After a 3-0 win against UCONN to win the NC Regional Final, Penn State women’s hockey is in uncharted territory: the Frozen Four.

This breakthrough comes in head coach Jeff Kampersal’s ninth season with the team. When he took over, the women’s hockey program was in a rough spot, having only one winning season in its history. Now, the Nittany Lions have established themselves as a national championship contender, along with four consecutive AHA conference titles and counting.

“It’s everything we’ve worked for, but we’re not done yet,” said senior goaltender Katie DeSa.

The program’s turnaround really kicked into gear with the recruitment of this year’s senior class four years ago. That class not only brought in a group of talent never before seen for Penn State women’s hockey, but also aided in creating a winning culture.

“We have this class that is so connected and so strong,” senior forward Maddy Christian commented. “We’ve gone through this together.”

With eight players set to graduate after the season, there’s a sense of finality with this week being the last of the year. This group has changed the program for the better, and their future is right on the horizon.

“They took an opportunity to make the program what it is now, and it’s really all their hard work, all their setting the standards, making it that way for the younger players and the next wave of Penn Staters to come in here. They know how to be a Penn State women’s ice hockey player,” Kampersal stated. “They’re history makers.”

The Frozen Four gives the Nittany Lions a national stage that they’ve never seen before. With such a great team, it’s unfortunate to see pretty lackluster attendance throughout the season, but it all could change this weekend at Pegula.

“Hopefully on Friday, Hockey Valley will show up and support because they [the team] deserve it,” Kampersal noted.

It’s also an opportunity for Penn State to prove that it belongs in the same conversation as other national title contenders. Coming from a smaller conference in the AHA, the Nittany Lions don’t often play the top-tier teams, but the team is determined to show the world that they should be right there with the blue bloods.

“We might not always have the big names or get the attention we deserve, but we’re right in the same spot as those teams,” team captain Tessa Janecke remarked.

Now, at Pegula, the Nittany Lions get to showcase everything they’ve built towards in front of a home crowd in Hockey Valley. It also gives this pivotal graduating class one more chance to leave it all out on the ice in front of a familiar crowd.

“We’re gonna do everything we can for our fans and for each other,” announced senior defenseman Kendall Butze.

No. 3 Penn State women’s hockey will take on No. 2 Wisconsin in the Frozen Four on Friday, March 20, at Pegula Ice Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.