ERIE, Pa.–The No. 12 Penn State women’s ice hockey team (15-4-1, 8-0-0 AHA) closed 2024 with a sweep over Mercyhurst (7-11-1, 4-4-0 AHA) as they won 3-2, on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State opened the scoring with a goal from Alyssa Machado after a shot by Tessa Janecke bounced off the goaltender and into the stick of Machado where she punched the puck into the net to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead with 11:53 left on the clock.
- With 4:14 remaining in the period, Kylee Mahoney flew down the ice from the defensive zone and skated around the goaltender to score and even the game at 1-1.
- In the second period, Janecke dragged the puck from the neutral zone and drove past the Mercyhurst defenders. She then ripped a goal to give Penn State a 2-1 lead with 5:37 remaining.
- In the closing seconds of the frame, Mahoney received a pass in the neutral zone and took the puck into the Penn State defensive zone. She then fired the puck from the top right circle to even the score at 2-2 with 29 seconds left in the period.
- With 7:53 left in the third, Janecke stole the puck from a Mercyhurst defender and zipped through the Mercyhurst defense. She then broke away and scored in front of the netminder to give Penn State the 3-2 lead and win.
GOALTENDERS
- Junior Katie DeSa captured her 12th win of the season after stopping 38 shots attempted at her. Her record improves to 12-4-0 this year.
- Mercyhurst goalie Jorden Mattison registered 26 saves on 29 shots. Her record drops to 5-6-1 on the year.
STATS AND NOTES
- Janecke recorded her 21st three-point plus game of her career with two goals and one assist. She now has 131 points in her career, which is six behind the all-time points leader in Natalie Heising, with 137.
- Janecke sits sixth in the nation in points this season with 31.
- The Orangeville, Ill. native, now has 53 goals in her career, which ranks third all-time in program history.
- The Nittany Lions are now 8-0-0 in Atlantic Hockey America play. It is the best start to conference play in program history.
- This is the six straight win against Mercyhurst in program history.
- Machado scored her first goal since November 23 against Robert Morris.
- Maddy Christian upped her point streak to three with an assist.
- Penn State went 0-2 on the power-play, which makes this the first series since September 26-27 that the Nittany Lions have not scored a power-play goal in either game of the series.
- Head coach Jeff Kampersal picked up his 461st career win.
- Penn State was outshot the Lakers for the second time this season 40-29.
- The Nittany Lions are now 13-3-0 when they score first in a game.
UP NEXT
- Penn State returns in the new year when they travel to face Bemidji State in the East West Classic on Friday, January 3. Puck-drop is set for 2 p.m. ET.