Aston native and Cardinal O’Hara High School graduate Ricky DeRosa, along with senior classmates James Robinson and David Goodwin, will be captains of the Penn State men’s ice hockey team this season.

“We are very proud of the quality of captains we’ve had in this program since our staff has arrived to Penn State, and are confident that these three will certainly carry on that tradition,” said Nittany Lions coach Guy Gadowsky.

“(David, Ricky, and James) have a high level of character and hockey IQ, and have also had the added experience of building upon the values of former student-athlete captains.”

DeRosa has also been a constant on the ice for Penn State, seeing time in 101 games while scoring 14 goals and adding 16 assists for 30 points in his career. DeRosa has been honored by the Big Ten for his academic prowess, earning a spot on the All-Big Ten Academic squad the past two seasons.

“Ricky DeRosa is a tough competitor who is extremely hard to play against,” said Gadowsky. “He’s always exhibited a tremendous level of work ethic and, like Goodwin, has worked extremely hard to become one of the team’s leaders in individual battles.”

Hockey fans in Delaware County will have an opportunity to see DeRosa and Penn State up close on Jan. 28, when the Nittany Lions face off with Princeton at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.