Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/90963
Twenty-six years after their fathers were roommates with the 1986 U.S. National Team, Nate Jensen (right) and Tommy Olczyk (left) are teammates and roommates at Penn State University. "It's fun to think about it and just to know our paths crossed way back in the '80s. Now, here we are in 2012, and the boys are playing together." well as in Europe. Tommy is a winger just like his father, who was a winger for various teams throughout his 16-year NHL career. He's now the lead analyst for Chicago Blackhawks telecasts as well as NHL games on NBC. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Oct. 15. "Ed was high energy and played with a lot of emotion. His son is the same way. He's a really fun player to watch," Dave Jensen said. "Nate is a defenseman and steady. He doesn't get real high or low. Our kids' personalities are very similar to how Ed and I played." The fathers had a unique chance to watch their sons skate together last season. Since the Nittany Lions' D-I program didn't take the ice until this fall (as an inde- pendent), Tommy and Nate got to play with a majority of their teammates as part of Penn State's club team in 2011-12 with- out it counting toward their NCAA Div. I eligibility. Head coach Guy Gadowsky was able to run the club team, too. "It was great. We all have some great chemistry already," Tommy said. "All the new guys we brought in are great, and we couldn't ask for a better group. It was really nice to get to know the coaches. We're just going to try to go out and work hard. I'll kill penalties, block shots and score a goal here or there. I'll do whatever I can to help the team." Nate already had a year of college hock- ey under his belt. The Minnesota native attended Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., his true freshman year and had 16 points in 36 games for the Lakers. After the school year, Nate decided to go a different direc- tion and chose to continue his collegiate career at Penn State. "I heard the school was awesome for academics. That was a start. I heard they were going to build a new rink and they'd be in the Big Ten," said Nate Jensen, who was tabbed as an assistant captain. "I heard Guy Gadowsky was going to be the head coach and heard great things about him. It was nice to get on campus and get know the coaches and players a bit. I got my feet wet last year. This year, I'm ready to go." Tommy, a Chicago native, was familiar with Penn State from the three years he lived in Pittsburgh while his dad was the Penguins' head coach (2003-05). Once he heard the Nittany Lions' D-I program was starting, he couldn't pass it up, either. "It's pretty crazy," he said. "There had been talk about Penn State having a D-I program. Everything is starting to come together and it's an honor to be a part of it. That was a huge draw to me – to set the foundation for something that is going to be really, really awesome," he said. "A school like Penn State getting D-I hockey for both the men and women is huge. It'll be such a draw for all the male and female players in Pittsburgh, Philly and New Jersey. It's going to draw some of the best players. To just be a part of this is incredible. I know I made the right choice coming to Penn State." N Joe Sager is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER.2012 29