PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Penn State senior forward Natalie Heising (Wayzata, Minn.) became the program's all-time leading point scorer as the Penn State women's hockey team extended its unbeaten streak to four games in a row with a 5-2 road win at Brown Sunday afternoon at Meehan Auditorium.
Penn State (3-3-2) had five different goal scorers in the contest, including Julie Gough (Newcastle, Ontario) and Heising who both scored in Saturday's game.
They were joined by Kiara Zanon (Fairport, N.Y), Alyssa Machado (Mississauga, Ontario) and Rachel Weiss (Calgary, Alberta) in the goal column.
Sophomore goaltender Josie Bothun (Wyoming, Minn.) picked up her third win of the season behind a 12-save effort.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both squads traded power play goals in the first period, with the Bears striking first 6:20 into the game. Brown's freshman Mya Mangiafico netted the first score to give the Bears a 1-0 lead, but Penn State was given a power-play opportunity seconds later and would capitalize.
Gough found a loose puck just in front of the blue paint and stuffed it into the cage to knot the score at the 7:52 mark of the period.
Penn State cashed in on another power play with time expiring in the first period off Heising's stick to take a one-goal edge into the intermission. With just five seconds left, she corralled a loose puck in the left circle and ripped a wrist shot past Brown goalie Hayley Kliczko for her sixth goal of the season.
Brown continued to show resiliency as they had all series with the game-tying score 6:06 into the second period off the stick of Anna Gallagher.
However, Penn State's hot power-play was given another chance in the latter half of the stanza and the Nittany Lions cashed in once again and Heising etched her name into the Penn State record book once again. Heising's shot was blocked form between the circles, but it slid free right to Zanon in the right circle for a quick snapshot giving PSU the 3-2 lead.
Heising's assist was her 105th point in her 131st career game, setting the Nittany Lions' new program record for career points.
The first two-goal lead of the series was a big one as it gave the Nittany Lions a little breathing room with 6:35 remaining in the game. Machado and Rachel Weiss (Calgary, Alberta) passed back-and-forth on the rush before Weiss' last pass was one-touched into the net by Machado for her second goal of the season at a critical time for Penn State.
Brown pulled Kliczko with just over two minutes remaining for the extra attacker. There was one mad scramble in front that the Nittany Lions defense was able to push aside and Weiss sprung free with the puck all alone for the easy finish on the vacated net to close the 5-2 win.
GAME NOTES AND STATS
- Penn State's three power-play goals tied a program record. PSU scored three Oct. 9, 2021 against Holy Cross and also scored three two more times before that: vs. Lindenwood on Feb. 24, 2018 and at Sacred Heart Oct. 20, 2012.
- Heising's 0.80 points per game average still tops all Penn State women's hockey student-athletes with at least 50 career games played.
- Zanon now has 11 multipoint games through 29 career games played, which is tied for fifth in program history with Hanna Hoenshell and Brooke Madsen. Heising now has 23 multipoint games, good for third best.
- Gough has had a great scoring stretch dating back to the 2020-21 season. In her last 18 games, she has scored 12 goals. She is also riding a three-game goal streak.
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions begin College Hockey America conference play with a road series at Mercyhurst Oct. 29-30.