WINTRHOP, Mass. – Five Penn State women's hockey student-athletes were named to 2021-22 All-CHA teams as announced by the league office Tuesday.
Senior Natalie Heising (Wayzata, Minn.), junior Mallory Uihlein (Edina, Minn.) and sophomore Kiara Zanon (Fairport, N.Y) were selected All-CHA first team honorees. Senior Rene Gangarosa (Rochester, N.Y.) was named to the All-CHA second team and freshman Karley Garcia (Roseville, Calif.) was tabbed a CHA All-Rookie team selection for their performances throughout the 2021-22 season.
Penn State's five all-league selections are tied for second-most by the program in a single season, trailing only PSU's seven honorees in 2021-22.
Heising's fifth season with the Nittany Lions saw her set new heights for the program as she became Penn State's first 20-goal scorer and 40-point scorer. She shattered the Penn State career scoring record, now with 137 points and 74 goals. Her 74 goals are tied for 10th most in CHA history.
This is the fourth All-CHA award for Heising, including her second All-CHA first team selection (2020-21).
Uihlein pieced together a fantastic season from the blue line for Penn State with a career-best 19 points (6G, 13A). Her scoring output this season moved her into fifth on PSU's all-time defender scoring list with 39 points.
This is Uihlein's second All-CHA team selection after her All-Rookie team nod back in 2019-20.
Zanon followed up her historic first season with Penn State with another stellar campaign this season. She set a Penn State record with 26 assists and passed the previous Penn State single-season scoring record with her 39 points. She also has 13 multipoint games this season, shattering her previous program record of nine as a freshman.
This is the second All-CHA first team honor for the 2021 CHA Player and Rookie of the Year.
Gangarosa's impact and consistency have been integral to the program's success in her four years at Penn State. One of the best puck-moving defenders in the country along with her blue-line partner Uihlein, Gangarosa has scored 12 points (2G, 10A) and ranks tied for third on PSU's all-time defender scoring list with 43 points.
This is the senior's first All-CHA honor. She will be returning for a fifth season of eligibility with Penn State in 2022-23.
The third Nittany Lion blue liner to receive recognition on this year's All-CHA teams, Garcia's first season at Penn State showed that she too has a game-controlling impact for the Nittany Lions. She has scored 10 points (2G, 8A) this season, including Penn State's very first goal of the campaign.
Garcia's first All-CHA honor marks the fourth-straight season a PSU defender has been named to the CHA All-Rookie Team (Jessica Adolfsson 2018-19, Uihlein 2019-20, Lyndie Lobdell 2020-21).
Penn State begins its 2021-22 postseason with a CHA semifinal matchup Friday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m. against the Mercyhurst Lakers.
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