Consistency and improvement are two key qualities that Oswego State men’s hockey head coach Ed Gosek and his staff look for in their players. Sophomore defenseman Charlie Pelnik is one of the many that fits that mold.

“[Pelnik] has improved on his one-on-ones. He’s improved on his gap,” Gosek said. “He’s improved on his awareness. He is getting more consistent.”

The Cary, North Carolina, native has been working to achieve certain goals not just by himself but also by the coaching staff.

“We look for consistency, consistent, consistent, consistent,” Gosek said. “Defend and distribute the puck.”

Due to the large number of upperclassmen on the team the past two seasons, Pelnik did not see much playing time. However, with a couple players down due to injury, Pelnik was able to get his chance to step up and get some ice time.

“It’s a big opportunity for all of us. We don’t really have a choice,” Pelnik said. “You know, you hate to see guys go and get hurt, but it’s a good opportunity to rise to the occasion and get some playing time and experience and kind of get better from there.”

Gosek praised the sophomore’s improvement, mentioning his attitude going against his teammates in practice as a key factor.

“Every day in practice, [Pelnik] goes against our forwards,” Gosek said. “They’re solid forwards, and when you have to defend against them, whether it’s someone like a [Joey] Scorpio, [A.J.] D’Orazio, or [Michael] Gillespie – small guys with quickness that can change gears and change directions on you in a hurry – it makes you better. As [the coaching staff] says, over the course of the year, [players] have a chance through our practices to make yourself better. [Pelnik] has done that and now the bell has rung for him.”

Pelnik’s expectations moving forward are not only for the team, but also himself. He said he is concentrating his focus on the former.

“I mean, it’s all team-based right now,” Pelnik said. “One game at a time, do what we can to get the [win], and move forward from there.”

Before coming to Oswego State, Pelnik some spent time playing for various teams in a few highly touted junior leagues known as the United States Hockey League, the British Columbia Hockey League and the Eastern Hockey League. 

When it came to playing hockey for Oswego State, Pelnik was impressed with every aspect and felt the team was impressed with him as well.

“Coach Gosek, Digby and Whitelaw are all good coaches, and their recruiting process was really good, and when I came [to Oswego State] and visited, I felt really welcomed,” Pelnik said. “I like the tradition of Oswego [State] hockey and the school, and I knew right away it was good fit for me.” 

From the coaching side, Gosek seemed to be impressed with every aspect of Pelnik’s game both on and off the ice, right from the get-go.

“We started following [Pelnik], and we liked certain things that we saw and we liked his personality a lot when he visited,” Gosek said “We thought he was a very respectful young man. He works at the academic part. Guys like him. He’s a good teammate and he’s handled the whole situation well.”

Gosek, Pelnik and the rest of the Oswego Lakers men’s hockey team look to extend their current four-game winning streak this weekend as they take on SUNY Geneseo at home on Friday and the College at Brockport on the road on Saturday.