Meet the Freshmen Series: David Goodwin

Story posted October 5, 2013 in CommRadio, Sports by Ross Insana

Once considered a junior hockey journeyman of sorts, David Goodwin, a St. Louis area native, spent parts of three seasons in the USHL with three different organizations; the Green Bay Gamblers, Sioux City Musketeers and Cedar Rapids Rough Riders, before arriving at Penn State.

After spending time playing with the St. Louis Amateur Blues, St. Louis Bandits and De Smet Jesuit High School, the Gamblers were impressed enough with Goodwin’s talents that they took him with their second round pick of the 2010 USHL Entry Draft at 25th overall. He left a big impression during his time with the Blues Amateur team, finishing fourth all-time in goals, assists and points in the programs history with 109 points, 48 goals and 61 assists in 91 games over two seasons before continuing his hockey career with Green Bay.

During his rookie year as a member of the Gamblers in the 2010-2011 season, he appeared in 57 games while recording 9 goals and 17 assists. Goodwin and the Gamblers finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 41-15-4 record during the regular season and rode all the way to the USHL Clark Cup playoffs before falling to the Dubuque Fighting Saints. In the playoffs, he played in 11 games while chipping in a goal and four assists. That lone goal was the eventual game-winning goal of Game Four of the semifinals, against what would eventually become his future team in Cedar Rapids, to put Green Bay in the finals.

The following season, he appeared in 11 more games with Green Bay before being dealt to the then league-worst Musketeers where he was teammates with current Nittany Lions teammate in goalie Matt Skoff. He finished the season third on the team in scoring with 17 goals and 22 assists in 47 games played with Sioux City while the Gamblers ended up winning the Clark Cup. His 49 collective points in the 2011-2012 season tied him for 19th in the league.

During the beginning of last season, Goodwin was appointed Sioux City's captain after his 2011-2012 performance. Unfortunately for Goodwin, after 18 more games with the Musketeers, he was traded to Cedar Rapids and played out the rest of last season with them. In those 46 games to close out the season, Goodwin collected 30 more points and 43 cumulative points between Sioux City and Cedar Rapids.

Goodwin finished his three-year USHL career with 118 points in 179 total games played between Green Bay, Sioux City and Cedar Rapids.

He’ll fit right with the Nittany Lions as he is known for being a solid puck mover and distributor as evidence by his 75 assists in his 179 junior games. Add in his 118 penalty minutes during his time in the USHL and he’s cut from the cloth of two-way players Head Coach Guy Gadowsky and Assistant Coaches Keith Fisher and Matt Lindsay like.

Ross Insana is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email rxi5007@psu.edu.