2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

[Lindsay]

Syracuse beat Penn State 1-0 at Pegula Ice Arena today, and Syracuse led the shots on goal 29-18. I thought it was closer than that. Both teams took three penalties, and the Syracuse goal came on one of their power plays in the second period. It was a pretty even match, despite the shot count.

What still really needs work is how Penn State breaks out of their defensive zone. There was way too much fooling around with the puck, giving Syracuse time to slow them down. Also, the power play...wasn't. Syracuse didn't look overpowering or anything - Penn State just didn't put anything together consistently. Tomorrow is another chance, and hopefully Penn State comes out firing.

Probably the weakest highlight video so far, because there weren't very many: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVKs...ature=youtu.be

Tough loss for the Nittany Lions. I found myself sad when they lost... does that mean I am becoming a fan? In most ways the loss makes sense, as Syracuse had more wins against Penn State last year than any team in the country did, and surely brings confidence into any game against them.

On the other hand, in my mind I’ve pegged Penn State as a program on the rise, with a couple impressive non conference wins this season, and wrongfully assumed they might take a step forward today. We will see what tomorrow brings, in what has been an exciting weekend of hockey nationwide. If Penn State wins, it will be a big win and a step forward. If Syracuse sweeps on the road, it will send a message too.

Question about your video: do Penn State fans create signs for the players every weekend? That is adorable. Would love to see teams share pics of some signs more often.

Edit: lol cancel the signs comment. I thought they were sweet little children signs; they are college kid signs. Not exactly the same genre, although I did like the “no one cares about Canadian college hockey” one.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

Tough loss for the Nittany Lions. I found myself sad when they lost... does that mean I am becoming a fan? In most ways the loss makes sense, as Syracuse had more wins against Penn State last year than any team in the country did, and surely brings confidence into any game against them.

On the other hand, in my mind I’ve pegged Penn State as a program on the rise, with a couple impressive non conference wins this season, and wrongfully assumed they might take a step forward today. We will see what tomorrow brings, in what has been an exciting weekend of hockey nationwide. If Penn State wins, it will be a big win and a step forward. If Syracuse sweeps on the road, it will send a message too.

Question about your video: do Penn State fans create signs for the players every weekend? That is adorable. Would love to see teams share pics of some signs more often.

Edit: lol cancel the signs comment. I thought they were sweet little children signs; they are college kid signs. Not exactly the same genre, although I did like the “no one cares about Canadian college hockey” one.

Yeah, that's the infamous "Roar Zone" student section bunch - only a few of them showed up today, but it was a football day, too, so none of them were really expected. They jam their section for men's games and go crazy, but they're rarely at women's games. I expect more of them for tomorrow's THON game. They were on Maddi Welch pretty hard today.

You're right - today was disappointing. I honestly expected Penn State to sweep Syracuse this weekend (I really did) because, as you said, they've looked like a team on the rise. Instead, one of the players tied for the Penn State team lead for shots in the game is a freshman defenseman - and her total was three shots, including the only Penn State shot on goal in the entire third period. She outshot Natalie Heising, who was credited with only two shots on goal for the entire game. Penn State's top five scoring leaders combined for nine total shots on goal for the game. Credit to Syracuse for shutting them down, but that's just not going to do it.

As you know, in the CHA nothing really matters until tournament time, but a team also can't wait until the tournament to be on track and especially to be consistent. The biggest thing to me is consistency, and Penn State doesn't have that yet. The talent is there, but...

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

If you want to watch some Sunday hockey today, Penn State and Syracuse are streamed live (and free) at 2:00 Eastern time on LionVision at this link:

https://gopsusports.com/watch/?Live=188&type=Live

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State lost to Syracuse today 5-2, getting swept for the weekend, and there's not much else to say about the game. Penn State had a great second period, but that was about the end of it for them. It's getting confusing...this is a team with so much talent, and I don't know what needs tweaking, but something has to start coming together.

In lieu of a regular highlight video for now, here's a video from the post-game skate with the players, shot by a couple of the players:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9IP...ature=youtu.be

EDIT: And a regular game highlight video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVTl...ature=youtu.be

Penn State's game recap: https://gopsusports.com/news/2018/11...-syracuse.aspx

[Reddington]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

Thanks for all the videos once again! Syracuse put on a clinic on how to take away time and space and how to involve your d on offense leading to more offense for everyone. I will also go with a Mercyhurst hangover. The shot count says it all.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

Thanks for all the videos once again! Syracuse put on a clinic on how to take away time and space and how to involve your d on offense leading to more offense for everyone. I will also go with a Mercyhurst hangover. The shot count says it all.

I agree with everything you said. Syracuse didn't give Penn State room to do anything, and they were much better with the puck. In general, Penn State seems to have settled on a game of dump and chase, rather than getting players to skate with the puck. They do a lot of banging the puck off the boards behind the goalie and trying to work it from there, get it bouncing out front and crashing the net.

Penn State did look better yesterday than they did in the first game, but that wasn't very hard to improve upon. They looked good in the second period (two goals will do that), but the first and third periods were all Syracuse. I think the lines need some readjustment, because the combinations for this weekend sure didn't work. Penn State took double their average penalties yesterday, too, and the third period was getting a bit chippy. The game misconduct against Brooke Madsen was garbage, especially in a game where a lot worse was let go. I must have watched the replay a dozen times, looking for anything worse than possibly body checking, and even that would've been a stretch. Excuses, excuses, I know.

Credit to Syracuse - they came to play.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

It's a bye week for Penn State, and that's good news - they're without their director of operations and their equipment manager (both with Team USA at Four Nations), and also without freshman defenseman Jessica Adolfsson (with Team Sweden at Four Nations). It's also a well-needed break for Penn State to regroup, refocus, or work out whatever is missing or whatever needs adjusting, before the season gets away from them. Something needs to be tweaked; I just can't figure out what it is.

This is probably the most talented Penn State team to hit the ice since Penn State started a D-1 program for the 2012-13 season. The pieces are all there - they just need to figure out how to put them together in the right places. The lines are still getting juggled from series to series, so that looks like it's something still being worked out. I have my own ideas for line combinations, and I'd love to see a Brooke Madsen/Natalie Heising/Katie Rankin line be together for the rest of the season.

It's been a fun season to watch so far, but frustrating, too. They beat a #5 Colgate with twelve players dressed for the weekend, and did it in game two of the series when they should have been absolutely gassed. They beat and tied Providence. They had two close games with Mercyhurst. They're a lot better than their record says they are, but consistency isn't there. One thing that bothers me most is watching how long it takes sometimes to get the puck out of their defensive zone. Not always, but way too often. Too much playing with the puck and not enough moving it forward, at least out of the zone if nothing else. Force the other team to move back onside if there isn't a good outlet pass available, and start the fight over again. But that's probably why I'm not a coach.

Penn State is back in action November 16 and 17 in Troy, NY, against RPI.

[vicb]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

...... They're a lot better than their record says they are, but consistency isn't there. ......

In the words of Bill Parcells, " You are what your record says your are". Just Kidding. Got to give Kampersal some time. How would you say Jenna Brenneman is doing in goal? Never got a chance at Clarkson due to Tiley and now Sauve. I am glad she is getting a shot with Penn State.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

In the words of Bill Parcells, " You are what your record says your are". Just Kidding. Got to give Kampersal some time. How would you say Jenna Brenneman is doing in goal? Never got a chance at Clarkson due to Tiley and now Sauve. I am glad she is getting a shot with Penn State.

I know, it's definitely a work in progress at Penn State, and Kampersal has had a lot to undo here in a very short time. Along with his coaching staff, he's really gotten things on the right track...I'm just a typical impatient fan.

I like Jenna Brenneman so far. She's basically a first-year goalie despite being a junior, and she's at a 2.09 goals against average, but I expect that to go down as this team gets better at helping her out in front of the net. She sure doesn't play like it's her first year as a starter. I got to talk to her a little bit at the post-game skate after Sunday's game against Syracuse, and she's really happy to be here and loves it here - a real nice kid.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

Finally, some snow on the ground this morning in central Pennsylvania - does anyone else in the hockey world have snow?

[joecct]

Finally, some snow on the ground this morning in central Pennsylvania - does anyone else in the hockey world have snow?

Buffalo is going to get a lake effect dumping and similar for for those East of Lake Ontario.

[D2D]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

Finally, some snow on the ground this morning in central Pennsylvania - does anyone else in the hockey world have snow?

Most of Minnesota has snow, up to 18 inches in the Arrowhead region:

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snow_depth/index.html

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

Most of Minnesota has snow, up to 18 inches in the Arrowhead region:

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snow_depth/index.html

That's the kind of snow I miss. Central Pennsylvania never has much - I sometimes feel badly for the Penn State players who come here from Minnesota and expect a real winter.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

Buffalo is going to get a lake effect dumping and similar for for those East of Lake Ontario.

Lake Superior was always good for that, too - it would snow a ton, which was bad enough, and then the lake wind would go to work on it.

[ARM]

Re: 2018-19 Penn State Nittany Lions

I sometimes feel badly for the Penn State players who come here from Minnesota and expect a real winter.

PSU mostly gets players from the Cities, so they've experienced winters where a white Christmas is in doubt. I think they'll deal with whatever they get.