ALTOONA HAS GOOD SHOWING AGAINST PSU D2 TEAM

Sunday, October 25, 2015

THE HARDEST ROADBLOCK AT PSU ALTOONA, IS THAT IT IS PRIMARILY A TWO YEAR PROGRAM.  THE PROGRAM TURNS OVER A NEW TEAM EVERY TWO YEARS, WHICH MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GAIN TEAM CHEMISTRY THAT OTHER FOUR YEAR PROGRAMS TAKE FOR GRANTED.  TEAMS OFTEN DO NOT RESPECT A TWO YEAR PROGRAM FROM ALTOONA.  FOR THE PSU D2 TEAM, THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE.  PSU ALTOONA WENT TOE TO TOE WITH THE D2 TEAM FOR TWO AND HALF PERIODS IN FRONT OF A PACKED HOUSE AT PEGULA ICE ARENA.  ON PAPER, THE ICE LIONS (ANNUAL FAVORITES TO GO TO D2 NATIONALS), SHOULD HAVE DOMINATED THE TWO YEAR BRANCH CAMPUS TEAM.  HOWEVER,  PSU ALTOONA CAME TO PLAY, AND EVEN THOUGH THEY LOST, THERE IS A LITTLE MORE RESPECT TODAY.  THE ICE LIONS WOULD COME FAST AND FURIOUS, AND 1:21 INTO THE FIRST PERIOD THEY LED 1-0 ON A TAYLOR VINCENT GOAL.  FRESHMAN MATT LITTLER WOULD SCORE HIS FIRST OF THE SEASON AT 14:48 ASSISTED BY JEFF HAGAN AND DOMINIC BOVA.  SIX MINUTES LATER LITTLER (LUDWIG, WILSON) WOULD SCORE HIS SECOND OF THE GAME AND PSU ALTOONA WOULD LEAD 2-1.  FORMER ALTOONA MUSTANG PLAYER DANNY MOSCONE WOULD TIE THE GAME SHORTHANDED ON A PSUA TURNOVER IN THE GREY ZONE.  JOSH SINGLEY WOULD GIVE THE ICE LIONS A 3-2 AT THE END OF THE FIRST PERIOD.  PSUA WOULD COME OUT FAST IN THE SECOND PERIOD.  AND JOSH SNYDER WOULD TURN AWAY ALL TEN ICE LION'S SHOTS.  AT THE 8:29 MARK OF THE SECOND PERIOD, MATT LITTLER WOULD RIP A SHOT OFF THE GOALIES PAD, AND MIKE LUDWIG WOULD TIE UP THE GAME AT 3 AFTER PICKING UP THE REBOUND.  THROUGH TWO PERIODS, THIS LITTLE TEAM FROM ALTOONA HAD SHOCKED EVERYONE IN THE ARENA.  WAS THIS GAME SUPPOSED TO BE THIS CLOSE?  COULD PSUA PULL THE UPSET?  WITH THE THIRD PERIOD LOOMING, EMOTIONS WERE RUNNING HIGH IN THE PSUA LOCKER ROOM.  HOWEVER, AT THE 16:28 MARK, TAYLOR VINCENT WOULD SCORE WHAT WOULD BE THE EVENTUAL GAME WINNER AND THE SECOND OF HIS THREE GOALS.  PSUA ALUMNIST CONLON SODROSKY WOULD GET A SHORTHANDED GOAL AT 13:21.   THE ICE LIONS WOULD SCORE THREE MORE TIMES ENROUTE TO AN 8-3 VICTORY.  JOSH SNYDER WOULD TURN AWAY 28 OF 36 IN THE LOSS.    "I AM VERY PROUD OF THIS TEAM TONIGHT" COACH LANTZ COMMENTED AFTER THE GAME.  "WE FOUGHT HARD AND NEVER GAVE UP.  THIS TEAM HAS HEART AND THEY HAVE BIGGER GOAL IN MIND.  THIS WAS A GREAT TEST FOR US, AND I COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF THESE BOYS TONIGHT."  THE ICE LIONS COACH  SAID "YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD TEAM THAT GAVE US A SCARE FOR TWO PERIODS." THIS WILL BE A GREAT LESSON FOR THE LIONS FROM ALTOONA.  THEY PROVED THAT A TEAM THAT HAS TWENTY FIVE PLAYERS COME OUT FOR TRY OUTS VERSUS A TEAM THAT HAS EIGHTY, CAN SKATE, REPRESENT, AND GAIN ANOTHER PROGRAMS RESPECT.  NO HANGING HEADS IN THIS GAME AS THE LIONS TURN AROUND AND HAVE A GAME AGAINST WEST VIRGINIA'S ACHA TEAM TOMORROW AFTERNOON.