This past weekend, hockey fans may have witnessed the most defining moment of the season so far for the No. 2 Penn State ACHA Division I Icers -- not even realizing it.
Because it wasn't senior Mike Diethorn's acrobatic goal Friday night that ignited the crowd or Nick Signet's save on a Delaware breakaway Saturday to preserve the Penn State lead when the game was still in doubt. It was something much subtler, something that, in fact, didn't even take place on the ice.
It was the image of senior captain Frank Berry standing on the bench at a time he should have been on the ice.
If leadership can guide a team to a title, then the next image of Berry should be him raising a championship trophy above his head. If experience is the key, this is Penn State's year.
They have those guys who lead by example with their play on the ice and guys like Berry, who head coach Scott Balboni said earns everybody's respect with the way he carries himself on and off the ice. As for Saturday, after realizing it would be fellow senior Jaime Zimmel's last chance to play in front of the home crowd because of his participation in the upcoming World University Games, Berry went to Zimmel and told him to take his shift and make the most of it. Sure, it was a reminder of why Berry wears the captain's 'C' on his jersey, but he is confident any of the guys on the team would have done the same thing he did for Zimme. This is a team with a forward, Luke DeLorenzo, who has over 100 career goals and 200 career points, and a goalie, Signet, who ranks fourth all-time in career wins by a Penn State goaltender.
Ther Icers have 13 seniors, and there's only one thing this group of guys is missing -- a national championship. The team's last title came in the 2002-03 season, so nobody on the current roster has ever won one.
In a Jan. 23 game against Rhode Island, senior Steve Peck and sophomore Tim O'Brien were sent to the penalty box, relatively unfamiliar territory for both guys, after coming to the defense of DeLorenzo in a game that became very chippy in the final period. But after being sent off the ice, there were no looks of frustration or regret on their faces. It was another example of how close the team is.
As for next year? The Icers have three juniors on their roster, so there will certainly not be the sense of veteran leadership that comes with almost half of this year's team comprised of seniors.
As the senior class makes a last push to get a national title before they graduate, the focus will turn to the underclassmen as Balboni hopes to find another Frank Berry for next year. After all, with 13 graduating players, the team will need one.
