Senior defenseman Jarod Crespo signed an amateur tryout agreement with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, according to an announcement by the club on April 14. The Barracuda serve as the AHL affiliate for the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks.
Crespo’s signing is significant as it marks a new step in his hockey career following a successful tenure at Penn State. He completed his senior year as an All-Big Ten Honorable mention and served as one of the team’s leaders both on and off the ice.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky said, “Jarod had a great career as a Nittany Lion capped off by a tremendous senior year on the ice and as a leader of this team. He consistently worked at his game and really found himself as a player and a captain this past season. It’s always very rewarding to see someone so dedicated to the program get rewarded with an opportunity at the next level!”
During his four years at Penn State, Crespo played in 141 games, missing only 11, which ranks him tenth all-time among Nittany Lions. In his final season, he recorded 17 points from five goals and twelve assists over 37 games. Overall, he finished with 42 points on twelve goals and thirty assists, tying him for fifth all-time in goals by defensemen at Penn State and placing him fourth in blocked shots with 193.
Crespo achieved notable milestones during his college career. On Senior Day against RIT in January, he became just the second defenseman in program history to record a hat-trick, scoring three goals in a single game that started a seven-game win streak for Penn State.
Reflecting on his time at Penn State, Crespo said, “My four years at Penn State taught me how to deal with adversity, pain, and setbacks and come out a better person and player on the other side. The entire staff and all my coaches pushed me to be the best version of myself each day. My time in Hockey Valley has prepared me for professional hockey and life in general and I could not be more proud to have competed my whole college career as a Nittany Lion. We Are!”
Penn State concluded its most recent season after reaching three NCAA Tournaments during Crespo’s tenure—including their first-ever Frozen Four appearance—and achieving three seasons with twenty or more wins.
