UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's hockey team finished off their regular season with a decisive 2-0 win over the RIT Saturday afternoon at Pegula Ice Arena.
The Nittany Lions earned their 18th win of the season, a single-season program record, to complete the regular season 18-9-5. Penn State also finished CHA play with an 8-3-3 mark.
"We were a little bit more focused," said Coach Jeff Kampersal. "Today was a little bit more purposeful, close support, trying to get to the front of the net, there was more intent to what we were doing, we weren't just floating around."
Junior Rachel Weiss (Calgary, Alberta) tallied the first goal of the day for the Nittany Lions to give them a 1-0 lead early in the second period. That goal would be all Penn State needed to top RIT, but sophomore forward Kiara Zanon (Fairport, N.Y.) would add an empty netter to close out the day.
Sophomore goaltender Josie Bothun (Wyoming, Minn.) would continue to play well stopping all 10 shots that came her way for her 10th shutout performance of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams started the game off on a slower note, mounting rushes, but were unable to break the ice for the first goal. Penn State spent adequate time in the Tigers zone registering 14 shots.
At the six-minute mark, the top Penn State forward line with help from senior defender Avery Mitchell (Pickering, Ontario) made a show out of cycling the puck, but couldn't beat Sarah Coe, the sprawling RIT goaltender.
Early in the second period at the 15-minute mark, RIT mounted a huge rush on the Nittany Lions, but Bothun made two key stops to keep the game at zero.
Penn State would respond a few minutes later with a Rene Gangarossa (Rochester, N.Y.) slapshot that seemed to come out of nowhere and caught Coe off guard. She was able to put just enough of a pad on the puck to turn it wide.
The Nittany Lions and Tigers would trade opportunities till Weiss would launch yet another rocket from the top of the left circle that would find a home in the back of the net with 8:12 on the second period clock.
The second period would ended with Penn State registering a game total of 27 shots on net while RIT only produced six shots.
The beginning of the third period was dominated by various Nittany Lions opportunities that were turned aside by RIT goaltender Coe.
It was much of the same in the middle portion of the third period as Penn State kept the attack up even after not converting on their second power play of the day.
At the midpoint of the period, Penn State's second forward line would mount a sustained attack highlighted by a Julie Gough snapshot from the slot, but it would be stifled by the Tigers defense and goaltender.
RIT came out of the mid period break with their first attack of the final frame registering a shot on Josie Bothun that would be turned aside.
Late in the period junior forward Julie Gough (Newcastle, Ontario) found herself alone at the top of the circles, but her wrist shot would glance off the side of the post keeping the game at one to nothing.
RIT would mount their final rush of the game in the final minutes of the third frame. Bothun, although drawn away from the comfort of her blue crease, would make both stops to keep the Nittany Lions ahead.
Zanon would put the finishing touches on the Tigers when Natalie Heising (Wayzata, Minn.) chipped a puck out of the Lions zone and onto the stick of Zanon who would make it the length of the ice to bury the puck it into the open RIT net.
GAME NOTES
- Rachel Weiss's goal was her eighth of the season, adding to her career high. She's scored five goals in the last six games to finish the regular season.
- With her ninth shutout of the season, Bothun is now tied for the national lead in shutouts along with 2021 Patty Kaz winner and Northeastern goaltender Aerin Frankel.
- Penn State more than doubled RIT's shot numbers finishing with 42 shots to 10 for the Tigers.
- With the win and a loss by Mercyhurst against Lindenwood Saturday, Penn State will be the second seed at the upcoming CHA Tournament, Feb. 22-24, to be hosted by Syracuse. The Nittany Lions will take on third-seeded Mercyhurst in the semifinal round on Friday, with the winner advancing to the CHA title game on Saturday.
- The Nittany Lions recognized seniors Avery Mitchell, Amy Dobson, Natalie Heising, Anna Promersberger and Cam Leonard postgame.