After a bye week, No. 12 Penn State women’s hockey (10-3, 3-0-0) defeated Lindenwood (2-10-1, 1-2-0) 3-2.

Katie DeSa started in the net for the Nittany Lions while Anna LaRose started for Lindenwood. The Penn State goals came from Tessa Janecke, Maddy Christian, and Karley Garcia.

How It Happened

Penn State came off the break hot, winning the first face-off of the game. Lindenwood tried taking the puck into the offensive zone but the Nittany Lions defense limited the chance.

Christian shot from beside the net, but it went wide, creating Penn State’s first shot. Crisp passes from the second line brought the puck in front of the net multiple times for Penn State.

Lindenwood took over some of the puck’s control but wasn’t successful in any attempt toward the net. However, the team kept up the dominance by shooting the puck into the net. Initially, the referees ruled it as a no-goal, but head coach Taylor Wasylk for Lindenwood challenged the call. The call stood, leaving the score 0-0.

This call ignited fire into the Nittany Lions, with the defense not giving Lindenwood a chance to score. The Penn State offense continued to try to set up a goal but the Lions did not let the puck leave the circle.

The Nittany Lions went on the first power play of the game when Lindenwood committed a hooking penalty. Finally getting set up, Janecke passed the puck backward to Garcia. Garcia tapped the pass back to Janecke to get her set up for a one-timer that went into the net.

The score was 1-0 in favor of Penn State. Lindenwood remained shotless, Penn State leading in that category 5-0.

7:06 | 1st: TESSA!!! Janecke scores on the power-play to put the Nittany Lions ahead 1-0!#WeArePennState #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/r2VhW5So6X

— Penn State Women’s Hockey (@PennStateWHKY) November 15, 2024

Grace Tullock took a penalty for roughing to put the Lions on the power play. Immediately, Lindenwood scored from in front of the net to tie the game with five minutes left in the first period.

Taya MacDonald almost scored on the rebound, but LaRose gloved the puck before it could go in. With 40 seconds left, Penn State went back on the power play after a hooking penalty. At the start of the penalty, Lindenwood tripped Alyssa Machado and the arena demanded a penalty, which wasn’t called.

The first period ended with the score tied 1-1 and Penn State leading in shots 8-3.

Penn State won the face-off to start off the second period on the power play. The advantage was winding down when Maddy Christian skated up the ice and flicked the puck in herself.

19:02 | 2nd: MADDY!!! Christian scores on the power-play to put the Nittany Lions ahead 2-1!#WeArePennState #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/QsFKSuegOG

— Penn State Women’s Hockey (@PennStateWHKY) November 15, 2024

The Nittany Lions continued their dominance and kept the puck in the offensive zone. A scuffle at the net brought Grace Outwater to fall over the Lindenwood defense.

Penn State was put back on the power play after a tripping call on the Lions. Leah Stecker had an open net but could not put the puck in. The Lions killed the penalty.

After the penalty ended, Janecke took a penalty for tripping. The Nittany Lions special teams were killing the penalty when Outwater broke away and tried scoring but was denied by LaRose.

The Nittany Lions killed the penalty, redeeming themselves after allowing a power play goal in the first period.

Nicole Hall tried to fire the puck into the net, but it bounced off the pipes. The Nittany Lions kept the puck in the offensive zone, trying to extend the lead.

Trying to score, Machado was hit by a Lindenwood skater, creating a power play for the Nittany Lions. The referees reviewed the penalty for major on-head conduct, which was confirmed. This gave Penn State a five-minute power play.

Lyndie Lobdell took a shot, but it bounced off the pipes to hit the boards. The rest of the major was silent for the Nittany Lions as time winded down in the second period.

Penn State led in shots 34-7 and 2-1 for the score.

The final frame started with 58 seconds left on the major on Lindenwood. The Lions killed the power play.

Garcia took a penalty for roughing, giving the Lions a chance to tie the game. Lindenwood could not generate any offense for the power play which gave the Nittany Lions a chance to regroup. Penn State went back to full strength.

Outwater passed the puck to Christian, but they could not connect to the score. Penn State kept up with the intensity, firing pucks at LaRose. A bouncing puck made it hard for the Nittany Lions to score before LaRose covered it up.

Putting a halt to the momentum, Stecker took a cross-checking penalty midway through the third period. The penalty was killed with no shots being generated by the Lions.

Almost immediately after the penalty kill, Lindenwood was called for cross-checking. Penn State could not set up for the power play once again, limiting the chances of scoring. The Lions eventually killed the penalty.

Lindenwood took over the puck offensively and scored from behind the net to tie the game with two minutes left in regulation.

Time ran down, and every effort from the Nittany Lions was unsuccessful and the game went into overtime.

Janecke, Katelyn Roberts, and Kendall Butze started in the sudden-death overtime. Janecke shot the puck into the bread basket. A line change brought Christian, Lobdell, and Brianna Brooks onto the ice for a chance to win the game.

On a rebound, Garcia took the puck from Machado to shoot it past LaRose to secure the win.

Takeaways

• The power play still struggled for Penn State. Although Christian scored on the advantage, the team could not generate anything in a five-minute major opportunity. Additionally, the consistent penalties may catch up with the team. The Nittany Lions have taken multiple penalties a game since the start of the season. The team took four today.
• Goaltending proved again to be the backbone of the team. DeSa blocked eight of the nine shots that went her way in the game.
• The defense was strong, only allowing Lindenwood 10 shots in the game. The defense stayed constant, even after a bye week.
• Closing out the first game has been a problem for the team for two weeks in a row. In the last series, Syracuse had the lead until the end of the third when Penn State tied it. This game, Lindenwood scored deep into the third period to send the game into overtime.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will once again face off against Lindenwood at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 16, at Pegula Ice Arena.