UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's hockey team plays its first games in 12 games when it travels to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. for a two-game, non-conference set this Friday and Saturday Nov. 16-17.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Penn State (4-7-1, 0-4 CHA) at RPI (4-5-2, 2-2 ECAC)
Dates: Friday, Nov. 16 | Saturday, Nov. 17
Times: 6 p.m. Friday | 3 p.m. Saturday
Place: Houston Field House
Watch: RPI TV (Both games)
Statistics: Live Statistics (Both games)
ALL TIME SERIES
This is the first time the Nittany Lions and Engineers will face off against each other. The Nittany Lions have had one first-time series against an opponent this season against now-tenth-ranked Providence, with whom Penn State split a two-game series 10/19-20 at Pegula Ice Arena.
LAST TIME OUT: SYRACUSE
The Nittany Lions lost a pair of tough conference games on home ice last week to the Orange. In game one, Syracuse hung on to win a 1-0 game on a lone goal from Anonda Hoppner. Jenna Brenneman made 28 saves in goal for the Nittany Lions, including 12 in the third period.
In game two, the Orange got out to a 2-0 lead before the Nittany Lions bounced back to tie the game with two goals just 30 seconds apart in the second period. Izzy Heminger scored her first career goal on a shot from the blue line unassisted, followed by a Shea Nelson rebound score half a minute later. Natalie Heising and Loli Fidler had assists on Nelson's second goal of the season.
From there, the Orange rattled off three-straight goals to end the game with a 5-2 win, their second victory of the weekend.
LOOKING AT RPI
The Engineers enter the weekend winners of two-straight after wins over Yale and Brown last weekend. RPI's overall record is 4-5-2 with a 2-2-0 mark in the ECAC. The Engineers are unbeaten at home this season (3-0-2) and have held opponents to just one power play goal on 25 power plays (.960 PK%)
Rensselaer has two players tied for the team lead in scoring in juniors Blake Orosz and Sabrina Repaci. Both have seven points, with Orosz tied for the team lead with three goals and Repaci leading the Engineers with five assists. Seniors Josefine Hansen and Jaimie Grigsby are tied for second on the team with four points apiece.
A pair of senior goaltenders anchor the RPI defensive corps in Lovisa Selander and Kira Bombay. Selander has been RPI's primary goaltender this season with nine starts and a 1.94 GAA paired with a .946 save percentage. Bombay stepped in last weekend and was named the ECAC Goaltender of the Week after a pair of wins and her first career shutout in a 1-0 win over Brown.
CHECK THE NUMBERS
Penn State enters the weekend scoring 2.25 goals per game which ranks fourth in the CHA and 23rd in the nation. The Nittany Lions have allowed 2.5 goals per game, good for third in the CHA and 26th nationally.
RPI has scored just 1.0 goals per game through its 11 games but ranks 12th nationally in scoring defense at 1.91. RPI averages the least penalty minutes in the country with just 50 through 11 games (4.5 PIM/G), while Penn State also has the least penalty minutes in the CHA with 97 through 12 games (8.1 PIM/G).
FRIENDS TO FOES
Penn State freshman defenseman Jessica Adolfsson and RPI senior goaltender Lovisa Selander spent time as teammates last week when they played for the Swedish National Team at the Four Nations Cup in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 11/6-10. Selander made one start for the Swedes in a 6-1 loss to Team Canada where she made 46 saves. Adolfsson appeared in all four games on the blue line. Team Sweden fell to Finland 4-2 in the bronze medal match.
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Senior defenseman Kelsey Crow currently sits with 98 career games played. With two games played this upcoming weekend, she would become the 20th player in Penn State program history to have played in 100 collegiate games, joining teammate Meike Meilleur who made it to the century mark 10/12 at Union. Senior forward Christ Vetter would be the next to hit 100 games as she has played in 94 career games.
TOUGH COMPETITION
Penn State's schedule for this season pits them against seven teams currently ranked or receiving votes in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls this week. The Nittany Lions are 2-5-1 against Colgate (RV), Merrimack (RV), Providence (10), and Mercyhurst (RV) so far this season. Penn State has yet to play Cornell (5/6), Robert Morris (RV) twice, Princeton (RV) and Mercyhurst again.
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