BOSTON – Penn State women’s ice hockey has swept the September/October Atlantic Hockey America’s monthly awards, as announced the league on Monday afternoon. This is the first time the Nittany Lions have swept all four monthly awards in program history.
Tessa Janecke was named Forward of the Month, while Danica Maynard was the league’s Defenseman of the Month. Katie DeSa was honored with Goaltender of the Month and Matilde Fantin was the AHA’s Freshman of the Month.
Janecke received her seventh career Forward of the Month after leading the Nittany Lions in points in the first month of the season and receiving one Forward of the Week award (Oct. 21). In the first month, she has totaled 16 points in nine games played with eight goals and eight assists. She leads the conference in points despite having played two less games. She also ranks first in faceoff percentage at 67.7 percent. She tallied at least a point in every single game, extending her point streak to 10 games, going back to last season. She is tied for the team-lead in power-play goals with three.
Danica Maynard received her first Defenseman of the Month award after being named Defenseman of the Week twice so far this season (Oct. 14 and Oct. 21). She sits second on the Nittany Lions in points, leading all defenseman with 14. Her 11 assists lead Atlantic Hockey, as well as her +18 plus/minus rating. She leads freshman nationally in plus/minus and freshman defensemen in points nationally.
Katie DeSa received her fourth career Goaltender of the Month, after being awarded Goaltender of the Week twice this season (Sept. 30 and Oct. 21). She currently is having another career-season, sitting 9-0-0 with a .940 save percentage and .89 goals against average. She leads the AHA in all three categories as well as shutouts with four in the month of October, while having played the most minutes of any goaltender.
Matilde Fantin was named the AHA Freshman of the Month for the first time in her career after receiving Forward of the Month once (Oct. 14) and Rookie of the Week once (Oct. 28). The first-year skater from Italy has made an instant impact on the ice for the Nittany Lions, sitting fourth on the team in points in the first month with 12 on five goals and seven assists. She averages a point per game, one of three rookies in the league and also sits sixth nationally in total points among freshman.
The Nittany Lions are off this weekend before returning home to host Syracuse for a two-game series beginning Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. at Pegula Ice Arena.