UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- With just a few days till the start of the long-anticipated season, the Penn State women's hockey team hosted its annual media day on Tuesday afternoon.
Head coach Jeff Kampersal, who enters his fourth season as the program's director, began his press conference with an opening statement that touched on the team's excitement for the upcoming games as well as the adversity his players faced in the offseason.
"We as a team are certainly grateful for the opportunity to play hockey this fall. Our goal for the season is to continue to work hard and improve on our skills. In terms of the dedication of our players, they have been truly committed to the process during these challenging times. They are all very disciplined in what they do in and away from the rink to improve themselves."
Despite the challenges in the offseason the Penn State women's hockey team is ready to take their place on the ice. Let's recap three key takeaways from this season's media day.
The Power of Creativity
During the offseason the players took it upon themselves to persist and find creative ways to improve on their hockey skills.
"This summer was extremely interesting for our players, because some had accessibility to resources in the terms of ice rinks and gyms,'' said coach Kampersal. "While others had to get creative and go back to old-school hockey ways to improve their skill work."
Kampersal reiterated that it's the drive and the dedication of the team that is going to make all the difference in the upcoming season. Last season the team finished with the overall record of 13-15-8.
"We are at the point now where we are competing against ourselves in practice and we are doing a great job," he said. "We just have to get where we are competing against other teams to see the results in our production on the ice."
For the past three seasons under coach Kampersal's lead the Penn State women's hockey team has qualified for the College Hockey America semifinals, and they'll be looking to take the next step in 2020-21.
Strength in Team Leaders
Senior Natalie Heising was nominated as team captain alongside juniors Anna Promersberger and Rene Gangarosa. Together they set a great example for the younger players on the ice and add to the strong team culture.
Heising in particular has been with the team the longest and has further developed as a player from her experiences.
"I am so grateful for the amazing team leaders that came before me, they shaped me into the person I am today with their guidance on how to lead," said Heising. "It is an honor to be named captain of the team. I am looking forward to motivating the players and competing together."
This strong example of team leadership has been built into the program over time, giving each player a crucial role.
"In addition to those exceptional leaders, as a team everyone plays the diverse roles of both a leader and follower," said Kampersal. "This can be seen with their dedicated work ethic and enthusiasm, whether that is on the ice or in the weight room."
Hard Work and Sacrifices Will Lead to Success
With nine promising first-year faces on the ice the team has proven the importance of having a team first mentality approach. The players have all made constant sacrifices to follow return to play protocols, while accumulating new faces to the team.
"We depend on everyone to make smart decisions away from the rink so that we can keep playing hockey and doing what we love", said Kampersal. "The upperclassmen have certainly helped the first-year players get up to speed in terms of how we play in style and our team culture."
"The challenges with everyone being separated encouraged us to put in even more effort in getting to know our first-year players," Heising added. "As a team we have done a lot of bonding over zoom calls, which has been extremely beneficial".
On top of new faces, the Nittany Lions have returners that are looking to make an impact once again through their own hard work.
One of those hoping to have a promising season ahead of them with their progress in the offseason is defender Jessica Adolfsson.
"She is back from a season-ending injury and looks even stronger than before", said Kamerpsal. "She has added more power to her exceptional vision and has been running the show in practice from the back end."
Some other key players who made exceptional progress in the offseason include Izzy Heminger and Anna Promersberger. Herniger is coming off a 2019-20 season with four goals and 12 assists, while Promersberger is looking to improve on her two-goal, three-assist campaign last season.
No matter what they did last season, the team is ready to improve on it this winter.
In the words of captain Heising, "I am proud of all the hard work the team has put in over the offseason. Every player on this team is someone we can rely on and are extremely grateful for."
