Feb. 19, 2015
| ROBERT MORRIS VS. PENN STATE | |
15-13-4, 9-7-2 CHA | 9-17-5, 6-8-4 CHA |
| Fri., Feb. 20 (2 p.m.) // Sat., Feb. 21 (Noon) | |
| Pegula Ice Arena (5,782) | University Park, Pa. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
| INFORMATION: Seating | Parking | Tickets | Bag Policy |
PROMOTIONS Friday Saturday - Senior Day Kids Crafts on the concourse, including mini Penn State |
| FRIDAY: Live Video ($) | | Live Audio |
| SATURDAY: Live Video ($) | | Live Audio |
| Women's Hockey Blog |
| Follow Us: @PennStateWHKY | Facebook | Instagram |
| Season Statistics: Penn State | Robert Morris |
| Game Notes: Penn State | Robert Morris |
| INSIDE THE NUMBERS | ||
| PSU | RMU | |
| 2.1 | Goals per Game | 1.9 |
| 690 | Shots | 849 |
| 21.6 | Shots per Game | 27.4 |
| .190 | Power Play | .136 |
| .822 | Penalty Kill | .843 |
| 2.40 | Goals Against Average | 2.69 |
| .927 | Save Percentage | .914 |
| 2 | Shutouts | 2 |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Feb. 19, 2015 - The Nittany Lions (15-13-4, 9-7-2 CHA) host the final regular season series against Robert Morris (9-17-5, 6-8-4 CHA) this weekend. The teams square off on Fri., Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. and Sat., Feb. 21 at noon. Additionally, junior Kendra Rasmussen (Sartell, Minn.), graduating one year early, and student manager Sammy Sarsfield will be honored with a special Senior Day celebration following the conclusion of Saturday's game.
ADMISSION & BAG POLICY
Fans attending Penn State women's hockey games at Pegula Ice Arena will have to comply with Penn State University's Bag Policy. Fans are advised that no bags larger than backpacks may be brought into the stadium grounds. All bags will be searched upon entrance into the arena. For more information visit the Safety Policy SY44 Page or Penn State's Bag Policy Page.
PARKING INFORMATION
Parking for both women's hockey games is free. Fans are advised to park in Lot 44 Jordan South. If you're attending women's hockey, tell the parking attendant which event you'll be going to and you will not be charged.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
Robert Morris (9-17-5, 6-8-4 CHA) sits four points behind second-place Penn State and Syracuse after back-to-back ties with RIT last weekend. A huge part of the Colonials' game this season is shot blocking. The team leads the nation in blocks (570) and blocks per game (18.39), spearheaded by Mikaela Lowater's 81. The sophomore also has a team-best 15 assists and, combined with leading scorer Mackenzie Johnston's 10 goals and eight assists, the pair have netted 22 percent of the Robert Morris offense. Jessica Dodds is the team's go-to in net, posting a 7-14-4 record with a 2.66 goals against average and .915 save percentage.
TALKING ABOUT PLAYOFFS
Penn State's 20 points is tied with Syracuse for second place in the CHA standings. The first round is three games, on Feb. 27, 28 and March 1. The No. 3 team hosts the No. 6 team, and the No. 4 team hosts the No. 5 team. Mercyhurst, which clinched the regular season conference championship last weekend, and the No. 2 team receive a first round bye. The semifinal and championship games are on Fri., March 6 and Sat., March 7, respectively, at Mercyhurst.
CHA PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
With the final weekend of the regular season upon us, the Nittany Lions will discover their playoff seeding and opponent following Syracuse's game versus RIT on Saturday. Syracuse and Penn State each have 20 points, good for a second-place tie. If the Orange and Nittany Lions remain tied after this weekend, Penn State gets the No. 2 seed due to having more conference wins than the Orange (the head-to-head between the two teams is tied). If Robert Morris sweeps the Nittany Lions and Syracuse is swept by RIT, the Colonials will finish second, Penn State gets the No. 3 seed and the Orange earns the No. 4 seed. The Nittany Lions also earn a No. 3 seed by garnering at least one point against Robert Morris if Syracuse leads Penn State in points after the weekend. If the Nittany Lions are swept by Robert Morris and Syracuse earns at least one point from RIT, the Orange are the No. 2 seed, the Colonials are the No. 3 seed and Penn State earns the No. 4 seed.
HOME ICE ADVANTAGE
The Nittany Lions boast a 6-1-1 CHA record at home and a major reason is the Pegula Ice Arena crowd. Penn State sits ninth for attendance among Division I teams, welcoming an average attendance of 546 for its 14 home games, the second-most in the CHA. This season, the Nittany Lions hosted the third-largest crowd in program history for the weekend finale against No. 6 Mercyhurst (1,257) and welcomed 1,042 for the Skate for the Cure game against Syracuse on Jan. 31.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK
The Nittany Lions have made immense strides in just the program's third season as a Division I program. Penn State has increased its conference win total nine-fold from each of the previous two seasons. The 15 victories this year is also more than 2012-13 and 2013-14 combined. Seven team and individual records have been broken this season, with the 2014-15 squad setting new win (15), power play goal (20) and shorthanded goal (3) marks. Individually, Celine Whitlinger (Garden Grove, Calif.) has the most career (15) and single season wins (11). Shannon Yoxheimer (Jackson, Mich.), who played in her 100th game in the weekend series finale at Lindenwood and is already the program's career goals, assists and points leader, now holds the season and career records for game-winning goals (4). Laura Bowman (Minnetonka, Minn.) shares the season game-winning goals title and is the school's record holder for goals (16), shorthanded goals (2). She is one point away from the single-season points record with 30. Hannah Bramm's (Tampa, Fla.) five power play goals is also one away from the program mark.
THE WHITLINGER WALL
Celine Whitlinger (Garden Grove, Calif.) has been strong in net this season, and heading into the final weekend of the regular season, her efforts are duly noted. Her .936 save percentage is seventh in the NCAA and a 2.15 goals against average places her 15th nationally. In January, the Garden Grove, Calif., native was named the CHA Goaltender of the Month for the second-straight month after a 4-1-1 record during the month and an undefeated 3-0-1 mark in conference play. She posted a 1.48 goals against average and an outstanding .955 save percentage, allowing just nine goals in 364:05 minutes on the ice. Whitlinger also made an average of 32 saves per game in January. The Goaltender of the Week for Jan. 19, Whitlinger led the Nittany Lions to a series sweep of RIT, their second-straight of a conference opponent
NEXT TIME OUT
The CHA Playoffs begin next weekend, with three first round games on Fri., Feb. 27, Sat., Feb. 28 and Sun., March 1. If Penn State receives a first round bye, the team plays in the semifinal game at Mercyhurst on Fri., March 6. The CHA Championship game is on Sat., March 7 in Erie, Pa.