Penn State Women’s Hockey Forward Tessa Janecke Becomes First Penn Stater To Win Gold Medal At The Winter Olympics
History made in Milan-Cortina, folks.
Penn State women’s hockey forward Tessa Janecke became the first Nittany Lion in history to win the gold medal in the Winter Olympics as Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime in the gold medal match. The only Penn Stater to medal at the Winter Olympics was Allison Baver, who won the bronze medal in the women’s 3000-meter relay in short-track speed skating as part of the USA’s relay team.
Despite not scoring a goal in the 2026 Winter Olympics, Janecke made a huge impact on Team USA with five assists, tied for the second-most on the team. After she had played with the United States women’s senior national team in the IIHF World Championships and the Rivalry Series against Canada, she became the first Nittany Lion in history to compete for Team USA in the Winter Olympics.
Janecke will now head back to Penn State as the Nittany Lions prepare for postseason play, starting with the AHA Conference Tournament on February 27, after winning their fourth consecutive AHA Conference regular-season title.
Your ad blocker is on.
Please choose an option below.
Purchase a Subscription!
About the Author
Penn State Baseball Michael Anderson Breaks Program’s Single-Season Home Run Record
The senior slugger socked his 20th home run of the season on Thursday night in College Park.
12 Penn State Volleyball Alumnae Find Success In Professional Volleyball
Haleigh Washington is the founding athlete of LOVB.
No. 8 Penn State Remaining Confident For NCAA Quarterfinal Rematch Against No. 1 Princeton
The Nittany Lions have worked on their shooting in preparation for the No. 1 Princeton Tigers.
Taking A Leap Of Faith: Fernando Martinez Ruiz De Esparza’s Senior Column
“As I get ready to embark on the next chapter of my life, Penn State has prepared me well for what’s next, and I will apply everything I learned and embrace the uncertainty.”