Get to Know the 2018-19 Penn State Hockey Roster

Get to know the newest members of the 2018-19 Penn State Hockey Roster with this quick guide.

Forwards

The Penn State men’s Hockey Team is set to enter the 18-19 season with a strong and experienced roster. The Nittany Lions are led by a group of forwards that includes captain Alex Limoges, senior Brandon Biro, and junior Evan Barratt.

Limoges, a native of Melbourne, Australia, is entering his senior season with the Nittany Lions He is coming off a 2017-18 campaign in which he tallied 15 goals and 22 assists for a total of 37 points. Biro, who hails from Sherwood Park, Alberta, is also entering his senior season. He is coming off a junior year in which he tallied 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points. Barratt, who is from Bristol, Pennsylvania, is entering his junior year. He tallied 9 goals and 11 assists for 20 points last season.

The Nittany Lions also have some young forwards who will be looking to make an impact this season. Sophomore Sam Sternschein (Scottsdale, Arizona) and freshman Cole Hults (Stauffer, Pennsylvania) are two players who will be looking to make an impact this season. Sternschein tallied 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points last season while Hults was a highly touted recruit who comes to Penn State after playing for the U.S. national team Development Program.

Defensemen

The Penn State defense corps is a young and relatively inexperienced group. The Nittany Lions will rely on a few veterans to provide leadership and stability on the back end, but the bulk of the minutes will be played by underclassmen. Here’s a look at Penn State’s defensemen for the 2018-19 season.

Juniors

Erik Autio (6-0, 184) is a two-time letterman who has appeared in 65 career games, most recently skating in all 36 contests as a sophomore. He tallied one goal and four assists last season while providing solid defensive play. A native of Finland, Autio is a good skater with good hockey sense. He’ll be counted on to take on a bigger role this season as he anchors the Nittany Lion blue line

Derian Plouffe (6-2, 201) is a physical defenseman who skates well for his size. He loves to hit and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves if necessary. Plouffe has played in 49 career games, including 34 last season as a sophomore when he recorded one goal and three assists. He’ll likely see his ice time increase this year as he takes on more of a leadership role with the team.

Dan Reaume (5-11, 185) appeared in 31 games as a sophomore last season, tallying three assists while providing steady defense. A smart player with good hockey sense, Reaume is reliable in his own end of the ice. He’ll look to build on his strong defensive play this season while adding more of an offensive dimension to his game.

Sophomores

Cole Hults (6-0, 198) was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after an outstanding rookie campaign in which he tallied seven goals and 18 assists in 34 games. A smart, steady defenseman, Hults plays with poise beyond his years. He’s an excellent skater with good vision and puck-moving ability. Hults will anchor Penn State’s defense corps again this season as he looks to build on his strong rookie campaign.

Goaltenders

In net for the Nittany Lions this season are junior Peyton Jones and freshmen Isaiah Humphries and Oskar Autio.

Jones, a native of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, is in his third season with the team. He posted a .919 save percentage and 2.92 goals-against average in 24 games last season. He has appeared in 47 career games, posting a .914 save percentage and 2.95 goals-against average.

Humphries, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is in his first season with the team. He played two seasons with the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), posting a .936 save percentage and 1.74 goals-against average in 34 games last season.

Autio, a native of Vaasa, Finland, is in his first season with the team. He played one game with Kiekko-Vantaa of Finland’s Jr. A SM-liiga last season, posting a .950 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average.

The Coaches

The Penn State Hockey Team is coached by Guy Gadowsky, who is in his ninth season with the program. He has led the Nittany Lions to a NCAA Division I record six conference tournament appearances and three NCAA tournament berths.

Assistant coaches under Gadowsky are Matt Lindsay, Keith Crotty, and Bed’sitting room (Goofy). Penn State’s strength and Conditioning Coach is Mike Potenza.

The Schedule

The 2018-19 Penn State men’s Ice Hockey team will seek to build on the success of last year’s Big Ten regular season championship squad. Head Coach Guy Gadowsky will have a largely veteran group of forwards at his disposal, led by junior captain Evan Barratt (9g, 18a) and senior Brandon Biro (8g, 15a). The Nittany Lions will look to their defensive core of senior Kris Myllari (3g, 13a) and junior Cole Hults (6g, 11a) to provide leadership on the back end. In goal, senior Peyton Jones will look to build on his strong performance from last season (.927 save percentage, 2.45 GAA).

The 2018-19 schedule features 28 regular season games, including 16 Big Ten contests. The Nittany Lions will open the season with a home-and-home series against 2017 NCAA Tournament participant Union before hosting 2017 NCAA Frozen Four participant Notre Dame for a two-game set at Pegula Ice Arena.

The Rivalries

In college hockey there are a few schools that have unique rivalries. Some of these rivalries have existed for decades, while others are relatively new. Regardless, they add an extra level of excitement to the game.

For the 2018-19 season, Penn State will have a few key rivalries. First, there is the in-state rivalry with Pittsburgh. These two teams have been playing each other since 1921 and the games are always highly competitive. Another big rivalry for Penn State is with Michigan State The Spartans and the Nittany Lions have been playing each other since 1948 and the games are always full of intensity.

Of course, no rivalry is more important than the one with Ohio State These two teams have been playing each other since 1912 and the games are always a battle. The winner of this rivalry gets bragging rights for the whole year and both teams always give their all to come out on top.

So, when you sit down to watch a Penn State hockey game this season, be prepared for some intense competition!

The History

The 2018-19 campaign will be the Nittany Lions’ 75th season of collegiate hockey, with the program dating back to the 1943-44 campaign. The program has captured six NCAA Division I championships ( 1950, ’54, ’58, ’79, ’81, ’82 ), 20 conference Regular Season titles and 15 conference tournament championships.

The Fans

The Fans

The Penn State Hockey team is made up of some of the most talented and dedicated athletes in the country. But, they wouldn’t be where they are today without the support of their amazing fans! Here’s a little more about the people who cheer them on from the stands.

The fans of Penn State Hockey are some of the most passionate and loyal in all of college hockey They love their team and are always there to support them, no matter what. They are also very creative, always coming up with new and interesting ways to show their dedication to the team.

One of the most unique things about the Penn State hockey fan base is that they are spread out all over the country (and even the world!). So, even if you can’t make it to every game, you can still show your support by following along online and cheering them on from afar.

If you’re looking for a group of passionate, dedicated and friendly fans to join, then look no further than Penn State Hockey!

The Future

Since the team’s inception in 1909, Penn State Hockey has seen many Great players come and go. The 2018-19 season is no different, as the team looks to continue its winning ways with a new group of guys. Here is a quick rundown of the 2018-19 roster, so you can get to know the team before the puck drops.

Forwards
-Max Gardiner (Sr.)
-Brandon Biro (Jr.)
-Dylan Richard (So.)
-Nikita Pavlychev (So.)
-Evan Barratt (Fr.)

The NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice Hockey League composed of 30 member clubs: 23 in the United States and seven in Canada. Headquartered in New York City the NHL is considered to be the premier professional Ice hockey league in the world, and one of the major professional sports leagues of North America