Women's Hockey Faces Road Test At ProvidenceWomen's Hockey Faces Road Test At Providence
Craig Houtz

Women's Hockey Faces Road Test At Providence

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's hockey team plays its third nonconference road series of the season when it takes on the Providence Friars Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18-19, in Providence, Rhode Island.
 
Penn State is coming off a two-game home sweep of RPI out of the ECAC, its first home sweep since Jan. 20-21, 2019 vs. Lindenwood.  The Friars return home after picking up a win and a tie at Bemidji State.
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Penn State (2-2-2, 0-0-0 CHA) vs. Providence (2-1-1, 0-0-0 HEA)
Dates: Friday, Oct. 18 | Saturday, Oct. 19
Times: 6:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m.
Place: Schneider Arena | Providence, R.I.
Livestream: Game 1 | Game 2
Live stats: Both games
Game notes: Penn State Game Notes

THAT'S ANOTHER FIRST
Penn State and Providence played each other for the first time a year ago at Pegula Ice Arena with both teams coming away with a series split. This weekend marks the first time Penn State visits Schneider Arena.
 
ALL-TIME VERSUS PROVIDENCE
Penn State and Providence have a brief history in women's hockey which started last season when the two programs faced each other for the first time Oct. 19-20 at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa. The Friars took the first matchup 3-2 in overtime before the Nittany Lions bounced back with a 5-3 win in game two.
 
In the first game, the Nittany Lions started the scoring with Katie Rankin's power-play goal in the first period. Providence fired back with a power-play and shorthanded goal of their own to take the lead. Katie McMillan tied the game at two halfway through the third period, but Maureen Murphy scored her second goal of the game in overtime to take the win.
 
Penn State used the first game's outcome as fuel for game two and led 3-0 at the 12:20 mark in the third period with a pair goals by Natalie Heising and another by McMillan. In a flurry of late action in the final seven minutes of the game, five goals were scored by the two teams, three by the Friars and two by PSU, to lead to the 5-3 win for the Nittany Lions.
 
LOCKING IT DOWN
Penn State held RPI to just nine shots on goal in its 2-0 win Friday, Oct. 11. The opponent shot total is tied for the lowest the Nittany Lions have ever allowed (Oct. 13, 2018 at Union, 2 GA) and is the lowest shot total gathered in a shutout win in team history.
 
The Nittany Lions have been one of the toughest defensive units in the nation under Coach Kampersal. After finishing 11th in scoring defense in 18-19 (2.0 GAA) and seventh in 17-18 (1.92), Penn State's mark of 2.33 through six games ranks T-16th nationally and second in the CHA.

A LOT OF WEEKLY HARDWARE
Penn State had a couple a standout individual performances last weekend which led to a CHA conference award and a Penn State weekly honor. Junior goaltender Chantal Burke was named CHA Goaltender of the week after posting back-to-back shutouts in her first two career starts at Pegula Ice Arena.


Sophomore defender Izzy Heminger lit the goal lamp twice last Saturday for her first two-goal game of her career. Her performance earned her the honor of Penn State's Student-Athlete of the Week.


A NEW COACH ON BOARD
The Nittany Lions officially announced the addition of Ben Halford to its staff as a volunteer goaltender coach for this season. Halford played four seasons for Princeton 2014-18 and spent the 2018-19 season in the ECHL with the Kansas City Mavericks.

Get all of the latest updates on Penn State women's ice hockey by following @PennStateWHKY on Twitter, "liking" the Penn State Women's Ice Hockey page on Facebook, and following @pennstatewhky on Instagram.