No. 6 Nittany Lions Hosting Syracuse for Final Home Conference Series of 2025

PENN STATE IN THE POLLS

• The Penn State Nittany Lions currently sit sixth in both the USCHO.com and USA Hockey polls.
• It is the highest ranking the program has achieved in either poll in its history.

DEFENSE TO OFFENSE

• Penn State is currently in the top five for both scoring offense and defense categories as well as scoring margin.
• The Nittany Lions are scoring 4.70 goals per game while only allowing 0.70 goal per game.
• PSU also has only allowed 13.8 shots on goal per game, which is the lowest in the nation by nearly three shots.
• The Nittany Lions are also tied for the national lead in shorthanded goals with three.
• PSU makes up the entire top 10 in plus/minus rating in the AHA with Danica Maynard leading the way at +19.

DOMINANCE IN THE DOT

• The Nittany Lions are ranked third nationally in faceoff win percentage at 61.1 percent.
• Tessa Janecke has won 125 faceoffs, pacing the Nittany Lions while leading the AHA with a 67.9 faceoff win percentage.

MIDDLE FRAME MAGIC

• The Nittany Lions scored four of their eight goals against Robert Morris in the second period.
• Overall, Penn State has outscored opponents in the second period 22-1, their highest scoring period this season.
• PSU has also outshot their opponents 188-52 in the second period, the biggest margin of any period.

DESA EARNS HER THIRD WEEKLY AWARD OF THE YEAR

• Last week goaltender Katie DeSa was named the AHA’s Goaltender of the Week for the third time this season.
• In the Nittany Lions’ weekend sweep of Robert Morris, DeSa was dominant, stopping all 31 shots she faced over two games to shutout them out in both games.
• DeSa is currently on a 170:33 scoreless streak, dating back to the first period against Lindenwood on Oct. 24.
• She also is now up to five shutouts on the season, which is tied for first nationally.

MILESTONE WATCH

• Several veteran members of the sixth-ranked Nittany Lions are inching closer to break career program records.
• Tessa Janecke is just four goals from becoming the program’s all-time leading goal scorer, currently sitting at 71.
• She also is two assists from becoming the first player in program history to reach the 100-assist mark.
• Goaltender Katie DeSa is three shutouts from breaking the program’s career shutout record, currently sitting at 18.
• Kendall Butze is within seven assists of passing Izzy Heminger for the most career assists by a defenseman, sitting at 59 currently.

SHOOTER’S SHOOT

• Grace Outwater is currently fifth in the nation in shots on goal while leading the Nittany Lions with 66.
• Her and Tessa Janecke lead Atlantic Hockey with over 4.8 shots on goal per game this season.
• The two also lead the conference in goals as Outwater has 10 and Janecke has 8.

FOUR MS. OCTOBER’S

• The Nittany Lions swept Atlantic Hockey America’s October monthly awards, as announced by the league office last week, the first time PSU has won all four awards in the same month.
• Tessa Janecke received her seventh Forward of the Month Award after leading the conference in points for the first month of the season, totaling 16 on eight goals and eight assists despite playing in only nine games.
• Danica Maynard earned her first Defenseman of the Month award, sitting second on PSU in points for the month while leading Atlantic Hockey in assists with 11 and freshmen nationally in plus/minus at +18.
• Katie DeSa was awarded her fourth career Goaltender of the Month Award, going 9-0-0 with a .940 save percentage and a .89 GAA. She leads the AHA in all three categories while also posting four shutouts in the month of October.
• Rookie Matilde Fantin received her first Freshman of the Month award after making an instant impact offensively for the Nittany Lions, posting 12 points on five goals and seven assists. She sat sixth nationally in points recorded among freshman skaters.