Penn State men’s hockey is set to open its 18-game Pegula Ice Arena slate with a two-game series against Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish are the second of five first-time opponents for the Nittany Lions this season and the first of three at home.
This year’s series is the first in a four-year agreement between the two schools.
Notre Dame spent last weekend playing a pair of exhibition games that included a 7-5 win over Guelph and a 2-2 tie with the U.S. U-18 squad.
Last season, the Fighting Irish went 18-19-5, finishing fifth in the Hockey East and the HEA Quarterfinals. Notre Dame was also 10-7-5 in conference play and 8-9-2 away from home.
In Penn State’s favor, Notre Dame graduated its two leading scorers that combined for 85 points. However, the Fighting Irish will be returning Mario Lucia, Thomas DiPauli, and Jordan Gross this season.
As far as NHL draft picks, Notre Dame has nine players that have been selected by pro teams: Steven Fogarty (New York Rangers), Mario Lucia (Minnesota), Thomas DiPauli (Washington), Connor Hurley (Buffalo), Cal Petersen (Buffalo), Anders Bjork (Boston), Jake Evans (Montreal), Joe Wegwerth (Florida) and Dennis Gilbert (Chicago).
Like Notre Dame, there are also Nittany Lions that have involvement with the NHL.
On March 21, All-Big Ten First Team forward Casey Bailey signed with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. Five days later, he made his pro debut playing against the Florida Panthers. Bailey scored his first ever NHL goal in the season finale vs. Montreal on April 11. The former Nittany Lion will begin the 2015-16 season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
2014-15 Captain Patrick Koudys will begin his professional career with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel. The Fuel are affiliated with the Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
Senior goalie P.J. Musico became the third Nittany Lion to sign a professional contract in the past seven months when the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL) offered him a spot on the team. Greenville is the affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack. Musico was also named the Derek Hines Unsung Hero last season.
The Nittany Lions led NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey last year in shots per game (39.2) and are once again at the top of the list with 45, tied with Colorado College. While it’s still a small sample size, Penn State has led in the category every day since Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014.
The puck will drop at 7 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday this weekend for the series with the Fighting Irish.
Both games will be available to watch live with free video streaming through GoPSUNow and the Penn State Sports Live app available on Android and Apple devices. Free audio will also be carried through GoPSUNow with Friday’s game aired on the Penn State Sports Network, as well as Saturday’s game airing locally on 103.1 FM in State College.
Following Notre Dame, Penn State will continue its six-game home stand by welcoming the AIC Yellow Jackets on Oct. 23 and 24.
