Oct. 16, 2014 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Head Coach Josh Brandwene Interview
By Tyler Feldman, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - One of the most notable perks that come along with Penn State hockey is the beautiful, state-of-the-art Pegula Ice Arena. Whereas most players and coaches point to the locker room, fitness area or ice as the best elements of the two-year-old rink, freshman goaltender Hannah Ehresmann enjoys the simple amenities.
"My favorite part [of Pegula Ice Arena] is the chocolate milks we have in the fridge," said Ehresmann.
But, that's not the only thing she loves about Penn State.
"My favorite part about Penn State other than Pegula is all the pride that Penn State has, especially at football games," said Ehresmann. "They're really fun."
Ehresmann plans to extend that pride seen in the student section at Beaver Stadium across Curtain Road to Pegula Ice Arena.
Just four games into the season, the freshman is well on her way. In two starts, she's posted a 1-0-1 record with 1.44 goals against average (3 goals allowed, 74 saves) and a .961 save percentage.
"I think the biggest things are just her focus, her process, and her level of compete, and the work that she does with Courtney, our goalie coach, which allows her to get better every day and that's a really great thing to see," said head coach Josh Brandwene.
Usually the transition from high school to the collegiate level is a challenging endeavor. However, Ehresmann, who hails from Minnetonka, Minn., has joined a couple of familiar faces at Penn State.
In fact, Ehresmann attended the same high school and played with current teammates Amy Petersen and Laura Bowman. The familiarity with Petersen and Bowman has supported the freshman as she gets acclimated to a new territory.
"It's been amazing [having Petersen and Bowman as teammates]," said Ehresmann. "I know their styles of play, so it's easy to know what they are going to do, which is really helpful.... The team has helped out a lot, too. They're very supportive and they just help show us the ropes as freshmen."
Even with the help of her teammates, adjusting to college play is not a free skate on a Friday night.
"The pace is much quicker and the shots are a lot harder and more consistent," said Ehresmann. "In high school some people would have hard shots, but in college everyone has hard and quick shots."
Although the season is young, Ehresmann is most pleased with her performance this past Sunday at home against then No. 8 Quinnipiac. The freshman was a stonewall in net, stopping 45 shots to preserve a 1-1 tie.
"I'm most proud of sticking with the game against Quinnipiac," said Ehresmann. "I was really tired going into the third period...and with ten minutes left I lost feeling in my legs. I just stuck with it and it ended up being the best for our team."
The person who recruited Ehresmann to Happy Valley could not be more thrilled with the effort that his freshman goaltender has displayed between the pipes this early in the season, especially versus Quinnipiac.
"I'm proud of her compete level," said Brandwene. "There was a lot of traffic in front of our net, and you can just see the intensity, the commitment to her technique, fighting through screens, and really doing a great job throughout the whole game. She just continues to focus on her process and get better every single day. The effort is always there and I love what I see from her right now."
With junior goaltender Celine Whitlinger splitting time with Ehresmann, the first year net minder is using Whitlinger's experience to her advantage. According to Brandwene, their willingness to help and challenge one another is integral to the growth of the program.
"They're sort of referred to affectionately as the 'sisterhood' here in the program, and they are just great teammates, great supporters of each other, and they work really hard. It's a really great thing for our program."
Luckily for Ehresmann, the Berkey Creamery is in walking distance of Pegula Ice Arena. Meaning that chocolate milk is never far away, just in case Pegula ever runs out.