Women's Hockey Shuts Out Mercyhurst in Home FinaleWomen's Hockey Shuts Out Mercyhurst in Home Finale
Craig Houtz

Women's Hockey Shuts Out Mercyhurst in Home Finale

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's hockey team helped its senior class finish their careers at Pegula Ice Arena on a high note with a 2-0 shutout victory over Mercyhurst Saturday afternoon.
 
With the win, the Nittany Lions (12-18-8, 7-8-5 CHA) defeated the Lakers (19-10-5, 13-4-3 CHA) for the fourth time in program history. It was also the first time PSU has ever shut out Mercyhurst.
 
Chantal Burke made 33 saves to anchor Penn State's stout defensive effort. Natalie Heising and Rene Gangarosa were Penn State's goal scorers.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn State broke through for its first goal of the weekend in the first period to take the 1-0 lead. After retrieving her first shot behind the net, Natalie Heising wrapped back around and snuck a wrist shot past Mercyhurst goaltender, Kennedy Blair, at 6:19.
 


Linemates Shea Nelson and Brooke Madsen had assists on Heising's score.
 
Penn State successfully stopped two Mercyhurst power plays early in the second and the flow of the game rewarded them with power plays of their own later in the frame.
 
The Nittany Lions' first power play came at the 13:35 mark and was quickly followed by another Laker infraction 37 seconds later to put Penn State on the 5-on-3.
 
PSU worked the puck around the offense zone and Katie Rankin dished it cross ice to Rene Gangarosa who buried her wrist shot top shelf, giving the Nittany Lions the 2-0 advantage at 14:56 in the second.
 


Izzy Heminger picked up the secondary helper on the goal.
 
In the third period, Mercyhurst outshot the Nittany Lions 14-3, but Penn State's defense prevented any danger on the Lakers' attempts, allowing Burke to make each stop.
 
The Nittany lions also blocked seven shots in the final frame while also playing penalty free.

GAME NOTES

  • Chantal Burke extended her single-season shutout record to seven and has already tied the program record for career shutouts with the same amount.
  • Burke's 33-save game was her eighth 30-plus save start of the season, but it was her first shutout with over 30 saves.  
  • With her 10th goal of the season in the first period, Natalie Heising became just the second Nittany Lion to have three consecutive double-digit goal scoring seasons, joining PSU all-time goal scoring leader, Laura Bowman. Bowman had four-straight seasons from 2013-17.
  • Penn State's win over Mercyhurst was its first since its 3-2 overtime win at Mercyhurst Nov. 5, 2016. Penn State last defeated the Lakers at home Dec. 12-13, 2014 in a series sweep over the then-sixth ranked Lakers.
  • The attendance for the game was 1,014, Penn State's second game of the season with over 1,00 fans in attendence. 


NEXT UP
Penn State heads to Buffalo, N.Y. for the CHA Tournament March 5-7 at the HarborCenter. The fourth-seeded Nittany Lions will play in the first round against fifth-seeded RIT Wednesday, March 5, at 6:00 p.m.