Hockey Player Spotlight: David Goodwin

Story posted January 23, 2016 in CommRadio, Sports by Alissa Devine

Veteran and dominant forward David Goodwin has been a catalyst for the success so far this season for the Penn State men’s hockey team. With a team filled with freshman and young guns that are extremely talented, teammates such as Goodwin continue to step up as role models for the younger players, especially as Big Ten hockey continues.

This past weekend, the Blue and White faced the Wisconsin badgers in Happy Valley, sweeping their Big Ten rival for the second straight year. Now, Penn State men is looking forward to its first conference road trip of the season, facing Ohio State in Columbus. This weekend’s series is crucial for the Nittany Lions facing another Big Ten opponent right behind Penn State in conference standings. 

Being the elite player that he is, Goodwin scored the game winning goal 44 seconds into overtime, giving the Blue and White a 4-3 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers Friday night. Goodwin isn’t the kind of flashy player to be noticed on the ice during the whole game, but he is the type of player to make his presence know when it is needed the most.

Coach Guy Gadowski commented after the win saying, “I’m not sure David Goodwin had his very best game, but he sure played extremely well when it counted the most.”

The Veteran instinct that Goodwin has on game changing plays, such as his overtime game winning goal last weekend, is what Penn State will need facing Ohio State on the road.

Without the blue and white faithful known and the Roar Zone, Penn State’s most outspoken and dedicated fans, The Nittany Lions will need to create their own noise and electric play. However, that won’t be a problem for Penn State’s most veteran players who have been in this exact situation in previous years. This includes Goodwin, one of the Lions’ main leaders for the team.

Goodwin commented on what it’s like to play in Columbus without the Roar Zone saying: “You know one thing that sticks out for me when I think about playing there is that their building doesn’t have that much energy, you have to create your own jump. You can’t expect the fans, whether they’re for you or against you, to get you going.”

The intensity of Big Ten hockey and Penn State’s first road conference game does not give Goodwin any worries. He is a leader for this Nittany Lion’s team and is proving to be one on and off the ice, especially for freshman such as Andrew Sturtz.

Gadowski went back to the Goodwin, Glen, and Sturtz top line combination again this past weekend against the Badgers after a couple of months. The combination and reunion of these top players proved to be successful for conference play after a win over Wisconsin. Goodwin brings out the best in freshman Andrew Sturtz, who is a fast skater with skilled hands. Goodwin being a playmaker and front-runner on the ice is the perfect compliment for a player like Sturtz.

“Glen, Sturtz, and I really feel comfortable with each other, said Goodwin. “You appreciate guys like Andrew Sturtz and how hard he works and David Glen and how hard he battles. I’m able to find Sturtz really well and he can fly around and get good scoring opportunities. Glen’s great on the face-offs and we all battle well together.”

The line change was a great way to shake up the team, allowing the veterans to compliment the young guns, as the Goodwin and Sturtz combination has already proved to be successful. Hopefully the new line will spark some more electric play against Ohio State, especially with no Roar Zone to back the team up.

Goodwin is the player to keep your eyes on this upcoming weekend as the Penn State Nittany Lions look for their first conference road-game win.

ComRadio will have coverage of both games of the series this weekend. The puck drops in Columbus this Friday at 7 p.m.

Alissa Devine is a sophomore majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact her, email alissadevine96@gmail.com.