Oct. 17, 2014
4 Penn State (2-2-1) |
Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) Schenectady, N.Y. • Messa Rink • Attendance: 112 | 1 Union (1-4-0) |
SCHENECTADY, New York - The junior class led the Penn State women's hockey team to a historic 4-1 win over Union on Friday, as the Nittany Lions are off to its best start in program history.
Junior Celine Whitlinger (Garden Grove, California) made 21 saves for her first win of the year, while her classmates on the opposite side of the ice helped the Blue and White in its 4-1 win. Hannah Bramm (Tampa, Florida) assisted on Penn State's (2-2-1) opening two markers, Shannon Yoxheimer (Jackson, Michigan) netted the second goal, Amy Petersen (Minnetonka, Minnesota) got the 3-0 score and Micayla Catanzariti (Rancho Santa Margarita, California) helped on the 4-1 empty net goal.
Smart play along the boards for Penn State led to its first goal of the game. 11:19 into the game, Bramm stripped a Union player attempting to clear of the puck. Bramm then pushed it five feet to Caitlin Reilly (Chanhassen, Minnesota) at the high slot who fired off a quick shot into the net for the 1-0 score.
The line of Yoxheimer-Bramm-Reilly continued to generate quality scoring chances, including one that led to Penn State's 2-0 marker. Just under seven minutes into the second, Reilly fed the puck from the circle to Bramm at the farside post, who tried it stuff it past Shenae Lundberg. But Yoxheimer gathered up the rebound at the opposite post and stuffed it past the goalkeeper for the 2-0 lead.
The Blue and White widened its lead with two-and-a-half minutes left in the second frame. Laura Bowman (Minnetonka, Minnesota) passed the puck to Hannah Hoenshell (Plano, Texas), who skated through center ice with speed and crashed the net. Petersen then knocked in the rebound for her third goal of the season and the 3-0 lead.
Through two periods of play, the Nittany Lions held a 30-14 shot advantage over the Dutchwomen (1-4-0), and had not committed a penalty.
The third period, however, saw a more organized Union team that limited Penn State to six shots on goal and drew two penalties. In its second powerplay of the night, the Dutchwomen (1-4-0) spoiled Whitlinger's bid for a shutout with a slapshot from the blueline.
Penn State maintained its pressure and with 1:19 remaining in regulation, Sarah Nielsen (Edina, Minnesota) scored an empty net goal, thanks to Catanzariti's assist, for the final 4-1 score.
The Nittany Lions and Dutchwomen face off again tomorrow, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m.