Despite all the challenges facing the team, the Penn State men’s hockey has not let the coronavirus pandemic stop it from bonding as a group.

The team’s practice schedule looks quite different this year, as it works out together in specific groups and has yet to gather together in their entirety. For now, Zoom sessions and golfing have kept the Nittany Lions glued together.

“I think every single player on our team, except for maybe two of them, got the fall pass at the Penn State golf course,” captain Alex Limoges said. “I know in the beginning when we weren’t really skating too much, we were there every day. It’s been a lot of fun having friendly competitions with those guys and that’s definitely where we spend most of our time.”

Limoges said the team starting doing Zoom hangouts during the summer, and those who were able to would hang out and talk after he finished leading team meetings.

“Ever since we’ve got here we’ve been trying to get different groups together as we can with the rules and COVID. It’s been good so far,” Limoges said. “I think where we’re really coming together is on the ice. And now, with the road trip coming up hopefully we can spend a little more time together.”

The start of the season this Thursday brings a longer than usual road trip for the team, first playing Minnesota in a two-game series on November 19 and 20 and then facing Wisconsin on November 23 and 24. Of what is planned to be a 28-game season, the series is the first two of four scheduled to be played during “Phase 1” of the phased return to play.

The upcoming trip brings much needed bonding time for Penn State.

“It’s awesome to get back, you know guys have been waiting for this so long, and we’re so fortunate that we’re able to have a season and play,” alternate captain Aarne Talvitie said. “Just really excited about playing again and going on a little road trip with the guys so that’s going to be definitely fun.”

After not hitting the ice for a little over 270 days and essentially being in State College in a bubble, the team is looking forward to getting back on the ice and playing as one unit.

Senior defenseman Clayton Phillips said Penn State was hoping for a road trip even before the schedule was released. He feels having the opportunity to bond as a team is vital for building team chemistry.

“It’s not really necessarily a bubble, but we’re going to be pretty restrictive once we’re there,” Phillips said. “It’ll be great to just hopefully all be able to be around each other as much as possible, and just build that team chemistry even more.”