UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – With her team tied 2-2, freshman forward Anna Promersberger scored her first collegiate career goal on October 13th, which sealed the deal for the Nittany Lions' victory on the road at Union College.
Junior forward Abby Welch connected with Promersberger who was camped out in front of the net. Union had tied up the score during the third period and Promersberger's goal ended up sealing a victory for the Nittany Lions.
Promersberger admitted that despite it being her first collegiate goal, she was more caught up in what the goal meant for the Nittany Lions at the moment.
"I think it was really rewarding because of all the hard work we've been putting in," Promersberger said. "It's finally paid off and I think my two linemates and I we were very hungry for a goal because we were getting so close but it just wasn't happening."
"I don't really remember [what I felt after scoring] because it was crazy. I have always dreamed of it."
The 3-2 win on Saturday was the second victory for that weekend by the Penn State women's ice hockey program, following a 3-1 defeat over Union on Friday, October 12th.
As the Nittany Lions prepare to face Providence this weekend at home, head coach Jeff Kampersal drew on the great game that Promersberger had. Her consistency and reliability is something that he had mentioned during the week going into the series at Union and is something that he continues to see in the talented freshman player.
"We're looking for players who are reliable, who can defend hard, are responsible in the defensive zone, but then can contribute offensively at the other end," Kampersal said. "And that describes Anna right now... a good, solid dependable player."
He appreciates her humbleness, the fact that she's so coachable, and her ability to learn very quickly.
Promersberger was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but is a resident of Fargo, North Dakota. For her sophomore through senior year of high school, she attended the prestigious Shattuck St. Mary's boarding school in Faribault, Minnesota, a school famous for preparing students to play hockey at the collegiate level.
Crediting her high school's program as a great preparation for her collegiate career, Kampersal finds Promersberger's experience playing for a winning program at Shattuck St. Mary's to benefit her and the team.
At Shattuck St. Mary's, Promersberger played among some of the country's best hockey players, in a competitive environment.
"It was really competitive because almost all the girls on that team went Division I," Promersberger said. "It felt like a tryout every day to even get playing time." She also noted how that tryout like environment helped her a lot in becoming the player that she is today.
She had a tremendous career at Shattuck St. Mary's, winning three national titles with her team. In addition, Promersberger played for a U-19 prep team for two seasons.
Promersberger's journey to where she is today began several years ago as a young player. She wanted to play hockey in kindergarten, and begged her parents for three years, until they agreed, thinking that she would lose interest and abandon her wish. The opposite happened, and a passion for the game of ice hockey turned into a lifestyle for Promersberger.
Although initially hesitant to let their daughter play ice hockey, her parents, Eric and Trisha, have become very supportive of their daughter's passion on the ice and have given her the opportunity to get to where she is today; playing Division I ice hockey at Penn State.
In addition, Promersberger's younger sister, Abby, plays hockey as well.
Her family not only supports her, but they inspire her as well. Promersberger acknowledges her older brother, Austin, as her role model for her competitiveness. Austin, a former Concordia University soccer player, is currently in medical school.
She would watch Austin play sports when she was younger and really looks up to him when she plays hockey. "I come from a pretty competitive family. [Austin] set the path for me. He's a really hard worker, 100 percent in everything. I kind of watched him in sports when I was little and I took after him I guess."
Success runs in the Promersberger family. With two doctors, one current (her dad, Eric) and one future (her brother and medical student, Austin) in her family, it does not come as a shock that Promersberger is majoring in kinesiology with plans of either attending medical school or physician's assistant school.
It is also no surprise then that Kampersal emphasized Promersberger's hockey smarts as being an important quality that she brings to the ice. He also can tell that Promersberger's family has instilled the core values that she displays, despite only knowing them for a short period of time so far.
"She's smart so she's a very quick learner, and if she does make a mistake and you correct it, she usually doesn't make the same mistake twice," Kampersal said.
More experienced members on the team, like Welch, have also helped Promersberger adapt to collegiate hockey whether it be helping her with the new systems or helping her off the ice as well.
Despite her quiet and calm personality, Welch says Promersberger is a fierce competitor.
"She's not afraid to fight," Welch said. "She doesn't care how big you are. She doesn't care what team you are on or what you're ranked. She'll give you everything she's got, which I love about her."
Penn State and Promersberger will host Providence College in a two games on Friday, October 19th and 20th. Friday's game is set to start at 2:00 p.m., while Saturday's game is set to start at 12:00 p.m. This will be the first ever matchup between the two schools.
