UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's hockey team returns to Pegula Ice Arena for its first home game since Nov. 21 when it hosts fourth-ranked Cornell Tuesday evening.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
#4 Cornell Big Red (8-1-4, 6-1-1 ECAC) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-9-3, 2-6 CHA)
Date: January 8
Place: University Park, Pegula Ice Arena
Time: 6 p.m.
Tickets: TicketMaster
Watch: BTN-Plus (Subscription required)
Statistics: Live Statistics
Game Notes: Penn State | Cornell
LAST TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions closed out 2018 with an impressive defensive showing on the road against (RV) Boston University by allowing just one goal over two games and coming out with a 1-0-1 record against the Terriers.
In game one Dec. 30, both teams played two scoreless periods before Penn State finally broke through on Izzy Heminger's power play marker in the third period.
The Terriers tied the game shortly thereafter, but Jenna Brenneman made 23 saves overall, including a huge stop on BU breakaway in the overtime period, to earn a 1-1 tie for PSU.
In game two, the game's first goal came much earlier, but it ended up being the only score of the game for both squads.
Shea Nelson scored a rebound marker in the first period to give the Nittany Lions the only score they would need to come out with a victory. Brenneman was the standout once again, making the save on all 29 shots that came her way to earn her third shutout in her last seven starts.
SERIES VERSUS CORNELL
The matchup marks just the second meeting all time between Penn State and Cornell and the first matchup between both teams at Pegula Ice Arena. Both teams tied their only previous meeting 1-1 on 11/21/17 in Ithaca, N.Y.
SCOUTING THE BIG RED
Cornell makes their Pegula Ice Arena debut with an impressive 8-1-4 overall record including a 6-1-1 mark in ECAC play, good for second place in the conference. The Big Red are ranked #4 in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls. Cornell's balanced play has them ranked 11th in scoring offense nationally at 3.15 goals per game while allowing just 1.77 goals against per game, ninth best in the country.
The Big Red's leading scorer is sophomore Maddie Mills, a Pittsburgh native, who has 14 points on six goals and eight assists in 12 games played. Junior Kristin O'Neill paces Cornell's goal scorers with a team-best nine goals in 10 games played.
Marlène Boissonnault has been Cornell's primary goaltender this season and holds a 7-1-3 record through 11 starts. She has a 1.52 goals against average to go with a .932 save percentage and three shutouts.
A SHOT TO MAKE HISTORY (AGAIN)
Penn State's matchup against the fourth-ranked Big Red marks the second ranked opponent the Nittany Lions will play this season. PSU opened the 2018-19 season with a road series at #5 Colgate and earned a 1-1 split. Penn State beat the Raiders 4-2 in game two of the series, making #5 Colgate the highest ranked team Penn State has beaten in program history.
The Nittany Lions highest win over a ranked opponent at Pegula Ice Arena came on 12/12 and 12/13 of 2014 when the Nittany Lions swept #6 Mercyhurst in a CHA regular season series.
CAN'T GET PAST HER
Jenna Brenneman has three shutouts in her last eight starts. Her stat line is stellar through those eight games:
8 starts, 4-2-2 record, 10 goals allowed, 1.22 GAA, .949 save percentage
Brenneman is already etching her name into the goaltending records books in Nittany Lion program history:
- Her eight wins ranks third all-time in a single season (1st, Celine Whitlinger, 13 wins, 14-15)
- Her three shutouts is tied for second in a single season (Whitlinger, 4, 15-16) and ranks fourth in a Nittany Lion career.
- She is on pace to finish with the second-best GAA (1.68) in a single season (1.51, Whitlinger, 15-16) and the fourth best single-season save percentage at .931.
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