UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.-As the Penn State women's hockey program's season begins its final few weeks, the seniors on the roster are looking to make the most of their last moments in the Blue and White. And, while they are soaking it up, their younger teammates will look to cherish memories and learn from the upperclassmen.
Last Saturday, the last home game of the season for the Nittany Lions, three seniors (forward Meike Meilleur, defenseman Kelsey Crow, and Christi Vetter) were recognized during the lineup announcement for their contributions to the team. A total of 1,097 fans showed up to cheer on the Nittany Lions, ranking as the seventh highest attendance in program history.
Despite the feisty play that resulted in a 2-2 tie against Mercyhurst, the team was all smiles during the post-game skate. Following the skate, the team headed across the street to the Bryce Jordan Center, where they performed in the pep rally; a dance competition between the Penn State athletics teams that are home for THON weekend.
The women's hockey program busted out their best dance moves, with sophomore forward Katie Rankin and freshman defenseman Izzy Heminger showing off their jump rope skills. The routine included several throwback songs: "Oops!...I Did it Again", "Push It to the Limit", "Single Ladies", and "Mambo No. 5".
It's memories like that that the seniors will cherish and the younger teammates are going to miss making with Crow, Meilleur, and Vetter, once they graduate.
"They've contributed so much to not only to our program, but to this university. It's a special day. It's bittersweet...being in Pegula one last time with them," junior forward Katie McMillan said.
Serving the role of alternate captain, sophomore forward Natalie Heising also had a lot of praise for the three women that have helped lead the team.
"Those roles are going to be so hard to fill next year, and I'm just so sad that they're going to be gone," Heising said.
"Meike is just she's just like her calm, positive presence on this team, and she just makes everybody so just so happy every day," Heising added. Also saying, "Crow is just such a great leader and she's held this team together the entire season," about the captain., and "Vetter's such a stud on the ice, such a solid rock for us."
As to what kind of person Vetter is to the younger players, freshman forward Loli Fidler jokingly stated that she is like their mom.
Although only freshmen, Heminger and Amy Dobson have a lot of respect for the upperclassmen that have led them through their first year at Penn State.
"They've always been really easy to talk to. You can always turn to them if you every need anything. Just shoot them a text, and they respond back instantly with good feedback, and they're just always here to support us," Heminger said.
Dobson has greatly appreciated the wisdom she has received from the three seniors.
"I'm going to miss all their great advice. No matter what the question, they'll always have the right answer, and they're always there for us, no matter the situation, because they've all been through it, so they know exactly what we should do," Dobson said.
Luckily, the girls still have four more regular season games to play with the seniors, as well as CHA Tournament games for postseason.
The team will be in Rochester, New York this weekend, as they take on RIT. The following weekend, the Nittany Lions will conclude regular season play when they travel to St. Charles, Missouri, to face Lindenwood,
The College Hockey America tournament will take place March 6-8.
