Penn State upbeat after losing Division I hockey opener

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The student section erupted into "Zombie Nation." The fans jumped up and down and shook blue and white pom-poms. They searched for the Nittany Lion wandering somewhere in the crowd.

It felt like Beaver Stadium on a Saturday afternoon. Instead, it was a Penn State hockey game on a Friday night - perhaps the newest obsession for this football-crazed school.

Penn State played - and lost - the first Division I hockey game in school history at Greenberg Pavilion, a small, yellow-tinted facility that shares a parking lot with the football training complex.

Jon Puskar scored an unassisted goal with 21 seconds remaining in overtime to give American International (1-0) a 3-2 win.

For the Nittany Lions (0-1), the game was less about the result and more about what it represented: Happy Valley is one step closer to becoming a hockey town.

"It was pretty awesome the students were standing the whole game," junior Taylor Holstrom, a transfer from Mercyhurst, said. "The way they were, the standing, the constant cheering. I was hoping it'd be just like the student sections at football games so that was pretty cool."

Students were turned away at the door 30 minutes before the puck dropped. It was a sellout at the 1,300-seat arena.

Said Yellow Jacket goaltender Ben Meisner: "That was probably the best atmosphere I've ever played in."

The Nittany Lions won't compete in the Big Ten until next season. That's when their brand-new 6,000-seat rink will open.

But Terry Pegula's expensive donation - a $88 million commitment that was upgraded to $102 million - to bring Division I hockey to his alma mater is now in fruition. And the excitement is tangible.

"It's hard to say why I feel so good after an overtime loss," Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said. "But right now I'm thrilled.."

Penn State pressured American International with a steady attack. Through two periods, Penn State owned a 42-20 advantage in shots. The Nittany Lions registered 63 in the game.

The first puck that slid past the Yellow Jacket net came 4 minutes, 37 seconds into the second period. Freshman Casey Bailey scored off a scrum, sending the student section into a frenzy.

Holstrom's unassisted wrist shot tied the game, 2-2, with 6:05 remaining.

"We can be very proud of the crowd, very proud of the atmosphere, very proud of the offense we generated," Gadowsky said. "And you see a lot of optimism for the future."

That's why Gadowsky, who took the job after a successful stint at Princeton, was smiling during his entire postgame news conference. There is a future for Penn State hockey. And it's finally under way.