Casey Bailey said that wherever the team plays, there are always Penn State fans in the stand.
He said at places, such as Worcester, Mass. and Storrs, Conn., there has been at least 30 to 40 people cheering the team on, win or lose.
The Nittany Lions also play in Philadelphia on Jan. 19 against Vermont in the Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff. The program created a special bus and ticket package for $30 so students can easily travel to the game.
The bus pass provides transportation to and from Penn State and the Wells Fargo Center. Students can purchase up to four packages or tickets at the Bryce Jordan Center athletic ticket office.
Bailey said students and fans traveling a long way to support the team means a lot, and is the huge reason a lot of the players came to Penn State.
“We knew the fan base is huge and the student pride, alumni is outstanding,” Bailey said. “It’s awesome to see that in our first year here, when we’re not doing so hot, we’re probably doing better than people expected. I think in the future the fans will see a lot more wins for sure.”
Junior forward Taylor Holstrom simply said Penn State fans are the best. He added that they don’t compare to any other teams’ fans he’s seen so far.
Holstrom said the support from fans really motivates the team. He said he’s excited to see what happens when they go to Philadelphia, because of the turnout of fans they had going into the Winter Classic last year.
“When we’re into it, they’re into it,” Holstrom said. “When we score that goal and get that reaction, there’s nothing better.”
Bailey said the distinct difference between Penn State fans and all others is the amount of alumni.
“They’re chanting and they’re all really proud no matter what,” Bailey said. “They’re just happy to see us out there and I think everyone’s really excited about the program.”
