Through the first four seasons of Division-I play for Penn State, Guy Gadowsky’s team was overwhelmingly led by its veterans. The likes of Casey Bailey, Patrick Koudys and David Glen (not to mention the seemingly eternal upperclassman Tommy Olczyk) formed the core of a program establishing itself in the college hockey world.
This season, however, marked the beginning of a new era. The leadership group was no longer reserved for the Nittany Lions’ juniors and seniors, but welcomed players of all eligibility to the mix.
The groundwork for this shift was set during the 2015-16 season, when then-freshmen Andrew Sturtz and Chase Berger helped lead the offensive charge and Vince Pedrie and Kevin Kerr anchored the defense corps.