 and Penn State win an overtime win at the Munn Ice Arena on February 13, 2015.
== Season-by-season results==
== Records vs. Big Ten Teams ==
As of the completion of 2018–19 season
School	Team	Away Arena	Overall Record	Win %	Home 	Away 	Last Result
 	 	 	12–15–0 	 	7–4–0	3–9–0	5-2 W
 	 	 	13–9–4 	 	7–2–3	6–7–1	5-3 W
 	 	 	12–15–0 	 	8–6–0	3–9–0	6-2 W
 	 	 	4–8–2 	 	2–3–1	2–4–1	2-3 L
 	 	 	10–15–2 	 	4–7–1	4–7–1	5-1 W
 	 	 	17–12–3 	 	9–5–1	6–6–2	4-3 W
==Cumulative record against opponents==
Prior to NCAA D1 Status
(1909–10, 1937–44, 1946–47, 1971–2012)
Adrian College 	1 	0 	0
Alabama-Huntsville 	1 	9 	0
Arizona 	17	8 	1
Arizona State 	13	1 	0
Army 	1 	4 	0
Binghamton 	3 	0 	0
Bucknell 	3 	1 	0
Buffalo State 	32	7 	2
Canisius 	2 	6 	0
Canton Jr. College 	2 	1 	0
Carleton 	1 	0 	0
Carnegie Mellon 	10	4 	0
CC of Rhode Island 	2 	0 	0
Central Oklahoma 	2 	0 	0/2
Charleston 	0 	1 	0
Colgate 	0 	1 	0
Colorado 	4 	0 	0
Colorado State 	2 	0 	0
Conestoga 	15	3 	0
Cornell 	0 	1 	0
Cortland State 	4 	5 	0
Davenport 	1 	0 	0
Delaware 	81	17	3
Drexel 	29	1 	0
Duke 	1 	0 	0
Duquesne 	25	1 	1/1
Eastern Michigan 	34	9 	2
Elmira College 	0 	5 	0
Erie CC 	25	10	4
Findlay 	1 	2 	0
Fordham 	1 	0 	0
Franklin and Marshall 	3 	0 	0
Gannon College 	3 	0 	0
Geneseo State 	1 	2 	0
Georgetown 	0 	3 	1
Hawthorne 	1 	0 	0
Hobart 	3 	1 	0
Holy Cross 	0 	1 	0
Huntington 	0 	1 	0
Illinois 	24	7 	1/1
Indiana 	2 	1 	0
Iona 	2 	2 	0
Iowa State 	16	6 	0
Ithaca College 	0 	2 	0
Indiana Univ of Pennsylvania	5 	0 	0
John Carroll 	0 	1 	0
Kent State 	24	11	1
Lafayette 	1 	2 	0
Lebanon Valley 	1 	0 	0
Lehigh 	9 	6 	1
Liberty 	5 	4 	0/1
Lindenwood 	2 	0 	0
MacDonald College 	0 	1 	0
Marquette 	3 	0 	0
Maryland 	11	3 	0
Massachusetts Boston 	0 	2 	0
Mercyhurst 	8 	5 	0
Miami (Ohio) 	3 	0 	0
Michigan 	2 	0 	0
Michigan State 	6 	0 	0
Michigan-Dearborn 	39	19	0
Minot State 	3 	0 	0
Navy 	36	4 	1
Neumann 	0 	1 	0
New Brunswick-St John 	3 	0 	0
New Hampshire College 	1 	0 	0
Niagara 	21	12	4
Nichols 	2 	0 	0
North Carolina State 	2 	0 	0
North Dakota State 	1 	4 	0
Northern Arizona 	1 	0 	0
Notre Dame 	0 	3 	1
Oakland 	2 	3 	0
Ohio 	48 	29 	5/2
Oklahoma 	4 	1 	0
Oswego State 	0 	1 	0
Pennsylvania 	5 	4 	0
Pittsburgh 	15 	5 	1
Plymouth State 	1 	0 	0
Princeton 	0 	3 	0
Ramapo 	3 	0 	0
Rhode Island 	31 	11 	2/2
Robert Morris (Illinois) 	4 	0 	0
Robert Morris (PA) 	8 	2 	0
Rochester 	12 	0 	1
Royal Military College 	0 	1 	0
Rutgers 	9 	2 	1
Saint Louis 	1 	0 	0
Salem State 	0 	1 	0
Salve Regina 	1 	0 	0
Scranton 	11 	0 	0
Seneca College 	5 	0 	0
Skidmore 	1 	0 	0
Slippery Rock 	1 	0 	0
Southern New Hampshire 	1 	0 	0
St Bonaventure 	11 	5 	1
St Clair College 	5 	5 	1
St John 	3 	1 	0
St Joseph 	1 	0 	0
SUNY-Brockport 	1 	1 	0
SUNY-Canton 	1 	0 	0
SUNY-Fredonia 	2 	3 	0
Syracuse 	1 	0 	0
Temple 	2 	0 	0
Toledo 	1 	1 	0
Towson 	26 	0 	2
University of Buffalo 	16 	3 	2
Upsala 	13 	0 	0
Villanova 	27 	8 	1
Washington and Jefferson 	12 	0 	0
Wayne State 	1 	0 	0
Weber State 	1 	0 	0
West Chester 	45 	4 	1/2
West Virginia 	36 	0 	1
Western Michigan 	3 	0 	0
Western New England 	2 	0 	0
Westfield State 	0 	2 	0
Wisconsin-Whitewater 	2 	2 	0
Worcester Polytechnic 	3 	0 	0
York University 	0 	1 	0
Sub-total 	935	300	42/11
Other: 	 	 	
Army Air Corps 	0 	1 	0
Bad Tolz Juniors 	1 	0 	0
Bad Worishofen Seniors 	0 	1 	0
Baltimore All-Stars 	0 	1 	0
Baltimore Blazers 	2 	0 	0
Dodge Junior A 	1 	0 	0
Hampden Leafs 	4 	0 	0
Harrisburg Mohawks 	4 	0 	0
Hershey 	2 	0 	0
Hershey Flyers 	1 	0 	0
Hershey Jr. Bears 	0 	7 	0
Junior Flyers 	10 	3 	2
Junior Penguins 	2 	0 	0
Kaufbeuren Juniors 	0 	0 	1
Keene (NH) Blackhawks U20	1 	0 	0
Main Line Men 	4 	0 	0
Navy All-Stars 	0 	1 	0
North Penn Eagles 	1 	2 	0
Pittsburgh Knights 	0 	4 	0
Rutherford Sabres 	1 	0 	0
Skateland Junior A 	2 	0 	0
Washington All-Stars 	0 	1 	0
unknown † 	4 	1 	0
Sub-total 	40 	22 	3/0
Total 	975	322	45/11
 
:❋ Beginning with the 2006–07 season, ties were abolished in favor of deciding overtime ties by the shootout. Overtime losses before the 2006–07 season are reported in the loss column.
:† In 1972, 1980, and 1983–85, Penn State won 4 and lost 1 against opponents whose identities have not been retrieved.
== Coaches ==
On April 25, 2011 Penn State named Guy Gadowsky as the program's first NCAA Division I men’s hockey coach. Gadowsky was previously the head coach of the Princeton Tigers from 2004–2011 and also served as head coach of the Alaska Nanooks from 1999–2004. He replaces Scott Balboni, who coached the Icers for five seasons from 2006–2011 and compiled a 150–35–8.
=== NCAA All-time coaching records ===
As of completion of 2019–20 season
Tenure 	Coach 	Years 	Record 	Pct.
1909–1910 	No Coach 	1 	0–2–0 	
1940–1944 	Arthur Davis	4 	13–10–1 	
1946–1947 	James O'Hora	1 	0–3–0 	
2012–Present	Guy Gadowsky	8 	145–120–23	
Totals 	3 coaches 	14 Seasons	158–135–24	
=== ACHA All-time coaching records ===
As of completion of 2011–12 season
2011–2012 	Guy Gadowsky 	1 	29–4–1 	.853
2006–2011 	Scott Balboni 	5 	150–34–9 	.797
1987–2006 	Joe Battista 	19	499–124–26	.788
1981–1987 	Jon Shellington	6 	125–71–8 	.632
1977–1979,1980–1981	Clayton John 	3 	54–16–5 	.753
1979–1980 	Mark Horgas 	1 	18–5–0 	.783
1976–1977 	Bob Hettema 	1 	14–6–1 	.690
1974–1976 	Morris Kurtz 	2 	24–6–1 	.790
1973–1974 	Jim Hodgson 	1 	8–15–1 	.354
1972–1973 	multiple 	1 	10–11–0 	.476
1971–1972 	Larry Hendry 	1 	13–6–0 	.684
==Statistical Leaders==
===Career points leaders===
Player	Years 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
 	2016–2020 	147	61	79	140	68
 	2013–2017 	147	44	84	128	70
 	2015–2019 	154	51	67	118	34
 	2016–2020 	138	41	75	116	49
 	2016–2020 	138	50	65	115	36
 	2015–2018 	111	54	50	104	105
 	2016–2020 	137	48	55	103	18
 	2017–Present	106	41	62	103	34
 	2017–2020 	98 	39	56	95 	117
 	2012–2015 	92 	43	35	78 	83
 	2017–2020 	111	17	61	78 	85
===Career goaltending leaders===
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
minimum 600 minutes played
Player	Years 	GP 	Min 	W 	L 	T 	GA 	SO	SV% 	GAA
 	2015–2019	21 	888 	7 	5 	1 	41 	2 	.899	2.77
 	2016–2020	133	7866	76	44	11	378	4 	.907	2.88
 	2012–2016	77 	4420	32	32	7 	212	3 	.909	2.88
 	2013–2016	44 	2420	18	21	2 	132	1 	.905	3.27
 	2012–2015	30 	1414	10	15	1 	78 	1 	.899	3.31
Statistics current through the start of the 2020–21 season.
==Players==
===Current roster===
As of January 3, 2021.
==Awards and honors==
===NCAA===
====Individual Awards====
Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award
*P. J. Musico: 2015
NCAA Scoring Champion
*Alex Limoges: 2019
====All-Americans====
AHCA Second Team All-Americans
*2019–20: Cole Hults, D; Nate Sucese, F
===Big Ten===
====Individual Awards====
Defensive Player of the Year
*Trevor Hamilton: 2018
Coach of the Year
*Guy Gadowsky: 2015
Tournament Most Outstanding Player
*Peyton Jones: 2016
====All-Conference Teams====
First Team All-Big Ten
*2014–15: Casey Bailey, F
*2016–17: Vince Pedrie, D
*2017–18: Trevor Hamilton, D
*2018–19: Evan Barratt, F
Second Team All-Big Ten
*2015–16: Eamon McAdam, G; Vince Pedrie, D
Big Ten All-Rookie Team
*2014–15: Scott Conway, F
*2015–16: Vince Pedrie, D
*2016–17: Peyton Jones, G; Kris Myllari, D; Denis Smirnov, D
==Nittany Lions in the NHL==
Player 	Position 	Team(s) 	Years 	
Casey Bailey	Right Wing	TOR, OTT	2014–2017	0
==See also==
* Penn State Nittany Lions women's ice hockey
==References==
==External links==
*
*Friends of Penn State Men's Hockey
*Roar Zone
* 
*Thank you Terry blog
 
Category:Ice hockey teams in Pennsylvania
Category:Big Ten Conference ice hockey