Penn State women’s hockey is riding a seven-game win streak as it enters November off the backs of hat tricks, game-winning goals, and shutouts from some of the Nittany Lions’ best players.

Stellar individual performances have led to multiple Penn State players earning Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) monthly awards.

Goaltender Morgan Stickney won AHA Rookie of the Month, forward Abby Stonehouse won AHA Forward of the Month, and defender Sophie Morrow won AHA Defender of the Month.

Despite all the individual achievements, the Nittany Lions know staying focused as a team is the path to success.

“Just stick together, trust the process, and it’s gonna work out. Our team is full of [competitors], so I don’t really have a doubt in them,” Stonehouse said.

Stonehouse is second on the Nittany Lions in points with 14. Her highlight performance came in the form of four goals in two games in a series against RIT.

The series featured her first career hat trick.

“It comes back to my linemates. They get me the puck in spots that I’m able to score, so I think they’re a huge part of why that happened,” Stonehouse said of her hat trick.

On the defensive side of the ice, Stickney and Morrow’s teamwork goes beyond Happy Valley.

The two were teammates at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School before Penn State and have continued to build on that chemistry on the ice for the Nittany Lions.

“We’ve kind of been able to have a relationship where we can talk to each other and be like, ‘Hey, what did you want me to do differently there?’ And she’ll say the same thing to me,” Morrow said.

Stickney said she shared a similar sentiment as Morrow and said she’s able to predict what Morrow will do in certain situations.

Stickney’s trust is not only with her teammates, however. It also extends to her coaching staff, especially as the freshman transitions to the speed and pace of college hockey.

“Every Monday, my goalie coach and I go on the ice and work on what we think we can do to make my play more efficient and just make the whole game easier for me,” Stickney said. “It’s gotten easier game-by-game.”

Stickney earned five wins and two shutouts in September and October, posting a .926 save percentage.

For Morrow, her trust in her teammates comes from her ability to charge off the blue line and join the Nittany Lions attack. Morrow tallied four assists on October 31 against RIT, which tied the program’s second-best single-game performance.

Morrow also leads AHA defenders in points.

“It’s really about just looking at your opportunities. It’s like risk first, reward,” Morrow said. “If there’s an opportunity to jump up and make an impact, I’m gonna take it. But that comes with making sure your partner is back or making sure there’s a forward covering for you.”

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