YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- While Liam Folkes danced and dangled in on Wisconsin goaltender Jack Berry, mere seconds from securing Penn State’s first Big Ten title in 2017, a pair of interested eyes watched from the crowd inside Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena.
They belonged to a 14-year-old Ben Schoen, a neutral observer at the time.
Now, the right-shot forward is a promising verbal commitment for the Nittany Lions, after scoring 28 points in 55 games last season with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms as a 16-year-old.
“Looking back on it, it’s crazy to think that I was there,” Schoen told BWI in a recent interview inside Youngstown’s Covelli Centre.
“I don’t know if it meant anything, foreshadowed anything, but it was pretty cool saying I was at that game.”
Schoen, a witness to perhaps the most profound piece of Penn State hockey history thus far, will hope to create some history of his own when he arrives on campus in 2021.
At 5-foot-8, the Ohio native forges his game around his speed and his skill. It’s a combination that has allowed him to thrive in a league full of grown men, despite his size.
“I like to make plays,” Schoen said. “I like to set up my teammates. I’m pretty quick. I don’t get hit too often. I try to get away from the defender and create space for myself so I can make plays for my teammates. I think the biggest thing for me is that I see the ice really well.
“I love to play offense,” he added. “I love having the puck on my stick.”
For Penn State, a team that has led the NCAA in goals in two of the last three seasons and holds a firm grip on that title again so far this season, that mindset is a must-have.
And that shared vision for the game is important for Schoen, too.
All he has to do is open a roster page to see success stories for players with skill sets similar to his own. Nate Sucese, at 5-foot-9, just broke the program’s record for goals. Denis Smirnov, at 5-foot-10, has lit up the scoresheet during his career. Even the 5-foot-8 Folkes, who Schoen watched on that March night three years ago, is an example of how a speedy, offense-first player can succeed in Penn State’s system.
“To watch them play, and I can kind of relate to them, was pretty cool,” said Schoen, who made his first visit to Pegula Ice Arena for the Wisconsin series earlier this month.
Eligible for the NHL draft come the spring, Schoen is one of two Penn State verbal commits to be graded by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau. He earned a ‘C’ grade from the Bureau, denoting a player with a chance to hear his name called in the 4th, 5th or 6th round.
He’s coming off collarbone surgery that’s held him out of all but four games for the Phantoms this season, but is due to return in about five weeks, giving him more than enough time to boost his stock.
“It’s tough to get hurt,” Schoen said. “But I’m just staying positive, I’ll still get half the season to play and show what I can do. Just staying devoted in the gym and working out and staying in it until I do get that chance to come back.
“I definitely do want to play pro hockey, 100 percent. I want to play in the NHL. That’s every kid’s goal...The way I see the ice. I can play fast. I can play against older guys, I’ve shown it. So that’s the goal.”
Schoen hopes Penn State — which is still waiting to land its first alumnus on an NHL roster permanently — can help him get there.
He gave his commitment to the Nittany Lions in August, after decommitting from Miami.
Schoen received some encouragement and some lighthearted jokes from former Phantom and current Penn State freshman Connor MacEachern as he neared a decision, Schoen admitted with a laugh. Ultimately, Penn State’s burgeoning hockey culture helped Schoen make his choice.
“I think the biggest thing for hockey players is you want to go to a school where the hockey team means something on campus,” Schoen said. “I think at Penn State, the hockey team is a big deal there, which was huge for me...That’s what I love about it. People are always thinking about it, and I think that’s awesome.”
