Penn State women’s hockey (1-3-1) picked up its first win of the season by handling Holy Cross (0-3-0) 5-1 Friday afternoon.

An all-around effort from the Nittany Lions’ roster helped the team begin its series with the Crusaders on a good note.

How It Happened

The first period had a lot of momentum shifting thanks to offensive chances for both teams. There was just one power-play chance for Penn State that the Nittany Lions didn’t capitalize on. An uneventful opening period of the game ended with no score.

Goalie play in the first period was fantastic. Sophomore goalkeeper Josie Bothun had nine saves for Penn State.

Things became a little more exciting in the second period. Holy Cross struck first with a goal coming from senior forward Carlie Magier. Shortly after, sophomore forward Olivia Wallin netted a goal assisted by sophomore forward Kiara Zanon. Just a minute later, Penn State scored again, this time thanks to sophomore forward Alyssa Machado.

Penn State held the Crusaders to five shots on goal in the second period.

The Nittany Lions dominated the third period and scored three unanswered goals. Weiss scored for Penn State, extending its lead to 3-0. Following that, sophomore forward Kiara Zanon contributed an unassisted goal. To conclude a great third period, freshman forward Mya Vaslet scored her first career goal.

Player Of The Game

Alyssa Machado | Forward

Machado was a machine on Friday. She netted a goal and added an assist, too. By the time Penn State won, she’d contributed four shots on goal en route to lifting the Nittany Lions to a win.

What’s Next?

Penn State will face Holy Cross again at 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 9, to wrap up the two-game series.