Although Penn State coughed up two embarrassing defeats to No. 5 Minnesota this weekend, a kind gesture from Nittany Lions fans may have salvaged the series.

The Roar Zone, Penn State hockey’s devoted student section, showed some excellent class by making a sign to honor Mack Motzko, the late son of Minnesota hockey coach Bob Motzko.

Mack was tragically killed in a car crash on July 24, 2021, in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minn., at just 20 years old. Before the accident, Mack had played in the United States Hockey League for the Sioux Falls Stampede and then in the North American Hockey League for the New Mexico Ice Wolves.

The Roar Zone’s sign read “WE MISS YOU MACK #23.” The poster also included the Ice Wolves’ logo.

The sign had made its way back to the Minnesota head coach, who took to Twitter in gratitude to the Penn State community.

That’s you Penn St for thinking of my son. Class student section pic.twitter.com/jtji1KIWpr

— Bob Motzko (@BMotzko) February 20, 2022

Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky had praise for the student section and shared that the idea came from senior forward Adam Pilewicz.

“I just thought I found out that that idea came from Adam Pilewicz, not surprisingly,” Gadowsky said. “It speaks a lot of the Roar Zone to do it and what they’re about for sure. It also speaks volumes about what kind of an individual Adam Pilewicz is.”

Gadowsky said he was proud of Pilewicz and happy to see the respect demonstrated by the team’s student section.

“We’ve said many times. It is the best student section in college hockey, but they’ve also got a lot of class,” Gadowsky said. “They’re classy. This speaks a lot to their class to what they’re all about.”