![](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772100050_598_Onward-State-Lion-2.png\")
\t<\/p>\nRole identification has become a common theme inside the Penn State men\u2019s hockey locker room as of late.<\/p>\n
With injuries continuing to plague the lineup and only four games remaining in the regular season, the Nittany Lions have had to make major adjustments. Line combinations have been shuffled, and as bodies have gone down, players have been asked to embrace whatever the moment may ask.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone on our team is willing to play whatever role,\u201d Lev Katzin said. \u201cIt\u2019s good when you have that service.\u201d<\/p>\n
And it has shown up in how Penn State has approached the ice recently. Rather than forcing offense or trying to do too much, head coach Guy Gadowsky talked about the emphasis he\u2019s put on structure as the season winds down, with players focusing on executing their new responsibilities. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not just going to fire wagon, because we don\u2019t have the bodies,\u201d Gadowsky said. \u201cI think a lot of it has to do with the role identification.\u201d <\/p>\n
The added focus on structure has been evident in the way certain players have handled their expanded roles. Shea Van Olm, who scored three goals last weekend while also staying out of the penalty box entirely, is a perfect example.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach has been cycling some guys through that have been on some other lines, and I think me and Ben [Schoen] have adjusted to that quite well,\u201d Van Olm said, \u201cI think playing with different line combinations comes with maturity\u2026 I think it\u2019s been working pretty well for us to grab a guy like Gavin [McKenna], or JJ [Wiebusch], or [Matt] DiMarsico, or [Aiden] Fink.\u201d<\/p>\n
The adjustments haven\u2019t just been about who\u2019s playing where, though. Behind the constant line changes is the reality of the Nittany Lions\u2019 thinning bench, and that\u2019s been one of the toughest parts.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime someone goes down, it\u2019s next man up mentality,\u201d Katzin said. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s hard watching all these guys get hurt, like [Braedon Ford], [Dane Dowiak], [Charlie Cerrato], [Alex Servagno] \u2014 all important to our team in different ways, but you can\u2019t dwell on it, and the next guy\u2019s got to be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
Casey Aman has become another example of the flexibility the Nittany Lions have, serving as one of those players Penn State can rely on wherever he\u2019s needed. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, for one, Casey Aman is a very valuable guy because he\u2019s so good at both,\u201d Gadowsky said, referring to Aman\u2019s ability to play both forward and defense. \u201cThat\u2019s a very difficult thing to do\u2026 So he\u2019s the one that we really rely on when it has to do with not only different lines, but different positions.\u201d<\/p>\n
We first saw that approach take shape last weekend against Ohio State.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the lines of Katzin, [Nic] Chin-DeGraves, Casey Aman, and then playing Schoen and Van Olm with someone else\u2026 those two lines just played so, so well, so much of a great role game,\u201d Gadowsky said. \u201cAnd I honestly think that they\u2019re [a huge reason] why we had success Saturday night.\u201d<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t just fall on the players to adjust, though. Gadowksy acknowledged that the responsibility extends behind the bench as well, taking responsibility for Penn State\u2019s poor bench management during its series in Ann Arbor earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Following the adjustments made over the past few weeks, Penn State now has its eyes set on its upcoming series against Notre Dame, where those lineup changes will be tested once again.<\/p>\n
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