Icers Fall to Neumann in First-Ever College Winter Classic, 6-3

PHILADELPHIA — The ice, the bounces, the vision and the speed weren’t what the Penn State Icers are used to, and they resulted in an outcome that Icers fans aren’t used to seeing.

Penn State dropped the first-ever College Winter Classic by a final score of 6-3 against Neumann University Wednesday night at chilly Citizens Bank Park.

“Neumann is a good team, and they made us pay for the little things we didn’t do. And that’s something that hasn’t cost us much this season, but did tonight,” Icers head coach Guy Gadowsky said after watching his club struggle with turnovers in the defensive zone and a lack of execution in the offensive zone.

Scott Farrell scored the de-facto game-winner, his fourth of the year, on a slap shot from the right circle as Penn State got clogged up in the slot, allowing Farrell to beat starter and game-loser Matt Madrazo short side. Penn State was never able to gain the lead.

“It’s disappointing to play the way we did on this big a stage, but now we have to refocus on our goal, winning a national title, and get ready for the weekend,” Icers senior left winger Kurt Collins said.

Despite a 12-4 shot advantage in the opening stanza, Gadowsky’s club lacked execution and showed rust from over a month lay-off since their last outing, a series sweep at Liberty. The team took a 2-0 deficit into the break after Jordan Zalba walked in on net and flicked it past Madrazo with nine seconds to play in the period, marking the first of two power-play goals for the Knights.

“Our penalty kill was disappointing tonight,” Gadowsky said of a unit that was killing penalties at a 90-percent clip coming into the contest.

“They got pucks to the net on their power plays, and the first goal was a beautiful move,’ he said. ‘But they got pucks in front and we didn’t when we had power plays, and that was the difference.”

Taylor Holmstrom deflected Peter Sweetland’s slap shot from the point for his seventh goal of the season a minute into the second period to draw the Icers within a goal. But Neumann (10-3-0) answered with a pair goals giftwrapped by the Icers, the first a misguided pass that allowed Cory Park to one-time a wrist shot past Madrzo. The second was a defensive zone turnover that resulted in Scott Elkow’s crashing in for a score before literally crashing into the net, beating new netminder P.J. Musico glove side.

For Holmstrom, it was his first game back since suffering an injury a quarter of the way through the season.

“I’d rather it not have been outside, but it was an awesome way to return in a game like this and get back on the ice,’ he said.

When it was all said and done, Tommy Olczyk and Justin Kirchhevel scored a pair of goals with Zalba’s second sandwiched in-between at the 2:35 mark of the third, and Neumann’s Andrew Love added an empty netter to reach the margin of victory.

Notes

• The Icers top line of Olczyk, Kirchhevel and Holmstrom combined for all three goals, eight shots, and  +/- of +6.

• Post-game, Gadowsky said it seemed the goalies were having trouble locating pucks coming in high, and had trouble adjusting to the lighting outdoors and in the stadium.

• Penn State will board a plane headed to Oklahoma for a weekend set Friday at Central Oklahoma, and Saturday at Oklahoma.