THON Skate, Icers Series Mark Busy Weekend at Penn State Ice Pavilion

The 2012 THON Skate will headline a weekend of hockey at the Penn State Ice Pavilion, as the Penn State Icers take on the University of Rhode Island in their final series of the season.

Penn State won the first two games, 6-2 and 4-2, at Rhode Island back in October.

The Icers have hit a rough patch of late, dropping their first game of the 2012 season, 6-3, to Neumann in the 2012 NCAA Winter Classic. They split a set on the road in Oklahoma, losing the first game of the trip, 3-2, in a shoot-out with Central Oklahoma before skating past Oklahoma, 3-0.

Though the game against Neumann does not reflect in the team’s 15-3 record, Coach Guy Gadowsky wasn’t happy with the team’s start in the new year.

“I think it was a good trip, in terms of it exposed some of our weaknesses, but we certainly didn’t come back in the condition we have to,” Gadowsky said after team practice Thursday.

“I hope this isn’t the case, but it sort of looked like we started getting used to things getting easy,’ he said. ‘And we weren’t in the condition we needed to be, and that will be a big focus point this weekend.”

Penn State will take on the Rams (15-12) on Friday at 7 p.m. The puck drop on Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m.; THON Skate is slated for noon to 3 p.m.

A THON fundraiser, the event features a preview of the 2012 THON music and community ice-skating.

“I can’t wait to see it. I’ve heard so much about THON and how great it is,’ Gadowsky said. ‘I give the entire student body so much credit for what they do.’

A set amount of the proceeds from the skate and ticket sales will go to THON — that is, the Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.

But the events will go on without one important member.

Colton, a 5-year-old from Berks, Pa., is the Icers’ THON kid. Though he won’t be able to make it to this weekend’s set, he plans on attending a game before the season ends. He will receive a care package from the team, including autographed sticks and jerseys.

“We’re excited to meet Colton, and I know the 10 to 15 players we’ll have out at the Skate Saturday are really excited to get to meet the kids and their families and skate with them for a bit,” said Paul Daley, the team’s THON chairman.

As for the hockey, which will include THON-styled intermissions, Gadowsky expects his players to step it up a notch as they gear up for nationals in March.

“I think we are both very different teams from early in the season,’ he said, ‘and I’d like to think we are a lot better from when we went there earlier in the season.’

Related content

• StateCollege.com’s Penn State sports page

• StateCollege.com’s THON page