ROSEMONT, Ill. – Penn State junior forward Payton Linnehan was named the inaugural Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the 2021 season. Linnehan netted four goals and added two assists in the Nittany Lions 2-0 start to the season.
Linnehan's hat trick in the Nittany Lions 4-0 win on Sunday vs. La Salle was the first since Laura Freigang on November 10, 2017 vs. Stony Brook in the NCAA Tournament. Linnehan's hat trick was the 22nd in program history and just the fourth since 2010 for Penn State.
Linnehan was also instrumental in Penn State's 3-1 win over UMass in the season opener. Linnehan had a hand in all three goals, scoring once and assisting on the Nittany Lions other two goals.
Linnehan is tied for the Big Ten lead with four goals and two assists and leads the league with 10 points.
This is Linnehan's first Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor of her career is the most recent since Frankie Tagliaferri earned the honor on April 6, 2021.