UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 4 Penn State women’s ice hockey team defeated Delaware 7-0 to win the Atlantic Hockey America conference regular season championship for the fourth straight season.
The Nittany Lions will have home ice advantage for the entire AHA postseason beginning in February.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After winning the opening faceoff back to Kendall Butze, Tessa Janecke carried the puck into the zone and shot and scored just 16 seconds into the period.
- Just over two minutes later, Mya Vaslet won a faceoff in the offensive zone back to Danica Maynard who took a shot that went wide and Taylor Lum fired the rebound into an open net to double the lead.
- Later in the first and on a 4-on-3 power play Kendall Butze passed it to Tessa Janecke who walked into the slot and shot to score her second goal of the game.
- Two minutes after that, Grace Tullock curled to the top of the circle and passed it to Katelyn Roberts who sent a quick feed to Abby Stonehouse and she tucked one in to push the lead to four before the end of the first.
- A minute into the second period, Taya MacDonald passed It to Mikah Keller in the right corner of the offensive zone who sent it into the crease are where Grace Outwater jammed it in for PSU’s fifth goal of the game.
- Four minutes later, Kendall Butze passed it to Nicole Hall as curled over the top of the right offensive zone circle towards the high slot and shot it and scored to push the lead to six.
- With under six minutes to go in the third period, Taylor Lum passed it to Kendall Butze at the point and she shot it bar down for PSU’s final goal of the game.
GOALTENDERS
- Penn State senior goaltender Katie DeSa made 12 saves in the shutout win.
- Delaware goaltender Mattie Robitzer made 38 saves in the loss.
STATS AND NOTES
- The Nittany Lions join Mercyhurst as the only teams in CHA/AHA conference history to win the regular season four years or more in a row.
- Katie DeSa now has 21 career shutouts which is the most by a Penn State goaltender ever.
- She is now tied for the national lead in shutouts with eight this season.
- Penn State has 12 total shutouts this year between DeSa and Maddy Campbell, which is the most in the nation by four shutouts.
- Tessa Janecke extended her current point streak to eight games.
- Grace Outwater scored her 18th goal of the season which is the most by a Penn State sophomore ever in a single season.
- She also now has goals in five straight games which is a career high.
- Kendall Butze led all scorers with four points to bring her career total to 84, tying Lyndie Lobdell for the most career points by a defenseman in Penn State history.
UP NEXT
- Penn State is gearing up to play against Robert Morris next Friday at 1 p.m. at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium as part of Penn State’s winter weekend. The game will be streamed on B1G+.