Oct. 2, 2014
| PENN STATE at #1 MINNESOTA | |
| Friday, Oct. 3 at 8:07 p.m. ET Ridder Arena | Minneapolis, Minn. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
TV: ESPN2 -->| Live Audio (Free) | BTN Plus Stream ($)Women's Hockey Blog
Follow Us: @PennStateWHKY | Facebook | InstagramGame Day Central
Statistics: Penn State | MinnesotaPromotions: PSU schedule posters to all fans, while supplies last
First 150 fans receive Penn State cowbells -->
| PENN STATE vs. ST. CLOUD STATE | |
| Friday, Oct. 5 at 5:07 p.m. ET Ridder Arena | Minneapolis, Minn. | |
| MATCH DAY LINKS |
TV: ESPN2 -->Women's Hockey Blog
Follow Us: @PennStateWHKY | Facebook | InstagramGame Day Central
Statistics: Penn State | St. Cloud StatePromotions: PSU schedule posters to all fans, while supplies last
First 150 fans receive Penn State cowbells -->
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's hockey team officially opens its 2014-15 season on Friday against its toughest opponent ever: No. 1 Minnesota. Game time is set for 8:07 p.m. ET in Minneapolis. Penn State concludes its trip to Minnesota against St. Cloud State on Saturday at 5:07 p.m. ET.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
The top-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers enters a season without a national championship for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Nevertheless, the Gophers are a high-powered team that's favored to win its fifth national title.
UM returns 16 players from last year's team that reached the NCAA Final, while welcoming back U.S. Olympian Lee Stecklein, who earned silver in Sochi this past February. Eight of the top 10 scorers are back led by Hannah Brandt and Rachael Bona, who combined for 126 points a year ago. Brant was second nationally in points (65; 23g, 42a), while Bona tallied 61 points (23g, 38a).
Junior Amanda Leveille returns to the crease for the Gophers. Leveille started all 41 games a year ago and led the nation with a .945 save percentage.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
St. Cloud State enters 2014-15 with a new coaching staff and 15 letterwinners from a year ago. The Huskies went 4-27-5 last season with a 3-21-4 mark in the WCHA.
SCSU lost its top two scorers from last year as Abby Ness is the leading returning scorer on six goals and six assists. No other Husky on the team from last year scored more than three goals.
Both of SCSU's goalies, Julie Friend and Katie Fitzgerald, are back in the fold. Friend started 25 games last year with a shutout, 3-18-4 record, .926 save percentage and 2.75 GAA. Fitzgerald started 11 times and posted a 1-9-1 record, .907 save percentage and 3.29 GAA.
NITTANY LION OFFENSE RETURNS
Penn State has 80 percent of its scoring back from last year, which includes leading scorers Laura Bowman (10 goals), Shannon Yoxheimer (8), Amy Petersen (5) and Hannah Hoenshell (5). Hoenshell led the team in assists (12) and points (17) last year.
O CAPTAIN(S)! MY CAPTAIN(S)!
Without a senior on the squad, three juniors and a sophomore have been called upon to be the leaders on and off the ice.
Shannon Yoxheimer, along with fellow junior Jordin Pardoski, will lead the Nittany Lions as captains. Pardoski, one of two current Nittany Lions to play in every varsity game, will lead from the blue line. Pardoski is Penn State's all-time leader in goals (6), assists (12) and points (18) by a defenseman.
Another Penn State blue liner, junior Sarah Wilkie, will be one of two alternate captains along with Laura Bowman. Wilkie, one of the strongest leaders in the locker room, is a tough-nosed, bright defenseman who played just 19 games last year due to a season-ending injury in mid-January. She will be apart of Penn State's forward lines this season.
I'M COMING HOME
Nine Nittany Lions hail from the Land of 10,000 Lakes and all will be on the trip to Ridder Arena. Eight of the nine Nittany Lions are from the Twin Cities area.
Laura Bowman (Minnetonka)
Hannah Ehresmann (Minnetonka)
Paige Jahnke (Oakville)
Sarah Nielsen (Edina)
Amy Petersen (Minnetonka)
Kendra Rasmussen (Sartell)
Caitlin Reilly (Chanhassen)
Bella Sutton (Shoreview)
Christi Vetter (Lakeville)
WHITLINGER, EHRESMANN SET FOR THE NET
Junior goaltender Celine Whitlinger is ready to be the No. 1 option this year after splitting time in net the past two seasons.
The 5-8 Californian has led the Nittany Lions in save percentage (.923) and saves per game (37.44) during her two years in Hockey Valley. Last year, Whitlinger made 559 saves in nearly 900 minutes of action, earning a team-high three wins.
Whitlinger won't be alone this year as a talented rookie in Hannah Ehresmann will search for minutes in the crease. Ehresmann, who has been reunited with former Minnetonka High School teammates Laura Bowman and Amy Petersen, is a highly touted newcomer who will push Whitlinger during the year.
SUTTON SHINES IN EXHIBITION GAME
Freshman Bella Sutton shined in her Nittany Lion debut as Penn State women's hockey defeated Western, 5-2, in an exhibition Friday night (Sept. 26) at Pegula Ice Arena. Sutton struck twice and added an assist for good measure.
Penn State led 2-0 thanks to a pair of power-play tallies, one assisted by Sutton's rocket from the point (scored by Laura Bowman) and then a one-woman play by Sutton.
Western fought back to 2-1 before Sutton made it 3-1 in the second period. WU cut it to one again entering the third frame.
In the third, Hannah Hoenshell scored off a Irene Kiroplis effort before Micayla Catanzariti slotted home an Emily Laurenzi pass from the left wing off a turnover.
Hannah Ehresmann saved all nine shots she saw in 29-plus minutes of play.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State hosts Quinnipiac, who is ranked 10th by the USCHO, in its regular-season home series next week. The first game is set for Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. before the series concludes Sunday at 2 p.m.