During college hockey’s nearly six-week hiatus, five Penn Staters had the opportunity to compete overseas in the Spengler Cup. 

The Spengler Cup is the oldest hockey tournament in the world, but the only previous time the United States has had team representation in the competition was 1988. Guy Gadowsky was tasked with leading the first edition of the U.S. Collegiate Selects team, a collection of NCAA athletes from a variety of countries.

Aiden Fink, Charlie Cerrato, Matt DiMarsico, JJ Wiebusch, and Mac Gadowsky were all included on the final roster that would travel to Davos, Switzerland, to compete under Guy Gadowsky’s familiar leadership.

While the group came up just short of the ultimate prize, the silver medal was a testament to the team’s pride and resilience, exceeding all expectations that had been set for them on the national stage.

But for the athletes, this tournament was more than an opportunity to win a medal. Many of the Penn State men’s hockey players have never been across the pond, so having the chance to represent the NCAA internationally was an incredible experience in itself.  

“It was unforgettable,” said Fink. “The place was beautiful. I’ve never been to Europe, never been to Switzerland. It was all around a great experience for us.”

One of the most exhilarating parts about international competition is the fan reception. Whenever national pride comes into play, there is sure to be a raucous atmosphere and great environment both at the games and around the city.

Such was the case for Davos. In the streets, players would find fans cheering as they walked through town, something that is sure to live on in the memories of these select athletes for a long time.

“It was pretty cool. You’d be walking down the street, and every person would stop and try to get pictures,” Fink said. “[The fans] were unbelievable. They were super nice to us.”

Guy Gadowsky shared a similar sentiment regarding the experience and was also in awe of the support from those in attendance.

“Davos really got behind the team, and you started to hear ‘USA’ chants when we walked down the street, went to a restaurant, and walked into the arena,” he said. “It was really quite cool to see how they responded to us.”

From a purely competitive standpoint, Guy Gadowsky was also impressed. His team of college-aged players had to take on professional hockey players, and his athletes did more than just stand their ground.

“What we did learn is that college hockey is really, really good. Really good,” he said. “You’re playing some of the best pro-teams with 1,000s of NHL games in their roster, and our guys played with them too.”

Guy Gadowsky feels strongly that his athletes, both the ones he coaches in Happy Valley and the ones on the select team, are capable of hanging with the best in the world. He cited freshmen by the likes of Luke Misa, Nolan Collins, and Josh Fleming, who he believes all have the potential for a career in the NHL and demonstrate tremendous talent at such a young age.

Of course, some of the older Nittany Lions have already shown that they can play at a high level. Aside from Fink, who was the leading scorer in the tournament, Mac Gadowsky and the Behind-The-Back Boys were all able to find the scoresheet during the competition.

“I didn’t set out to take that many Penn Staters, but I felt they absolutely deserved it,” Guy Gadowsky said. “They all played really, really well.”

While winning is always the endgame of a hockey tournament, the Penn Staters who were able to coach and compete will always be grateful for the opportunity. There’s no doubt that NCAA hockey is an up-and-coming league, and the Big Ten continues to dominate at the top.

Guy Gadowsky will now turn his attention back to conference play, as he will continue to pursue the dream of leading the Nittany Lions to a national championship in April.