STATE COLLEGE — From late night bus rides to early morning practices that start a few hours before school begins, the State College Area High School hockey team, under the guidance of first-year coach Scott Balboni, has developed into a group focused on guidelines, objectives and team chemistry. The team’s 11-2-3 record in the Laurel Mountain Hockey League shows that the special mixture also is adding up to success on the ice.
Balboni brings an impressive hockey resume to a State College program that has been rebuilding over the past two seasons. He was the head coach of the Penn State Icers for five seasons and also coached with USA Hockey as an assistant and head coach at the World University Games.
“I think we’ve grown a lot this year,” said Balboni. “We set some guidelines at the beginning of the season with some important goals that we, as a team, wanted to accomplish. As the year has progressed, the players have really grown together in our new system and are having some success along the way.”
Led by forwards Mike Moscone (14 goals, four assists), Cam McCurdy (13 goals, five assists) and Robbie Zimmerman (eight goals and 11 assists), the Little Lions play a fast-paced and physical style of hockey. Role players such as juniors David Mansell (five goals, seven assists) and team captain Braden Wandrisco (four goals, seven assists) help to provide depth through the lines for Balboni and his staff.
Senior goalie Bryant Atanasio has been solid in net and attributes a lot of the team’s success to team chemistry and believing in each other.
“The coaches work us hard in practice and aren’t afraid to change things up with defensive pairings and forward lines, so everyone is comfortable playing with one another,” said Atanasio. “And that has brought our team chemistry to a high level.”
That high level of chemistry has created a formula that the players and coaches believe are the key to the team’s winning ways.
“We have grown a culture where everyone on the team fills certain roles, and as the players began to realize their roles, we’ve been able to grow together,” said Balboni. “Each player can appreciate the role of others, and everyone is needed to win a game.”
As the Little Lions approach the last few weeks of the season, and with the league playoffs coming, they hope to continue their success on the ice and grow the support of the community.
“I would say we offer a fun, action-packed game to watch,” said Balboni. “We’ve had good crowds and good support from the youth hockey organization.”
Atanasio said, “I think we are one of the most entertaining sports State High has to offer sports fans. In addition to the raw entertainment and fast action of hockey, our team is a cast of characters that are always likely to do something worth seeing out there.”
State High has two remaining home games on the 2017-18 schedule: a 6:30 p.m. start Thursday, Feb. 15, against Somerset and a 7 p.m. game against Central Cambria on Thursday, March 1. Both will be played at Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena’s Community Rink.
