[ballah09]

It's been kind of old news, moving to NCAA from ACHA...just hired coaches

Coaches in place, PSU moves to next hockey phase
June 1, 2011, 4:16 p.m. EDT
Associated Press
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — The introduction of Josh Brandwene as the new women's ice hockey coach at Penn State ended an important phase in the school's leap to Division I play.

Now the real work begins for Brandwene and his counterpart for the men's team, Guy Gadowsky, as they get ready for the transition from club level to major sport status in 2012.

Brandwene is a Penn State alumnus and coaching veteran who was formally introduced Wednesday to head the women's program. Gadowsky has been on the job for just more than a month, and both plan to keep a busy schedule on the recruiting trail.

There are high hopes in Happy Valley that the Division I programs will create a buzz in a hockey-savvy state bookended by NHL cities in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

In the minor league AHL, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had the league's best regular-season record, while the Hershey Bears have won the previous two Calder Cups.

On the collegiate level, the number of women's ice hockey teams nationally has quadrupled from 21 in 1995-96 to 84 in 2009-10, according to the most recent data available from the NCAA.

"The timing is so perfect for both the men's program and the women's program in the state of Pennsylvania," Brandwene said Wednesday. "Add that to the growth of the women's game, the success of the Flyers, Penguins and the Hershey Bears, it's the perfect time in every way, shape and form."

An $88-million donation last September by former energy company executive and Penn State alumnus Terry Pegula and his wife, Kim, helped, too. They earmarked the largest private donation in Penn State history to fund a new multipurpose arena and upgrade the men's program. The school is funding and seeking donations for the women's program.

A self-proclaimed hockey fanatic, Pegula bought the NHL's Sabres in February.

"When it's all said and done, the gift itself was just amazing and a catalyst for other things to happen," associate athletic director for hockey Joe Battista said. "I think anybody that doubted that before now understands."

It's been a whirlwind nine months since the donation for Battista and athletic director Tim Curley.

The 2012-13 season has been the target date to open Division I play for both teams as independents, but the athletic department initially thought a new arena wouldn't be completed until 2014-15. Shortly afterward, architects estimated they could get the new arena done sooner, by late 2013.

Then in March, Big Ten athletic directors ended months of speculation by throwing their support of a six-team men's hockey league that would start in the 2013-14 season. The proposal is slated to go before Big Ten presidents for approval at a meeting Sunday in Chicago.

"By moving it up a year, that added a definite sense of urgency to get things done on time," Curley said. "We ultimately decided to get started with conference play, even though it could be rough that first year."

Conference affiliation for the women's team is yet to be determined.

But there's still plenty to do for Brandwene at his alma mater, where he played on the 1990 American Collegiate Hockey Association title team coached by Battista. Brandwene broke the Penn State career record for points by a defenseman that had been held by Battista.

Brandwene has head-coaching stints at West Virginia, Delaware and Michigan-Dearborn. He also served seven years as president of the ACHA.

Now Brandwene and Battista are wearing the same blue-and-white colors again. Battista plans to take Brandwene and Gadowsky on barnstorming tours to promote hockey across the state — but only after they get settled with recruiting.

[Sly Fox]

It seemed odd that they weren't in the scholarship game from the get go. Stepping up both programs essentially was Title IX neutral.