April 22, 2016
USA Hockey Release
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - For the second-straight year Celine Whitlinger (Garden Grove, Calif.) will attend the annual U.S. Women's National Team Goaltending Development Camp from May 12-15, 2016, at Schwan's Super Center in Blaine, Minn., as announced by USA Hockey Friday afternoon.
"Celine's hard work, effort and season stats make this a very well-deserved opportunity for her to continue to grow and compete," head coach Josh Brandwene said.
The camp consists of 18 of the top female goaltenders who are eligible for international play, including Alex Rigbsy who backstopped the U.S. to gold at the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship, and Alex Gulstene who led Team USA to gold at the 2016 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship.
"I am grateful to get another invite to the U.S. Women's National Team Goaltending Development Camp this year and represent Penn State," Whitlinger said. "It was a great experience last year and I am excited to get started."
The players range in age from 15-24 and represent 14 different states. Six players spent the 2015-16 season in college, 10 were in high school and two have graduated college. Whitlinger is the lone representative from the state of California and is one of two student-athletes from the College Hockey America (CHA) conference (Nicole Hensley - Lindenwood).
Whitlinger also participated in USA Hockey Development Camps for 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds, and also attended the 2012 USA Hockey Warren Strelow Goaltending Camp.
In net for the Nittany Lions during 2015-16, Whitlinger started 22 games and tallied a record of 7-11-4.
Whitlinger finished the year with program-bests in save percentage (.947) and goals against average (1.51). Her save percentage of .947 ranked third in the NCAA in 2015-16 and her GAA of 1.51 was sixth-best. Whitlinger also tallied a program-best four shutouts during the 2015-16 season. On the year, Whitlinger made 30 or more saves in 10 contests.
The 2015-16 senior capped off her Nittany Lion career behind a career-best 61 saves in 116:10 minutes played in a 3-2 3OT loss against Syracuse in the CHA Semifinal round (3/4).