UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's hockey team begins its College Hockey America conference schedule with an anticipated series at Mercyhurst Friday and Saturday, Oct. 29-30.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Penn State (3-3-2) vs. Mercyhurst (7-3-1)
Dates: Friday, Oct. 29 | Saturday, Oct. 30
Times: 6:05 p.m. | 2:05 p.m.
Place: Mercyhurst Ice Center | Erie, Pa.
Stretch Stream ($): Games 1 & 2
Live Stats: Games 1 & 2
Game Notes: Penn State Game Notes
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Nittany Lions and Lakers have played each other every season since Penn State became a varsity program in 2012-13. Mercyhurst leads the all-time series 21-7-9.
The two programs have had several close battles over recent years with nine of the 16 games between the two going to overtime and 11 of those 16 being decided by one goal or less.
PSU went 3-1 against the Lakers in 2020-21, including a split of the series in Erie to finish off the regular season. Penn State outscored the Lakers 13-7 in the four-games played last season. Lyndie Lobdell had five points in those games (1G, 4A) and both Kiara Zanon and Olivia Wallin scored 3 goals each in the matchup.
The coaching matchup in this series pits two of the legendary coaches in collegiate women's hockey against each other. Mercyhurst's Mike Sisti is second all-time among Division 1 head coaches with 515 wins, with Penn State's Jeff Kampersal ranking seventh all-time with 382 victories.
NOTES AND NUGGETS
- Penn State is riding a four-game unbeaten streak into this weekend's series (3-0-1).
- Senior forward Natalie Heising elevated herself to the top of the Penn State scoring book thanks to her second-period assist on Kiara Zanon's eventual game-winning goal on Sunday. The assist gave Heising her 105th-career point, surpassing previous record holder Laura Bowman on the program's all-time scoring list.
- Heising also netted two critical goals in the series for the Nittany Lions. On Saturday, her goal gave the Nittany Lions the lead in the third period. Her second goal on Sunday also put Penn State in front 2-1 and was a power-play goal. Her 0.80 points per game average still tops all Penn State women's hockey student-athletes with at least 50 career games played.
- The Wayzata, Minn. native leads the Nittany Lions with six goals scored through eight games this season. With 60 goals and 45 assists in her career, Heising ranks 29th on the CHA's all-time scoring list and 18th on the all-time conference goal-scoring chart. She needs one goal to tie Bowman for the program record in goals scored.
- Penn State went 3-for-3 on the power play on Sunday, tying the program record for power-play goals in a game. The Nittany Lions scored three goals on the advantage once earlier this season against Holy Cross Oct. 9 and twice before that in their 10-year history as a program. In their last three games, the Nittany Lions are 6-for-12 on the advantage.
- Sophomore forward Kiara Zanon extended her point streak to five games in a row with three more last weekend. Her 1G, 1A effort on Sunday was her 11th multi-point game through just 29 career games.
- Senior defender Izzy Heminger moved into second place on the school's all-time defender scoring chart with her 44th career point on an assist in Sunday's game. She surpassed Kelsey Crow on the list and now trails only Bella Sutton (57 points).
- Junior forward Julie Gough has scored a goal in three-straight games, including two power-play goals. Dating back to the 2020-21 season, Gough has scored 12 goals in the last 18 games for Penn State.
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