Playing shorthanded for most of a game will often lead to little or no success for a hockey team.
That was the case Oct. 25-27 as the Penn State Men's Roller Hockey Club was plagued with penalties and one unlucky deflection during its season-opening games against the University of Maryland, Drexel University, University of Rhode Island and rival Penn State Altoona at Marple Sports Arena in Broomall.
The Nittany Lions committed 19 penalties for 38 minutes in their four games while allowing eight power-play goals on their way to a disappointing 1-2-1 record in the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association.
"We should have been 4-0, but we didn't play our best hockey," Penn State team captain Tom McCormick said.
Solid team defense and discipline are areas that were needed for the Lions to achieve their expectations, but ones they were lacking in during three of their four divisional games.
In the Lions' 3-2 victory over Maryland, they were whistled for seven penalties, which the Terrapins converted into their only two goals of the game. Penn State answered with two short-handed goals and then finished off the Terps with a power play goal of its own by forward Matt Brunk with 3:18 remaining in the game.
Brunk, the second-leading scorer in the ECRHA last season, was frustrated all weekend, especially in the game against Drexel, where he sat in the penalty box for eight minutes in the first two periods. Drexel capitalized on Brunk's penalties by scoring two early power-play goals, which the Lions could not overcome, falling 5-4 to the Dragons. Brunk was held to one goal and four assists on the weekend before sitting out of the Rhode Island game with a sore knee.
"The entire weekend we played even strength or shorthanded," McCormick said. "We lost the game against Drexel due to penalties and also killed ourselves with penalties against Altoona."
For the third straight game, Penn State allowed two early power-play goals, which eventually became a 7-2 deficit to Penn State Altoona early in the third period. But the Lions showed the perseverance and determination of last year's team that finished 11-3-1 and made it to the Elite Eight, fighting all the way back to take an 8-7 lead in the fourth period. Penalties, however, killed the comeback as Altoona scored a late power-play goal followed by the game-winner with 1:30 left in the game.
"I thought we were going to collapse as a team against Altoona, but we showed heart coming back from the 7-2 deficit," McCormick said.
The heart displayed by the Lions in the Altoona game transformed into disbelief as a deflected shot turned a win into a tie. With 14 seconds remaining against Rhode Island, McCormick dumped the puck deep into the Rams zone, barely missing the empty net. Rams defenseman, Barry Leo, retrieved the puck and skated towards center court where he fired a last second desperation shot. The puck deflected off a stick and into the net for the 3-3 tie as the buzzer sounded the end of the game.
"I never saw a play like that in my life and I've been in games where we have been beaten in the last second, but not on a play like that," McCormick said.
The frustration and disappointment of the weekend did not alter Penn State's confidence for the remainder of the season.
"We're still one of the favorites to win the division," Brunk said.
The club will travel to Pickelner Arena in Williamsport this weekend to continue the ECRHA season. The Lions play Penn State Altoona and Drexel again in hopes to avenge their one goal losses along with games against Boston University and SUNY-Buffalo. The club is currently tied for second place in the Southern Division going into their second weekend of league play.
