YSU hockey team's toughness metaphor for Valley

YOUNGSTOWN — The term student-athlete doesn’t just apply to players earning full-ride scholarships or having access to a state-of-the-art fitness facility complete with academic advisers on payroll. It also applies to members of the club sports like Youngstown State’s hockey team.

The Penguin hockey team fully encompasses the term student-athlete. They’re paying tuition and still lacing up their skates each weekend to represent the university.

The Penguins are taking on Cleveland State tonight at the Ice Zone in Boardman to end their regular season. Senior Enzo Recchia said he believes the style his team plays is a metaphor for the area — tough and not easy to push around.

“We’re a pretty gritty team,” Recchia said. “We grind and we’re very aggressive. Hitting is one of our biggest strengths.

“If you could put a picture of Youngstown on the ice, that’s us.”

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