Dec. 1, 2016
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's hockey team (5-8-3, 4-1-1 CHA) closes out its six-game homestand against College Hockey America (CHA) opponent Robert Morris (10-1-5, 5-0-1 CHA) inside the Pegula Ice Arena, Dec. 3-4. Puck drop is set for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 and noon on Dec. 4.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow along with live stats and video for free courtesy of GoPSUsports.com.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Sunday's game is a Family 4-Pack game. For $30, fans can buy four tickets, four hot dogs and four soft drinks. Sunday's game is also Scout Day and the team will be hosting a free post-game skate.
TICKET INFORMATION
Fans can purchase single game tickets, group tickets, and Family 4 Pack deals by calling 1-800-NITTANY. All ticket purchases can be made over the phone (1-800-NITTANY) or by visiting the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.).
PROGRAMS AND YEARBOOKS
Fans can purchase a commemorative program for each home series at the Pegula Ice Arena. Programs and yearbooks will be on-sale at the concession stand at Gate A. Programs are $1 and yearbooks are $6.
SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
Robert Morris enters the series against Penn State with an overall record of 10-1-5 and a record of 5-0-1 in conference play. Last weekend, Robert Morris went 1-0-1 at the Windjammer Classic in Burlington, Vt. The Colonials played to a 3-3 tie against No. 5 Clarkson before topping St. Cloud State, 5-3.
RMU is the lone undefeated team in CHA play and currently sits atop the conference standings by two points over Penn State. RMU has 11 points (5-0-1), while Penn State has netted nine points (4-1-1).
Junior Brittany Howard leads the CHA in points with 25 (9-16--25). Along with Howard, Jaycee Gebhard is tied for second in the CHA in points with 20 (10-10--20) and Amber Rennie ranks fifth with 16 (5-11 --16).
After tallying a 2-3-1 record in net for RMU in 2015-16, sophomore Lauren Bailey has posted a record of 6-1-1 for the Colonials early on in the 2016-17 season. Bailey leads the CHA in wins (six) and winning percentage (.812). Along with Bailey, Jessica Dodds has gone 4-0-4 on the year for RMU and she leads the league in goals against average (1.68) and save percentage (.941).
As a team, Robert Morris leads the league in overall wins (10), goals scored (49), goals scored per game (3.06), power play goals (19), power play attempts (100), power play percentage (.190), penalty kill percentage (.887) and shots on goal (457).
SERIES HISTORY VS. ROBERT MORRIS
Robert Morris leads the all-time series against Penn State, 11-3-2. The Colonials won eight-straight in the series before Penn State posted a 5-0 victory on Dec. 5, 2014, at Robert Morris. The Nittany Lions went 2-0-2 against Robert Morris during the 2015-16 season, which included three overtime contests.
LAST TIME OUT: No. 3 ST. LAWRENCE
Prior to Thanksgiving break, the Nittany Lions hosted No. 3 St. Lawrence for an early-week series inside the Pegula Ice Arena, Nov 21-22. The Saints were victorious with a 3-0 win on Nov. 21 and a 2-0 win on Nov. 22. Heading into the series, St. Lawrence was averaging 3.4 goals per game and the Saints defense only allowed one goal in the past five games.
In net for the Nittany Lions, Hannah Ehresmann recorded 67 saves on the weekend. In Monday's contest, Ehresmann made 34 saves and allowed a pair of goals. She then closed out the series with 33 saves and allowed two goals.
CHA HONORS
On the year, Penn State has received seven weekly honors and two monthly honors from the College Hockey America (CHA) conference office.
Following the Union series (Oct. 7-8), Brooke Madsen was named the Rookie of the Week for the first time, while Amy Petersen was tabbed the Player of the Week for the second time in her career. Daniela Paniccia became the third Nittany Lion to garner CHA weekly honors in 2016-17 following her performance in net against UConn (Oct. 21).
Madsen tied a program-best three assists in Penn State's 8-1 win over the Union Dutchwomen on Oct. 7. She finished the game with a +5 rating, which is tied for a program-best mark. With her three assists on Oct. 7, Madsen opened up her Nittany Lion career with a three-game point streak (1-4--5).
Petersen tallied five points (3-2--5) in the Union series, which included a career-best four points (3-1--4) in the series opener.
In the series opener, Petersen recorded the fourth hat trick in program history over a span of 10:31 to open the game. Her natural hat trick started with the fastest goal in program history to start a game (29 seconds). Petersen also became the first Nittany Lion in program history to score two power play goals in a single game. She then closed out the series with one assist on Oct. 8.
After recording the first solo shutout by a Nittany Lion freshman goaltender in program history, Paniccia was named the Rookie of the Week on Oct. 24. In net against UConn on Oct. 21, Paniccia made 33 saves in a 0-0 tie. A week later, Paniccia received Goalie of the Week honors after posting a pair of shutout victories at RIT.
Senior Laura Bowman was named the Player of the Month for Sept./Oct. after tallying 15 points on nine goals and six assists to open the 2016-17 season. Along with Bowman, Paniccia was tabbed the Goalie of the Month. In her first month with Penn State, Paniccia tallied a record of 3-1-1, posted a save percentage of .949, recorded a goals against average of 1.56 and posted three solo shutouts.
Following the Mercyhurst series, Katie McMillan was named the Rookie of the Week for the first time and Petersen garnered Player of the Week honors for the second time in 2016-17. Both McMillan and Petersen tallied three points each in the Mercyhurst series as McMillan scored one goal and netted two assists, while Petersen scored two goals and tallied one assist.
Paniccia then picked up her second Goalie of the Week plaudit after she went 1-0-1 against Lindenwood. On the weekend, Paniccia tallied 42 saves, posted a save percentage of .933, recorded a goals against average of 1.44, and allowed three goals.
NINE TO 100
Laura Bowman is nine points shy of becoming the first Nittany Lion in program history to tally 100 points.
HAT TRICK (X2)
The Penn State women's hockey team recorded a pair of hat tricks in its 8-1 win at Union on Oct. 7. In the game, Amy Petersen scored her first career hat trick, while Laura Bowman netted her second career hat trick. In program history, the Nittany Lions have recorded five hat tricks. This season, Penn State is one of seven teams to record at least two hat tricks.
AMONG THE BEST OF THE BEST
Heading into the series, Laura Bowman is near the top-10 in numerous national rankings. She is tied for ninth in goals (10), is tied for 15th in points (10-10--20), is eighth in shots on goal (80) and is third in faceoff wins (214).
Amy Petersen is tied for 19th in goals (nine), is tied for 40th in assists (nine), is tied for 24th in points (9-9--18), is tied for third in short-handed goals (two) and is eighth in shot percentage (.225).
Brooke Madsen is tied for third among freshmen, and is tied for 26th, in assists (10).
Freshman goaltender Daniela Paniccia ranks 11th in save percentage (.936), is tied for seventh in shutouts (three) and she ranks 15th in goals against average (1.93). Paniccia's three shutouts on the year are the most by a freshman goaltender.
PLAYING SMARTER
The Nittany Lions opened the year with a record of 1-5-2 over the first eight games and during that span the Nittany Lions tallied 51 penalties. Over the past eight games, the Nittany Lions have a record of 4-3-1 and have committed 33 penalties.
POUNCING EARLY
Penn State is 4-0-1 on the year when leading after the first period and 4-2-0 when leading after the second period. Penn State has out-scored the opposition, 13-12, in the first period and, 18-16, during the second period. Penn State is 4-1-1 on the year when scoring first.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Nittany Lions opened the year with five of the first six weekends on the road. To open the year, Penn State traveled to New York three times and traveled to Connecticut and Pennsylvania each one time.
PETERSEN TO BOWMAN
During the 2016-17 season, Amy Petersen has assisted on five Laura Bowman goals. Last season, Petersen recorded an assist on 12 Bowman goals.
FUTURE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State women's hockey head coach Josh Brandwene announced the signing of six future Penn State student-athletes to National Letters of Intent Wednesday, Nov. 16. Natalie Heising (Maple Grove, Minn.), Cam Leonard (Cary, N.C.), Shea Nelson (Evanston, Ill.), Katie Rankin (Kanata, Ontario, Canada), Morgan Rolph (Mitchell, Ontario, Canada) and Sophie Slattery (Edina, Minn.) will be on campus for the 2017-18 season.
PRESEASON POLL
The Penn State women's hockey team was selected fourth in the CHA Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference office Sept. 19.
2016-17 CAPTAINS
Laura Bowman was named the captain of the 2016-17 Nittany Lions, while Kelsey Crow and Amy Petersen were named alternate captains.
DYNAMIC DUO
Nittany Lion linemates Laura Bowman and Amy Petersen return to the Blue and White for their senior season in 2016-17. During their junior seasons, Bowman tallied 25 points (17g, 8a) and Petersen recorded a career-best 29 points (8g, 21a).
Last season, Petersen recorded an assist on 12 Bowman goals. Petersen closed out her junior year with 18 points over the final 16 games and Bowman ended the year with four-straight games with a goal.
2015-16 RECAP
The Nittany Lions finished the 2015-16 season with an overall record of 12-19-6 and a record of 6-8-6 in CHA play. Penn State finished third in CHA regular season standings, its best finish in program history.
Penn State tallied a record of 5-2-1 during the month of January last season.
In the first-ever meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Boston University Terriers, Penn State topped the No. 7/8 Terriers, 5-3, for its third win in program history over a ranked team.
In the all-time record books, Laura Bowman scored a single-season program-record 17 goals, she also tied a single-season program-best six power play goals scored and Amy Petersen recorded a single-season program-best 21 assists.
THE 2016-17 SLATE
The Nittany Lions will play 34 games over the course of the 2016-17 regular season, which includes 16 home games inside the Pegula Ice Arena.
The 2016-17 schedule features the 2014 NCAA champion Clarkson Golden Knights (Sept. 30-Oct. 1), the second-ever series against Boston University (Oct. 14-15), a home series against Ohio State (Jan. 6-7) and the Nittany Lions close out the regular season at home against Syracuse (Feb. 24-25).
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions close out the 2016 calendar year with a pair of road games. Penn State takes on Quinnipiac inside the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, Conn., on Dec. 30 and will play Princeton inside the Hobey Baker Memorial Rink in Princeton, N.J. on Dec. 31. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Dec. 30 and 3 p.m. on Dec. 31.