No. 17 Penn State opens up conference play against Notre Dame

Coming off a second consecutive non-conference series split, the No. 17 Penn State Nittany Lions aim to get back in the win column as Big Ten conference play kicks off this weekend.

The blue and white fell victim to the same issues that plagued the team in the AIC series, a low-scoring win in Game 1 and an upset in an offensive showing in Game 2.

Head coach Guy Gadowsky stressed how the team effort is the main factor going into the back half of these series.

“You have to be prepared to make sure you do what it takes for you to be better, but not just yourself,” Gadowsky said. “Be better for the team.”

The Nittany Lions are aware of just how important team play is as Big Ten conference play heats up, especially as points come into play.

Last year in the Big Ten, the No. 2 seed and No. 6 seed were separated by just four points, or two games.

“Once you get to conference play the intensity ramps up,” goaltender Liam Souliere said. “You want to beat them even more and you understand how important Big 10 wins are in this conference.”

As for the opposition, the gold and blue come into this series looking black and blue, limping their way to a 4-3 start on the campaign, with crucial losses to Clarkson and RIT.

Despite the record, the Fighting Irish have shown flashes of brilliance, splitting a series with No. 9 Boston University, thanks to hot starts from Landon Slaggert and goaltender Ryan Bischel.

Slaggert has seven goals in the early season while Bischel has posted a 2.20 goals-against average.

Coming off a Big Ten Goaltender of the Year accolade, Bischel is looking to right the ship for Notre Dame, something captain Christian Berger and the rest of the Nittany Lions are looking to avoid.

“The way to beat [Bischel] is to do what we do and do it better than they do what they do,” Berger said. “Have a lot of pride in the details in our game, outwork them and play simple.”

Last season these two squads split evenly in both series, with two games being decided by just one goal.

When Penn State and Notre Dame butt heads, the physicality is at an all-time high, leaving both teams battered and bruised.

“You’re going to war, it’s the Big Ten,” Souliere said. “Every weekend is going to be hard. That’s what we want, that’s why we want to come to a school like Penn State and represent the school in the best way possible.”

The blue and white will continue to be without some familiar faces, as all of Jimmy Dowd Jr., Tyler Paquette and Ben Schoen will not be available for the weekend series.

While the Nittany Lions are going through uncharted waters, now with two losses in non-conference play unlike last year, the group is unwavering in their confidence and pride as a unit.

“We’re here to succeed as a group,” Berger said. “And we’re going to take [the losses] in stride and get back at it this weekend.”

Josh Bartosik is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jsb6137@psu.edu.