Nov. 7, 2013
By Jackson Thibodeau, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -Hailing from Ontario, Canada--senior goaltender Nicole Paniccia has been immersed in a hockey culture her entire life. The talented net minder, and lone Canadian on the roster, first took to the ice when she was just four years old and has never looked back.
"You turn on the television in Canada and really all you see is hockey," she said. "Everybody plays [hockey] and it really is a huge part of our culture."
Although the presence of hockey is seemingly more dominant in Canada, Paniccia is happy to see the continual growth of a hockey culture in the United States.
"To be honest, when I first came to play here I went through a little culture shock in that sense," she said.
But since the addition of the state-of-the-art Pegula Ice Arena and the program's transition from club to varsity, players and coaches alike have seen a boost of interest for hockey in Pennsylvania.
"I think in general the state of Pennsylvania has a great hockey culture," said head coach Josh Brandwene. "This [Penn State] is a flagship program and a flagship facility and it is going to do everything to continue to make the state that much more of a hockey-focused state."
Locally, the team is extremely pleased at how the community has expressed interest in the hockey programs and embraced the "Hockey Valley" mantra.
"Before the new arena it would be hard to even find a Penn State hockey shirt in a store downtown," Paniccia said, "but now hockey is everywhere you go."
Prior to Penn State, this puck-stopper played two seasons in goal for the University of Connecticut. She started a total of 21 games for the Huskies from 2010-2012 and owned an impressive .926 save percentage during her sophomore campaign.
Paniccia, along with senior forwards and captains Taylor Gross and Jenna Welch, transferred to play for the Nittany Lions after the 2012 season. The opportunity to attend the incredible university and be an integral part of a brand new program was something that they couldn't ignore.
"Being here has truly been amazing," she said. "Just how much this school cares about its student-athletes is unbelievable and has made this an amazing experience. All of the sports at Penn State are very well represented."
Since donning the blue and white uniform, Paniccia has established herself as a premier goaltender in the country. Last season during her junior year, she ranked second in Division I with 1,028 saves and posted a .928 save percentage in her 27 starts (6-19-2).
She has started five games in 2013-14 and currently owns a .889 save percentage as she has turned away 168 shots.
"Nicole is an extremely hard worker," said Brandwene. "She is extremely coachable and dedicated and she is a major contributor to this team."
The net minder attributes her successes to hard work, focus and preparation--but she also gives some credit to her superstitions. Before each game she has several routines, such as bouncing a ball against a wall 37 times (the number she wears on her jersey) to prepare herself for the competition.
"I am probably the most superstitious person on the team...it just helps me get focused," she said.
As for post-graduation plans, Paniccia is interested in taking her skills overseas and in the process--take some time to figure out what she wants to do after hockey.
She plans on taking next year off before competing in Italy and traveling across Europe. She is a psychology major and has expressed interest in pursuing a career as a sports psychologist.
Paniccia will take the ice again on Saturday at 2 p.m. as the Nittany Lions will host Syracuse for another CHA battle. The two-game stint against the Orange will round out the team's eight-game home stand.