UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- As Jeff Kampersal's women's hockey squad enters this weekend's series against Boston University without a loss in its last four games, the Nittany Lions have been propelled by the top offensive unit of Brooke Madsen (Eagan, Minn.), Shea Nelson (Evanston, Ill.) and Natalie Heising (Wayzata, Minn.). The trio has helped power the group through non-conference play.
While all three have been crucial to to the team's success, Madsen has really started to hit her stride.
This past weekend in Providence, she scored in back-to-back games for the first time since March 1-2 at Lindenwood last season. She has now scored five goals in her last ten games on the road, and also picked up a secondary assist on Heising's goal for her ninth-career multi-point game.
"Brooke's been awesome," Kampersal said. "From the time I've gotten to know her, she's been really good. This year in particular, she's simplified her game a little bit, but she's always a really good, tenacious forechecker."
"She's seeing the ice a bit better, and the second game she had a really nice tip-in on the power play, and then the first game she skated in a 1-on-4, and she buried one under the crossbar and she made the most of her shot. Couldn't be happier with her play."
Madsen is a key special-teamer for Penn State, consistently seeing ice time in power play and penalty kill situations. She takes her roles on both units in stride as she tries to help her teammates.
"My goal is to screen the goalie and take away her eyes. If I can get a stick on a shot, I'll do it but I'm mainly trying to take away their vision. And on the penalty kill, I'm just trying to block shots."
Her confidence has been key for the Lions' success so far. She can create instant offense seemingly out of nowhere, and assistant coach Celeste Brown noted the way her she showed that against Providence.
"We definitely preach situational awareness and she skated in right after a penalty kill," Brown said. "So, it was smart for her to just fire it on net and draw defenders in. I'm not sure if she was trying to go bar-down but we teach them to put the shot on net where a goalie has to make a play and that's when it just comes down to good hockey sense."
"Mainly, I was trying to get deep and I realized I had time and a teammate on my wing," Madsen said about the goal last weekend. "I realized how far back the defense was, and that I could shoot from there. I shot it and just expected it to go on net, and I just wanted to get a shot on."
The productivity that Madsen's line has created is a big part of the 4-game unbeaten streak for the team. Brown has also been impressed by the line's ability to flip a switch and take over when needed.
"Those three are fun to watch, they can push the pace because they are all in great shape," Brown said. "It allows them to take risks when they need to, but also buckle down when they have to."
"I think you pick up on things like their ability to communicate with each other based on what works and what doesn't. I think the best players coach themselves in a way, and that's what allows them to be cohesive and successful."
Kampersal also noted the different strengths that each player on the line brings to the table when the trio takes the ice.
"That group has been a consistent group," Kampersal said. "Shea has a great motor, and Brooke has good speed as well, and she's good at pressuring the puck which helps the other two read and react. The line as a whole, they've been really solid."
"It really helps that Shea is solid in the defensive zone," Madsen said. "And she can skate out of the zone without issues, and Natalie's ability to finish really helps."
"I think our line has been really consistent and we've built some chemistry and momentum. To carry that from one game to the next, it feels great."
As the Lions return home and prepare for the challenge ahead, Kampersal knows that this weekend's opponent, the No. 10 Boston Terriers, is a great litmus test for his team's progress.
"They're a deep team," Kampersal said. "They can roll four lines on you, and their goalie is one of the best that we'll see all year."
"Last year, we had games that were 1-0 and 1-1 against them, so we're kind of anticipating that it might be the same kind of game this year. Hopefully, we get opportunities on the power play, and can stay out of the box ourselves."
