No. 8 Penn State women’s hockey (26-5-1, 17-1 AHA) lost to conference foe Mercyhurst (17-3-2, 12-5-1 AHA) 3-2 on Senior Day. The loss to Mercyhurst ended the team’s 17-0 conference win streak.

Maddy Christian and Tessa Janecke were the lone scorers for Penn State, while Kate DeSa saved 16 out of 19 shots that came her way.

How It Happened

Mercyhurst won the faceoff to start the game by controlling the puck early. The team struggled to hang onto the puck as the Penn State defense stepped up early.

Tessa Janecke went to the box after a slashing penalty to give the Lakers the advantage five minutes into the first period. The Penn State special teams were able to clear the puck and disrupt the Mercyhurst power play to kill it.

The Nittany Lions could not take advantage of the momentum swinging their way despite killing the power play. Karley Garcia came close to getting past Jorden Mattison but it was deflected off of her glove to get the first shot on goal of the game for Penn State.

With ten minutes off the clock, Penn State struggled to find success in the offensive zone. Brianna Brooks almost tapped the puck in from the side of the net but could not get it through the sea of green.

Lyndie Lobdell was called for boarding to put the Lakers back on the power play. One minute into the power play, Mercyhurst was called for a tripping penalty to start four on four hockey. The Nittany Lions were able to kill the penalty to go on their own advantage for the remainder of the first period.

After an uneventful first period, Penn State led in shots on goal 10-6 but had nothing to show for it.

The puck was bouncing between each team to start the second period with neither being able to hold onto it. After intercepting the puck from the Nittany Lions, Mercyhurst was able to wrap around the net to score first early into the second period.

Tensions started to rise between the two teams when Mercyhurst was called for roughing to send the Nittany Lions on the power play. After reviewing the penalty for head contact, it was determined that there wasn’t any.

After being able to set up the power play, Penn State could not find an opportunity to score. Moments after the penalty was killed, Leah Stecker took a hooking penalty to send the Penn State special teams back on the ice.

Breaking away, Maddy Christian took the puck in herself to fire it past Mattison to tie the game. The Nittany Lions were able to return to full strength with momentum now swinging their way. Katie DeSa started to stand on her head to keep the game tied.

On her own, Janecke handled the puck all the way to the back of the net to take the lead for the first time in the game. The ice was now tilted toward the Nittany Lions, who were dominating the offensive zone.

Grace Outwater was called for body-checking, sending the Lakers on the power play. DeSa was peppered with shots during the power play but continued to stand strong in the net. As the power play winded down, Merychurst was called for interference.

Katelyn Roberts set Janecke up for a one-timer but could not complete the pass toward the net. Despite the power play being killed by the Lakers, the Nittany Lions had multiple opportunities to find the back of the net to end the second period.

The Lakers were not letting up to start the final frame, bombarding DeSa with shots. Five minutes in, Mercyhurst found an opening in the net to tie the game. The Nittany Lions did not let up offensively, still dominating the game in shots on goal 29-14.

Midway through the third period, the puck bounced between teams, and neither maintained control of the puck. Mercyhurst was able to slip past DeSa to take the lead with less than ten minutes to go in regulation.

Penn State was desperate to regain a tie but could not find an offensive rhythm. The Mercyhurst defense was skating on top of the Nittany Lions, limiting their chances to tie the game. The Lakers were able to seal the win after preventing the Nittany Lions from scoring.

Takeaways

• Despite a slow start on the offense, the team was able to rally to find a spark to get the game going. Christian’s goal created a momentum change in favor of Penn State.
• Penalties still prove to be a problem for Penn State, with the team taking four in the matchup. However, the penalty kill was able to prevent Mercyhurst from taking advantage of the power play.
• Maddy Christian continued to be dominant as a forward, securing her 18th goal of the season during the game. She has had a breakout junior season.

What’s Next

Penn State women’s hockey will play RIT at 3 p.m. on Friday, February 14, at Gene Polisseni Center.