Nov. 8, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Nittany Lion women's hockey team hosts College Hockey America rival Syracuse Saturday and Sunday at Pegula Ice Arena for a pair of 2 p.m. faceoffs. Both games will be streamed live on AmericaOneSports.com.
| PENN STATE (2-7-1, 0-2-0 CHA) vs. SYRACUSE (4-4-0, 0-0-0 CHA) | |
| Games 11-12: Nov. 9-10, 2013 • Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pa. | |
| VENUE | Pegula Ice Arena (5,782) |
| STREAMING COVERAGE | AmericaOneSports.com |
| LIVE STATS | | |
| SERIES RECORD | 0-4-0 |
| LAST MEETING | Jan. 26, 2013; SU 4-1 (at Syracuse) |
| NEXT TIME OUT | Nov. 15-16 at RIT |
| Penn State Game Notes | |
TICKETS (Ticket Home Page)
Fans can purchase season tickets for $50 or single-game tickets for $5. All Penn State students gain free entry with valid ID and can sit in the Roar Zone. Men's hockey premium season ticket holders gain complimentary admission as well. Seating will be general admission on the north side of the building behind the team benches in sections 108-112.
PROMOTIONS & PARKING (Women's Hockey Parking Map)
Fans who attend Friday's men's hockey game against Sacred Heart can gain free admission to both women's games this weekend when they redeem their men's hockey ticket stub at the Pegula Ice Arena box office located near Gate A. For Sunday's game, fans are invited to participate in a free post-game skate on the varsity rink with the team. Free skate rentals are included.
Free parking for Penn State women's hockey games is free in certain lots around Pegula Ice Arena including Shields & Wagner Yellow Lots H as well as Orange Lot F near Holuba Hall and East Area Locker Room. Fans are advised of Sunday's women's basketball game at the BJC and to inform the parking attendant of which game they're attending. The Limited Bag Policy is in effect for these contests unless contents are in a clear, gallon-sized bag.
GAME NOTES
• Penn State welcomes Syracuse to cap eight-game home stand
• Nittany Lions have dropped last four games to New Hampshire and Robert Morris
• Penn State's home attendance ranks first in CHA, fifth in NCAA Division I
• Nittany Lion freshmen & sophomores have tallied 35 of team's 44 points
• Balanced Penn State offense touts eight different goal scorers this season
• Syracuse has won three straight entering this weekend's series
AMONG THE BEST FAN SUPPORT
The Penn State faithful have supported the Nittany Lions well in the first six games at Pegula Ice Arena with 4,566 fans going through the turnstiles. Currently, Penn State ranks fifth in average attendance (761) behind national title contenders Minnesota (1,928), Wisconsin (1,590), Minnesota Duluth (1,397) and North Dakota (1,074). Penn State also tops the CHA.
Division I Women's Hockey Attendance
1. Minnesota: 1,928
2. Wisconsin: 1,590
3. Minnesota Duluth: 1,397
4. North Dakota: 1,074
5. PENN STATE: 761
6. RIT: 729
7. Mercyhurst: 713
8. Cornell: 692
9. Dartmouth: 711
10. Colgate: 497
PICK YOUR POISON
Penn State has had the fortune of multiple contributors on the offensive end. Eight Nittany Lions have scored a goal this season, while 14 have registered a point. Shannon Yoxheimer leads the team with 8 points, while linemate Taylor Gross has 7 and Sarah Nielsen has 5. Hannah Hoenshell also has 5 points, including a two-assist game on Saturday against UNH. The Minnetonka connection of Laura Bowman and Amy Petersen have combined for 4 goals (Bowman) and 3 assists (Petersen), while defenders Kelly Seward (3 goals) and Jordin Pardoski (3 assists) have supplied some offense.
YOUTH SUPPLIES THE OFFENSE
The addition of four freshmen: Laura Bowman, Amy Petersen, Sarah Nielsen and Kelly Seward have injected an instant bump in scoring production with 15 of the team's 44 points. Nielsen leads the newcomers with 5 points, Bowman has tallied 4 goals, Seward has notched 3 goals, while Petersen has dished 3 assists. To prove the youth of the team, 35 of the team's 44 points (79.6%) were collectively tallied by freshmen and sophomores.
WHITLINGER STANDS TALL
Celine Whitlinger, a 5-9 Californian goaltender, has been outstanding in net for Penn State. Whitlinger (2-3-0) has already surpassed her win total from a year ago and has stopped 92.1 percent of the shots she's seen. In 15 appearances for Penn State, Whitlinger has a career .932 save percentage and a 3-10-0 record.
UPGRADED SCHEDULE
For the fourth time in five weeks, the Nittany Lions will face a team receiving votes in the national rankings. Quinnipiac is now ranked in both polls, while Robert Morris and Syracuse are both receiving votes this week. New Hampshire was also receiving votes when the Wildcats came to Hockey Valley. Last season, Penn State played just one ranked opponent, Mercyhurst (four times), while Robert Morris earned votes during the first series in Nov. 2012.
SCOUTING THE ORANGE
Facing a challenging schedule, Syracuse (4-4-0, 0-0-0 CHA) has won its past three games over Providence (4-1), then-No. 4 Boston College (4-1) and Union (5-2). That came on the coat tails of a four-game losing streak to UNH, then-No. 3 Clarkson (twice) and Providence. The Orange also bagged a 4-1 win at then-No. 10 Northeastern. Away from Tennity Ice Pavilion, the Orange are 2-3-0.
The strong goaltending duo of Kallie Billadeau (.943 save percentage) and Jenesica Drinkwater (.940) have steadied Syracuse's tough slate. Billadeau has played 355 minutes allowing a 2.03 GAA, while Drinkwater has seen 120 minutes in net with a 1.50 GAA. Offensively, Nicole renault has dished 8 assists and scored once from the blue line for a team-best 9 points. Forward Margo Scharfe (4 goals), Jessica Sibley (3) and Allie LaCombe (3) lead the team in scoring. Melissa Piacentini has also scored once, but earned 5 assists. Ten Orange skaters have netted 21 goals this season.
SERIES HISTORY vs. SYRACUSE
All-Time Series: SU leads 4-0-0
PSU Streak: 4 losses
First Meeting: 10/13/12, SU 4-0
Last Meeting: 1/26/13, SU 4-1
Last PSU Win: n/a
Last SU Win: 1/26/13, 4-1
Largest PSU Win: n/a
Largest SU Win: 6-0, 10/14/12
COMMON ENEMIES
Penn State and Syracuse have both played New Hampshire and Union this season. The Nittany Lions went 1-3-0 in their games against UNH and UC, while Syracuse went 1-1.
SCORING DROUGHT
Penn State ran into a tough Robert Morris team last week, falling 4-0 and 6-0. The back-to-back shutouts by the Colonials were just the second instance a team pulled off the task against PSU. In last year's CHA opening series, Syracuse won by identical scores of 4-0 and 6-0. Penn State's scoring drought has extended to 141 minutes, 43 seconds with the last 50 Nittany Lion shots stopped by opposing goalies.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State hits the road for a two-game series at RIT Friday-Saturday. The road series is the first for Penn State since Oct. 11-12, a two-game set at Quinnipiac. The Friday game at RIT is set for 7 p.m., while Saturday's contest will commence at 3 p.m.