ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Forwards Abby Stonehouse and Tessa Janecke each had a goal and an assist to lead the Nittany Lions over RIT 5-3 on Friday evening at the Gene Polisseni Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Abby Stonehouse started the scoring for PSU after Tessa Janecke forced an offensive turnover and curled behind the net, passing it to Stonehouse who finished it at the halfway mark of the first period.
- Just under two minutes later, Matilde Fantin won a faceoff to Grace Outwater who dropped the puck off to Leah Stecker at the point and she made a move to get herself open and shoot and score.
- Later in the period, RIT won a faceoff back to the point and Emma Pickering took a shot through traffic that found its way to the back of the net making it 2-1 PSU.
- Less than a minute later on the power play, Pickering was left alone at the top of the circle and shot it past Katie DeSa to tie the game at two.
- 44 seconds later, Maddy Christian forced a turnover in her own defensive end of the penalty kill and went down on a breakaway, scoring to retake a 3-2 lead.
- 51 seconds later, Mya Vaslet picked off a cross zone pass in the neutral zone and found space to take a shot while by herself in the offensive zone, scoring to make it 4-2 PSU on the penalty kill.
- Nearing the midway point of the second period, Tessa Janecke received a breakout pass from Abby Stonehouse and she went down on an offensive zone rush and shot and score to push the lead to three goals.
- With just over five minutes to go, Tilli Keraenen of RIT took a shot through traffic that found its way past Katie DeSa to bring the Tigers within two goals.
GOALTENDERS
- Senior goaltender Katie DeSa made 17 saves to move to 13-0-0 on the season and 50-9-3.
- RIT goaltender Sophia Bellina made 42 saves in the loss.
STATS AND NOTES
- With the win, Katie DeSa moves to 50-9-3 in her career, becoming the second goaltender in program history to notch 50 career wins.
- DeSa now has the fifth most career wins among active goaltenders nationally.
- PSU scored two shorthanded goals, tying their program record for a single game. The last time they did it was also against RIT on Jan. 13, 2023.
- Maddy Christian notched her second shorthanded goal of the season, tying linemate Grace Outwater for the national lead.
- Mya Vaslet also scored on the penalty kill, notching her first goal of the season and PSU’s seventh shorthanded goal of the season which leads the country by four.
- Tessa Janecke notched her 38th career game with at least one goal and one assist. She now is two goals from own the program’s all-time goal record while currently sitting at 73.
- Janecke also went 23 of 25 in the faceoff dot, the highest win percentage she’s had in a game in her career and the seventh most faceoffs she’s won in a single game.
- Leah Stecker’s first period goal was the second power play goal of her career and 13th
UP NEXT
- Penn State will play one more against RIT tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Gene Polisseni Center. The game will be stream on FloHockey.