Ahead of Penn State’s final regular season series, a pair of home games against Wisconsin on Thursday and Friday, head coach Guy Gadowsky spoke to the media on Tuesday inside Pegula Ice Arena.
Gadowsky discussed the team’s approach to those matchups, the excitement of hosting a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal game next week and the return of forward Braedon Ford. Here’s what he said.
Tournament tune-up
The Nittany Lions are locked into the No. 3-seed for the upcoming Big Ten tournament, and they’re all-but guaranteed an NCAA tournament bid, meaning their postseason standing has mostly been finalized.
Despite having no conference seeding to battle for, Penn State can still adjust its standing for the NCAA tournament and plans to keep the gas pedal down against the Badgers.
“This is a great dress rehearsal for what playoff hockey will be like,” Gadowsky said.
The Nittany Lions are hoping to maintain intensity, combating the potential complacency that could set in with postseason play already assured. They face a very different scenario than a year ago when an NCAA appearance wasn’t confirmed.
“You want to be the best team going into it, whether you are a lock for the tournament or not,” Gadowsky said. “And that’s sometimes a lot easier said than done. These guys look at the sites too. Everybody’s saying we’re 99% (chance) … I still think it’s important to do our best to make sure we’re prepared to be the best team, rather than saying ‘OK, let’s take a breather here.’”
Home ice advantage
To help keep energy high despite little to play for, Penn State has called for a “Wear White” game Friday, which is also the team’s senior night.
The following Wednesday, Penn State will host its conference quarterfinal game against the No. 6-seed, which could either be Ohio State or Minnesota, depending on this weekend’s outcomes. Gadowsky’s message to fans who plan on attending any of the remaining three home games is to simply hold serve.
“They’re such a big part of so many successes that we’ve had,” Gadowsky said. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. We love you. The Roar Zone, the support we get from all of Pegula and this community has been nothing short of the absolute best.”
Braedon’s back
Forward Braedon Ford returned to the lineup against Notre Dame last weekend after being unavailable for roughly six weeks with injury. Though he was held off the stat sheet, Gadowsky was impressed by his impact.
“He played extremely well, and he really takes pride in doing all the little things that really matter to a team and to set up his teammates for success,” Gadowsky said. “I thought he was awesome … He was really a great surprise.”
Ford has scored just one goal this season, but having another skater back in the lineup eases the burden on others, who’ve had to take more shifts while the team deals with an injury epidemic. Penn State is also expecting to get forward Charlie Cerrato back shortly, as he remains “day-to-day,” which will help come tournament time.
