It might be the third year of Division I hockey for Penn State, but it’s the first year without the fanfare and long list of “firsts” for head coach Guy Gadowsky and his players.
No more new buildings to open.
No more waiting to see what playing in the Big Ten will be like.
It’s just time to play hockey. And that’s just fine for everyone involved.
“That’s something we’ve talked about as a coaching staff,” Gadowsky said of finally having some normalcy within the program. “This is the first year we have had continuity. … the core of this team is the same. So we will be a lot further ahead come Oct. 10 than we were last year on Oct. 11. We’ve been through it in our systems and against Big Ten opponents. Were able to play against top opponents and as a team and the maturity, we’re way ahead.”
For Penn State this entire season should be very much like a continuation of last year. Only one senior was lost during the offseason and three freshman joined the program. Everything else is the same. The players, the system, and the building are all familiar. While Penn State may have come out on the losing end of games more often than not last year, so many single-goal losses means great things are still very much within reach.
Gadowsky isn’t focused on the wins and losses just yet though. It’s a process and sometimes that means doing things right and improving and yet still losing. It takes patience, but if you stay the course it works out in the long haul.
That’s at least the hope.
“We’re still at that point that we have a long way to go and we’re really really focused on the process,” he said. “We have to improve all over. The focus is very much on the process and we have a very good vision not to determine our improvement through wins and losses. These are the monsters of college hockey, we’re still very much focused on the process.”
“I think there’s that expectation.(That Penn State will win more games) but if we win more games but don’t improve in areas that we have to we won’t feel like we had success. There will be games, I hope we get to the point where we win games but don’t feel great about our performance.”
Penn State should have an easier slate of games this season after opening Pegula Ice Arena with the second hardest schedule in college hockey. Everything will be a uphill battle for the Nittany Lions, but if there was often repeated word on Tuesday afternoon it was one all coaches, fans, and players love to hear and love to have.
“Confidence.”
Penn State hockey’s season opens in just over a week.
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