Good thing they're not playing the Senators until Saturday night.
Good thing there's a Pro Life Hockey store nearby!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Holy Smoke!
It's a tough day to be with the Minnesota Wild. A day after the Wild beat the Canadiens in Montreal, the team's equipment today went up in smoke as the equipment van arrived at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.
Good thing they're not playing the Senators until Saturday night.
Good thing there's a Pro Life Hockey store nearby!
Good thing they're not playing the Senators until Saturday night.
Good thing there's a Pro Life Hockey store nearby!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Simply Batty
Wonder why this has never happened at the Greenberg??
Rumor has it that the fans chanted "don't tell PETA (clap clap clap-clap-clap)"
Rumor has it that the fans chanted "don't tell PETA (clap clap clap-clap-clap)"
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Shootout Video
OK -- I know that it's a little late, but I figured that you still might enjoy a look at the Icers' 7-round shootout win that gave them a 2-1 victory over Delaware on December 4th.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
It's Just a Game
It's off-topic, but a big hat-tip to Ed Morrissey at HotAir.com for posting this interview with Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo after the Middies beat Army on Saturday.
Well said sir, well said.
Well said sir, well said.
Friday Night Fights
I think that it's safe to say that the Penn State Icers and Niagara Purple Eagles weren't exactly in the spirit of the season on Friday night.
I think that it's safe to say that the coaches are none too pleased with what transpired, despite the fact that the Icers cruised to a 10-3 win.
I'll leave it to Tom Kinslow of the Collegian to give you the gory details of the game, especially the second period. Referee Tim Foreman had his hands full, calling 35 minutes in penalties and three game disqualifications!
There are not a lot of positives to report, with a few notable exceptions. George Saad finally got off the schneid, recording a hat-trick that doubled his goal output in the first semester.
Rich O'Brien scored his first goal as an Icer. As Rich's father, and former Icer, Rick told me in an e-mail, "Didn’t take him much to beat my scoring stats. I still have him on penalty minutes but it’s only a matter of time before that falls."
But, I have to say the highlight of the night was the play of Niagara freshman Patrick Martin. Martin was called upon to don the pads after starting goalie Patrick Jankowski was tossed out during the melee at 7:57 of the second.
After a delay of about a half-hour, Martin emerged from under the stands looking like a kid who had never played goal in his life. But in the first minute between the pipes he made several outstanding saves, including a diving case of highway robbery on Eric Steinour.
The Martin family was listening to the webcast from their home on Long Island. Sue Martin e-mailed to say her son had played goal -- AS A 12-YEAR OLD IN ROLLER HOCKEY!
Martin gave up 7 goals, but his 27 saves earned him third-star honors and several rounds of applause from the fans of both teams.
OK, so the Icers finish the first semester with a record of 18-2-1 and winners of 13 of the past 14 games, which ain't bad at all. The second semester won't be a cakewalk, starting with Robert Morris U. at the Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase at the Mellon Arena on January 8.
As the players gear up for finals week and the holiday break, I'll have a chance to get to work on the video that we are putting together to mark the 70th anniversary of hockey in Happy Valley.
One of the great pleasures of being with the team has been the opportunity to meet and get to know John Dufford. Mr. Dufford was a member of the original Penn State hockey team in 1939-40.
John is on the sunny side of 80, and up until a few years ago he skated in the Alumni Game.
I still say that helmet should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame!
I visited John at his home in Connecticut following the Rhode Island weekend.
Here's the "Icers Pioneer" reminiscing about how he wound up on the team and how a coach could crank up his players as easily back then as they can today.
I think that it's safe to say that the coaches are none too pleased with what transpired, despite the fact that the Icers cruised to a 10-3 win.
I'll leave it to Tom Kinslow of the Collegian to give you the gory details of the game, especially the second period. Referee Tim Foreman had his hands full, calling 35 minutes in penalties and three game disqualifications!
There are not a lot of positives to report, with a few notable exceptions. George Saad finally got off the schneid, recording a hat-trick that doubled his goal output in the first semester.
Rich O'Brien scored his first goal as an Icer. As Rich's father, and former Icer, Rick told me in an e-mail, "Didn’t take him much to beat my scoring stats. I still have him on penalty minutes but it’s only a matter of time before that falls."
But, I have to say the highlight of the night was the play of Niagara freshman Patrick Martin. Martin was called upon to don the pads after starting goalie Patrick Jankowski was tossed out during the melee at 7:57 of the second.
After a delay of about a half-hour, Martin emerged from under the stands looking like a kid who had never played goal in his life. But in the first minute between the pipes he made several outstanding saves, including a diving case of highway robbery on Eric Steinour.
The Martin family was listening to the webcast from their home on Long Island. Sue Martin e-mailed to say her son had played goal -- AS A 12-YEAR OLD IN ROLLER HOCKEY!
Martin gave up 7 goals, but his 27 saves earned him third-star honors and several rounds of applause from the fans of both teams.
OK, so the Icers finish the first semester with a record of 18-2-1 and winners of 13 of the past 14 games, which ain't bad at all. The second semester won't be a cakewalk, starting with Robert Morris U. at the Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase at the Mellon Arena on January 8.
As the players gear up for finals week and the holiday break, I'll have a chance to get to work on the video that we are putting together to mark the 70th anniversary of hockey in Happy Valley.
One of the great pleasures of being with the team has been the opportunity to meet and get to know John Dufford. Mr. Dufford was a member of the original Penn State hockey team in 1939-40.
John is on the sunny side of 80, and up until a few years ago he skated in the Alumni Game.
I still say that helmet should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame!
I visited John at his home in Connecticut following the Rhode Island weekend.
Here's the "Icers Pioneer" reminiscing about how he wound up on the team and how a coach could crank up his players as easily back then as they can today.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Eagles are Landing
December means the end of the first semester of Penn State hockey, and the annual pre-Christmas visit to Happy Valley by the Niagara Purple Eagles.
The Icers hope to go into the holiday break on an up note, having swept two from Delaware last weekend to run their record to 17-2-1 and 11-0-1 in the ESCHL. Penn State enjoys a four-point lead over Rhode Island in the conference standings, and a full ten points ahead of the 3rd place Blue Hens.
I was able to drop by practice today and caught up with Matt Kirstein and Kurt Collins. Both returned to action last weekend, with Matt scoring in Saturday's 6-0 win.
Both told me how excited they were to get back on the ice. The coaches did a good job of spotting both Matt and Kurt on the 4th line, not wearing them out in their first action in several weeks.
The Icers hope to go into the holiday break on an up note, having swept two from Delaware last weekend to run their record to 17-2-1 and 11-0-1 in the ESCHL. Penn State enjoys a four-point lead over Rhode Island in the conference standings, and a full ten points ahead of the 3rd place Blue Hens.
I was able to drop by practice today and caught up with Matt Kirstein and Kurt Collins. Both returned to action last weekend, with Matt scoring in Saturday's 6-0 win.
Both told me how excited they were to get back on the ice. The coaches did a good job of spotting both Matt and Kurt on the 4th line, not wearing them out in their first action in several weeks.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Wild, Wacky Win
Well, that was certainly interesting! Saturday's showdown between Penn State and Delaware turned into a 6-0 Icers rout. Unfortunately, the game turned into a wild affair in a rough and tumble third period.
On Friday night the Icers got off to a slow start in the first period and stumbled out of the gate in the second before righting the ship and winning 2-1 in a 7-round shootout.
There would be no repeat on Saturday. The Icers and Blue Hens both came out strong, with end-to-end rushes both ways. But it was the Icers enjoying a 2-0 lead after one as Matt Kirstein notched his 3rd of the season and Marek Polidor counted his 11th.
Marek made it 3-0 early in the 2nd before Tim O'Brien and Dom Morrone worked a give-and-go for O'Brien's first short handed goal and 11th of the season. That goal sent Delaware goalie SJ Broadt to the bench and brought in Kurt Pflumm, who would not stick around for long.
Mike Broccolo beat Pflumm for his 5th of the season and Chris Cerutti added his second of the weekend, 10th of the season and his 3rd power play marker, giving the Icers a 6-0 lead after 2.
The third period turned into a free-for-all at 7:40, with the Blue Hens getting slapped with two 10-minute misconducts and a pair of game misconducts, including the aforementioned Pflumm.
Less than a minute after the officials restored order, Delaware's Rocky Romanella came unglued and was hit with a game misconduct and an unsportsmanlike minor, while the Icers were awarded a penalty shot.
Marek Polidor had a chance to get a hat-trick on the penalty shot, but he hit the post.
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed the rest of the way, with just one more penalty called by referee Foreman.
With the win, the Icers improved to 17-2-1 on the season and 11-0-1 in ESCHL action, while Delaware dropped to 12-7-0 overall and 6-4-0 in conference play.
With Ohio taking 2 from top-ranked Lindenwood this weekend and Illinoisdropping at least one splitting at home with Kent State, there will likely be a shakeup in the next ACHA coaches' poll that comes out in two weeks. How much of an impact the Icers' sweep of Delware will have remains to be seen.
Penn State will close out the first semester next Friday night when the Niagara Purple Eagles make their annual December trek to Happy Valley.
On Friday night the Icers got off to a slow start in the first period and stumbled out of the gate in the second before righting the ship and winning 2-1 in a 7-round shootout.
There would be no repeat on Saturday. The Icers and Blue Hens both came out strong, with end-to-end rushes both ways. But it was the Icers enjoying a 2-0 lead after one as Matt Kirstein notched his 3rd of the season and Marek Polidor counted his 11th.
Marek made it 3-0 early in the 2nd before Tim O'Brien and Dom Morrone worked a give-and-go for O'Brien's first short handed goal and 11th of the season. That goal sent Delaware goalie SJ Broadt to the bench and brought in Kurt Pflumm, who would not stick around for long.
Mike Broccolo beat Pflumm for his 5th of the season and Chris Cerutti added his second of the weekend, 10th of the season and his 3rd power play marker, giving the Icers a 6-0 lead after 2.
The third period turned into a free-for-all at 7:40, with the Blue Hens getting slapped with two 10-minute misconducts and a pair of game misconducts, including the aforementioned Pflumm.
Less than a minute after the officials restored order, Delaware's Rocky Romanella came unglued and was hit with a game misconduct and an unsportsmanlike minor, while the Icers were awarded a penalty shot.
Marek Polidor had a chance to get a hat-trick on the penalty shot, but he hit the post.
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed the rest of the way, with just one more penalty called by referee Foreman.
With the win, the Icers improved to 17-2-1 on the season and 11-0-1 in ESCHL action, while Delaware dropped to 12-7-0 overall and 6-4-0 in conference play.
With Ohio taking 2 from top-ranked Lindenwood this weekend and Illinois
Penn State will close out the first semester next Friday night when the Niagara Purple Eagles make their annual December trek to Happy Valley.
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