Men’s hockey to host midnight practice night of Oct. 5

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Fans will have the chance to get their first glimpse of Penn State’s first NCAA Division I team when it hosts a "Midnight Ice Breaker" practice the night of Penn State’s annual Homecoming Parade on Oct. 5. The event, which will be held at Greenberg Ice Pavilion, will be open to the public and free of charge.

Doors will open at 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 and festivities will kick off with on-ice contests and giveaways at 11:20 p.m. Practice will run from midnight until 1 a.m. during the early-morning hours of Oct. 6. Following practice, fans are welcome to join the team on the ice for a free public skate from 1-2 a.m. Fans who have their own skates are encouraged to bring them.

The practice will also be a Code Blue Blast event for students. The first 200 students will receive a Code Blue t-shirt, and all students who swipe their ID cards will be automatically entered to win a stick autographed by the team. Free pizza will also be delivered at 11 p.m., and a second autographed stick will be awarded to a non-student who attends.

Prior to the start of practice, each member of Penn State’s first NCAA team will be introduced and head coach Guy Gadowsky will address those in attendance. The practice will be the team’s first official session as NCAA rules stipulate Oct. 6 as the first day for organized team practices.

The Greenberg Ice Pavilion is located on Penn State’s campus near the corner of Hastings Road and McKean Road, and will serve as the Nittany Lions’ home during their inaugural NCAA campaign. Penn State will host 15 games, including its first-ever NCAA game against AIC on Oct. 12 and two games against 2012 NCAA tournament participant Air Force Nov. 9-10, in the facility.

Single-game tickets for the 2012-13 season can be purchased at the Bryce Jordan Center Ticket Office or by calling 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. A limited amount of student ticket packages are still available and may be purchased at the Bryce Jordan Center Ticket Office.

Fans interested in joining the ticket waiting list for Pegula Ice Arena can also call 1-800-NITTANY during normal business hours. The future home of Penn State Hockey, the $90 million, 6,000-seat arena will open near the corner of University Drive and Curtin Road prior to the start of the 2013-14 campaign, coinciding with Penn State’s first season in the Big Ten Hockey Conference.

Schedule of Events – Friday, Oct. 5
Greenberg Ice Pavilion