Penn State women’s hockey secured its third straight Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) regular-season title after an overtime win against Mercyhurst on Friday.

The overtime hero was Lyndie Lobdell, a graduate student who hadn’t scored since the Union series in October. She tapped the puck in front of the net to get past Jorden Mattison to secure the win and the championship.

Head coach Jeff Kampersal brought up Lobdell’s growth from when he recruited her now being a fifth-year player.

“She’s a natural leader,” he said. “But, she’s also a very vocal leader.

“I recruited her for Princeton way back when, and then I switched positions, and then I recruited her for Penn State,” he continued. “We’re going to enjoy her for hopefully as long as we can. She’ll be a big significant loss to our program.”

During her freshman year at Penn State, Lobdell was one of four Nittany Lions named to the All-CHA Rookie team while leading the defenders in points with 27. Her success only grew from there as she appeared in every game her sophomore season. Now, as a graduate student, Lobdell has become the program’s all-time points leader for a defenseman.

Lobdell wasn’t the only player Kampersal praised, as some seniors were the first players he recruited when he arrived at Penn State.

“Lyndie, [Alyssa] Machado, and [Annie] Spring were the first group I recruited for Penn State,” he said. “They’ve had a successful four, five years for sure, with 103 or so wins.”

Along with Lobdell, Machado, and Spring, Karley Garcia, Brianna Brooks, Laura Barbro, Tiffany Hill, and Mya Vaslet were all seniors who were celebrated on senior day. The group had found incredible success during their time at Penn State by becoming three-time AHA regular-season title winners along with winning the CHA postseason championship for the 2023-2024 season.

The group of seniors have proven themselves to Kampersal, who commented on their dedication during their time as Nittany Lions.

“They’re hockey players, instead of kids who play hockey, and that’s a big difference in the commitment,” he said. “It’s a grind for them, but it’s what they’ve always wanted to do.”

The commitment the seniors brought to the team will leave a lasting legacy for Penn State women’s hockey and one that Kampersal will remember and use as an example in the future.

He brought up past players who paved the way for the group of seniors who were celebrated during the series. Kampersal noted that players like Natalie Heising were vehicles that drove the old Penn State to the new Penn State.

“She didn’t get to celebrate the winning, but they got the program to there,” Kampersal said on Heising. “But then this senior group added to her legacy.”

The seniors and the rest of the team will travel to RIT at 3 p.m. on Friday, February 14, at Gene Polisseni Center to end the regular season.