Trending
UNIVERSITY PARK - The eleventh-ranked Penn State men's ice hockey team returns to Pegula Ice Arena to open its 2017-18 home slate as they welcome American International College for a pair of contests on Thursday and Friday evening at 7 p.m.
BANNER UNVEIL
-Prior to puck drop on Thursday evening there will be a brief pregame ceremony to honor the 2017 Big Ten Tournament Champions and the first-ever NCAA Tournament team with a banner unveiling. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats at 6:45 p.m.
-Tickets are still available HERE and standing room only tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY.
THIS WEEK'S
MATCHUP
-Penn State opens its 2017-18 home slate with a rare Thursday-Friday matchup against American International College.
-The Nittany Lions hold the 3-1 series advantage over the Yellow Jackets dating back to Penn State's inaugural Division I season, 2012-13.
-AIC is the answer to a pair of trivia questions in Penn State hockey history as the Yellow Jackets gave the Lions their first-ever loss in their first-ever Division I game on October 12, 2012, but PSU responded for it's first-ever win the following night. Both of those initial games were decided in overtime.
-Penn State outscored AIC, 13-6, in a series sweep at Pegula Ice Arena the last time the two teams met during the 2015-16 season.
SCOUTING AIC
-AIC finished last season 8-20-8 overall and 7-14-7 in Atlantic Hockey play during Head Coach Eric Lang's first season behind the bench. The Yellow Jackets bowed out of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament in the first round to Mercyhurst in two games.
-The Yellow Jackets return their top four scorers from a year ago including eight of their top 10 scorers led by Blake Christensen who led the team with 21 points and Dominik Florian who was the team's only double-digit goal scorer in 2016-17 with 10.
-AIC returns both of its goaltenders who saw action last season in Zackarias Skog and Alex Murray. Skog started 23 games compiling a 5-12-6 record with a 3.06 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Murray started 13 games going 3-8-2 with a 3.59 GAA and .883 save percentage. Skog has started four of the team's five games so far this season.
-The Jackets are led by Patrik Demel so far this season with three goals and two assists for five points. Demel sat out the first semester last season before coming on strong down the stretch for AIC scoring four goals and adding five assists for nine points in 14 games. Only Janis Jaks has also registered multiple goals so far this season for the Jackets with two.
-AIC has struggled so far this season on the penalty kill as they rank 44th nationally at 74.1 percent. The seven power-play goals they have allowed in 27 opportunities are the most in the nation. The Yellow Jacket power-play has fared.