For years, Shea Van Olm’s path seemed set in stone. Major junior hockey, then the pros. College hockey wasn’t part of the plan.

But when the NCAA changed its eligibility rules last November, allowing players from Canada’s major junior leagues to play in college, his story took a turn. On Saturday night at Pegula Ice Arena, that turn came full circle when he crashed the crease and tapped home his first goal as a Nittany Lion.

The freshman forward had spent the past four years carving out a reputation as an elite producer in the Western Hockey League, posting 49 goals and 92 points last season with the Spokane Chiefs. When the NCAA opened its doors to CHL players, Van Olm’s longtime friend Aiden Fink convinced him to give Hockey Valley a look.

“I’d never had any interest in college, you know,” Van Olm said. “I was a major junior guy since I was 14 or 15. I called Finker [Fink] and was like, ‘Hey, what’s the availability like at Penn [State]?'”

Van Olm and Fink grew up together, skating side by side on the Havoc Jr. Flames and reconnecting every spring for youth tournaments. “I grew up with Finker, and he was a big reason why I came to this school and this program, and I owe a lot of that to him,” Van Olm added.

Now teammates once again, Van Olm and Fink have turned years of backyard chemistry into real production for Penn State. Van Olm centered a line with Fink and 17-year-old Gavin McKenna over the weekend. It was fitting that his first goal came with Fink on the ice, tying together that longtime connection.

The position, though, was far from fitting. Van Olm, a natural winger, was asked to play center for the first time in his collegiate career — a challenge that came with new responsibilities and plenty of faceoffs.

“My whole career, I’ve tried to ride that line,” Van Olm said. “I like to be a physical presence out there and impose my will… and I’ve tried really hard to stay disciplined.”

Head coach Guy Gadowsky credited Van Olm for stepping up into an unfamiliar role and making the most of it.

“He’s put in a position. He’s not a natural center. Thought he did a good job. He won a couple of big draws. I think he can improve in that area as well. But it was his first game at center in college, and he worked really hard at it. He got rewarded with a goal. I gave him a lot of credit,” Gadowsky said.

That credit was earned throughout the game. Van Olm’s energy was noticeable from the start, even if it came with a few bumps along the way. A tripping call in the first period led to a Stonehill power-play goal, and another penalty in the third nearly gave the Skyhawks life.

When the whistle blew, Van Olm wasn’t happy about it, letting the refs know his thoughts as he skated to the box. He took a breath, reset, and the moment he stepped out of the penalty box, he made up for it. He crashed the net, found Nolan Collins’ loose rebound in the crease, and knocked in his first collegiate goal.

Fink and McKenna both sprinted towards the net to grab the puck, but as soon as McKenna saw Fink make a beeline for it, he turned towards Van Olm, who dropped to one knee for a quick scoop celly before popping up near the blue line. McKenna was the first to reach him, practically leaping onto him in excitement, as the rest of the line followed.

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The reaction said plenty. For Van Olm, it was validation. For his teammates, it was the payoff for a guy who’s done whatever the lineup has asked of him.

And the support continued into the postgame celebration. When the team lined up for the alma mater and jumped into the board, Van Olm’s teammates made sure he went first, egging him on and cheering as he led the charge into the glass of the Roar Zone.