Coach Joe Duey

This coach has no additional personal information available at this time.

Coach Thomas Lantz

After 11 seasons behind the bench for Penn State Altoona Ice Hockey, Thomas Lantz retires a 2nd timeand assumes the sole role of General Manager. From 2009 until 2019, Coach Lantz assumed the role of both Head Coach and General Manager and built not only a successful program, but a hockey family. Thomas's love of hockey started with a group of friends who formed the Sheetz Roller Hockey Team at the Hollidysburg Area YMCA. At that time there was no local rink, roller or ice. So, this group of teenagers took the initiative to petition the YMCA boardand build the area's first ever roller rink. Following the success of the Penguins first two Stanley Cups, the interest turned to ice hockey. However, once again there was no local ice rinks or hockey programs in the area. So, this small group of friends would travel to State College, Johnstown, and even Indiana to play in various adult leagues at all hours of the night, to quench their thirst for competitive hockey. Patrick Roy would become his favorite player and Tom would spend his entire career playing goalie. Thomas began his coaching career at the Hollidaysburg Area YMCA with Mike Bowman, coaching The Lightning, a biddy floor hockey team. Following two successful floor hockey championships, he would then join Coach Bowman as an assistant coach with the 18U Altoona Stingers (a travel roller hockey team). Then in 1999 Galactic Ice would be the area's first ice rink. BG would have the area's first high school hockey team, followed by Hollidaysburg, Altoona, and Central PA a year later. Since graduating from Hollidaysburg High School in 1990, the next logical step was to coach the inagural team at his alma mater. He would once again join Coach Bowman as an assistant coach for the next four years. During their first season, The Tigers would win The Laurel Highlands League Championship. During those four seasons, the Tigers would go on to win four consecutive Dean Patterson Tournaments and never lose to their biggest rival Altoona. In August 2009, the GM of Galactic Ice, Dave Weaver, reached out to Tom abiut coaching PSU Altoona. The program was in desperate need of a coach for the program to survive. Tom would assume both roles of Head Coach and General Manager. In his first two seasons, the Lions would win back to back South Division Titles and have a record of 32-14-1. Penn State Altoona would win their first of three back-to-back-to-back College Hockey East titles in 2015. The team would puch their ticket to the NCHA Nationals, where they would be runners up to Buffalo. During that amazing team's run, PSU would amass a record of 24-5-1, that would earn Coach Lantz the 2015-16 NCHA Coach of the Year. The 2016-17 team would begin their title defense going 21-5-1 and once again winning a College Hockey East title for the second year in a row. Rebuilding in 2017-18, the expectations were nothing short of another championship run, and the Lions delivered. PSU would go 13-4-1and secure their 3rd consecutive CHE title. In 2018-19 Coach Lantz was set to retire and solely assume the GM duties of the program. However, despite all the accolades and championships, probably one of the proudest coaching mooments, was returning to coach in the 2018-19 season to coach PSU Altoon's first female player, Quinn Hunter. Tom would retire after the 2018-19 seasonand focus on the GM duties. Covid would disrupt the 2020-21 seasonand the program would remain dormant until the 2023-24 season, when a group of self-motivated students, led by Max Frearson, would rebuild the PSU Altoona Hockey program. They needed a coach. Knowing what this program has meant to Coach Lantz over the last ten years, he wasn't about to let the program fail. Wayne Gretzky said it best..."The greatest thing about hockey is the people you meet. The people I've met...the friendships I have, the memories and there is nothing like it. It's the greatest game in the World." Coach Lantz's philosophy was to build a competitve program. To build a family environment. To prepare these student athletes for life after hockey. Hopefully his legacy reads that he built a program that his players were proud to be a part of. He ended his coaching career with 140 wins and 97 losses and 8 ties, 3 championships and a Coach of the Year Award. But most importantly are the relationships he had with his players and managers. Although he will remain with the program as the General Manager, he leaves the program in good hands with Coach David Mueller. Together they look to take PSU Altoona Ice Hockey to the next level.

Coach Alex Lieb

Coach Lieb joins the PSU Altoona Ice Hockey Team for the 2023-24 season as an Assistant Coach. Alex began his hockey career at a young age playing for the Altoona Trackers and Mid State Mustangs at the AA level. Throughout the years he learned from some of the best coaches in Central PA. He then finiahed his youth hockey career with the Johnstown JetsU18AA team. He played varsity hockey for the Bishop Guilfoyle Mauraders and Hollidaysburg Golden Tigers and was nominated as a captain during his second year with Bishop Guifoyle. During that season, he was also a finalist for the LMHL defensemen of the year award. Alex went on to Penn State Altoona and played one year for the club team, making the transition from defense to forward and becoming a contributor at both positions. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the club was not able to continue, bringing an ealy end to his playing career. After the pandemic, Alex began his coaching career with the Mid-State Mustangs. During thw 2022-23 season, Alex was an assistant coach for the Mid State Mustangs U16AA team alongside head coach David Mueller and assistant coach Joe Duey. The following season he was an assistant coach for the Mid State Mustangs U18AA team alongside the same coaching staff, helping lead the Mustangs to a fourth place finish in the Mid-Am Western PA state tournament. Alex is excited for the opportunity to rejoin the Penn State Altoona hockey club as an assistant coach and help build a strong foundation that will allow the club to flourish alongside the coaches that he started his career with.

Coach David Mueller

Coach David Mueller takes over the helm of the Penn State Altoona Nittany Lions for the 2024-2025 season. After moving to Bucks County, PA from Palm Beach County, FL in 2008, David Mueller was quickly introduced to the game of hockey and that love has never faded. He quickly made the progression from floor hockey, to roller hockey, to ice hockey which has been his focus since age ten. David completed two years at the Altoona Campus, and graduated from Penn State University Park with a degree in finance in December 2023. Along the way he was awarded the President's Freshman Award and the President's Sparks Award for his academic achievements. His playing career is representative of his character and leading nature as he often captained the teams that he played for. Out of his two seasons with the Philadelphia Revolution while he was only just starting ice hockey. David was voted as a one-time assistant captain and one-time captain. Out of his five seasons with the Grundy Senators, David was nominated as a two-time captain and a two time assistant captain. Additionally for David's high school, Council Rock South, David was nominated as a two-time captain, received the "Most Dedicated Player Award" in his sophomore year, was named to the league wide second team in his senior year, captained CRS to an SHSHL championship title in 2020. He was also the "Matt Harrington Scholarship" recipient in the year that he graduated. His coaching career consists of assisting with various Learn-To-Play programs and volunteered as a two-year assistant coach with the Council Rock South Middle School AAA program and a one-year assistant coach with the Wintersport Royals 12U Team. Furthermore, David was the headcoach of the Mid-State Mustangs 16UAA team in 22-23 season, head coach of the Mid-State Mustangs 18UAA team in 23-24 season, and assistant coach of the 2023-2024 PSUA Ice Hockey Team. David looks to further help his players both on and off the ice. He emphasizes work ethic, attitude, passion, details, respect, teamwork, and positivity. An ultimate goal of his is to create a family atmosphere, where players enjoy coming to the rink and represent their school with pride. David is looking forward to his new role and is hoping to continue to help build a sustainable hockey program at PSUA that prepares players for college hockey and life after that.