GAME DAY: No. 6/7 Penn State WHKY at St. Lawrence

ON THE ROAD

The Penn State women’s hockey team steps out of conference play to face ECAC Hockey opponent St. Lawrence at Appleton Arena in Canton, N.Y. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday.

LAST WEEKEND

Penn State swept Lindenwood with a 5-4 victory Friday night and a 3-0 win Saturday afternoon. On Friday, McKenna Walsh opened the scoring for the Nittany Lions with her first goal of the season before first-year Kylie Amelkovich netted two goals in the second period. Junior captain Grace Outwater also found the back of the net, while sophomore Sophie Morrow scored the game-winning goal/the first of her season. Sophomore goaltender Maddy Campbell made 21 saves in the victory. On Saturday, sophomore Danica Maynard opened the scoring before Outwater added a shorthanded goal and first-year Sofia Ismael sealed the win with an empty-net tally. First-year goaltender Morgan Stickney made 18 saves to record her first career shutout.     

ABOUT ST. LAWRENCE

St. Lawrence split a nonconference series against New Hampshire, falling 3-1 on Thursday before earning a 3-2 overtime victory on Friday afternoon. In the opener, Kennedy Emerson scored the Saints’ lone goal, while Kassidy Lawrence made 16 saves. On Friday, Riley Reeves and Kendall Doiron (2) accounted for the Saints’ three goals, while Maja Helge made 13 saves in the win.

 STONEWALL STICKNEY

First-year goaltender Morgan Stickney earned Atlantic Hockey America Rookie of the Week honors after making 18 saves to record her first career shutout in Penn State’s 3-0 win over Lindenwood (the Division I program in her hometown of St. Charles, Mo) on Saturday afternoon.

The honor marks Stickney’s second AHA Rookie of the Week award. She previously earned the recognition Sept. 28 after making 44 saves in her collegiate debut against No. 2 Ohio State on Sept. 24. She helped Penn State take the Buckeyes to overtime for the first time in program history before falling 2-1. Her 44 saves were the most by a Penn State goaltender in a collegiate debut since the 2016–17 season.

The matchup also marked Penn State’s first one-goal game against Ohio State since a 3-2 victory on Jan. 3, 2016.

Through four career appearances, Stickney has posted a 2-1-0 record with a .903 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average.

MORE FROM MORROW

Sophomore defender Sophie Morrow scored her first career game-winning goal and added two assists in Friday’s 5-4 victory over Lindenwood. The goal marked her first of the season and her points marked her second career three-point performance. She also extended her point streak to four games, totaling one goal and seven assists during that stretch.

The honor marks Morrow’s second Defender of the Week award this season. She also earned the recognition Oct. 5 after recording two assists, a plus-2 rating and a career-high eight shots on goal against Robert Morris on Oct. 3. Penn State limited the Colonials to just four shots on goal in that contest, the second fewest in program history. The Nittany Lions allowed just one shot in their Oct. 11, 2025, win at Delaware.

Through 47 career games played, Morrow has tallied four goals and 20 assists for 24 points.

SCORING SHORTHANDED

On Saturday, junior captain Grace Outwater scored her fifth career shorthanded goal in the 3-0 shutout win to tie Minnesota Duluth’s Caitlin Kraemer for the most among active players. All five have come in conference play, tying her for fifth in AHA history and putting her four shy of Meghan Agosta’s conference record of nine.

Through six games this season, Outwater has tallied fivem goals and one assist for six points. In 80 career games, she has recorded 45 goals and 27 assists for 72 points.

SOFIA'S SCORING

With a goal and an assist on Saturday, first-year forward Sofia Ismael has tallied six goals and five assists on the season. She leads all rookies nationally with six goals and ranks second in assists (5) and points with 11. 

ALL HALL

Junior alternate captain Nicole Hall has been named to Sweden’s National Team roster for the upcoming Lidl Hockey Games and 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship the Swedish Ice Hockey Association announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Hall is one of 24 players selected to represent Sweden in the two international tournaments.

Sweden will first compete in the Lidl Hockey Games in Södertälje, Sweden, from Oct. 28-31, facing Czechia, Switzerland, and Finland. The tournament will serve as the team’s final preparation before the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Denmark, scheduled for Nov. 6-16.

Across her international career, Hall has represented Sweden in 82 games, recording 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points. She helped Sweden’s U16 team capture silver at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics before serving as captain of Sweden’s U18 team at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. Hall made her Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games, skating in all seven games, and most recently represented Sweden at the Four Nations Tournament in mid-August.

Through eight games this season, Hall has tallied four goals and one assist for five points, highlighted by a two-goal performance in the 4-0 win over Syracuse on Oct. 10. In 79 career games, she has recorded 22 goals and 15 assists for 37 points.

PRE-SEASON PREDICTIONS

Penn State was picked to finish first in the AHA preseason poll, released Monday, August 24. The Nittany Lions also opened at #4 in the USCHO national poll on September 14 and #5 in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live poll on September 15.

Junior captain Grace Outwater was named AHA Preseason Player of the Year, and both Outwater and sophomore defenseman Danica Maynard earned spots on the AHA Preseason All-Conference Team.

OH CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS

On Wednesday, September 2, juniors Grace Outwater and Taya MacDonald were announced co-captains while juniors Abby Stonehouse and Nicole Hall were announced as alternate captains.

RETURNING ROSTER

Penn State women’s hockey welcomes back 12 returners, including six forwards - sophomores Matilde Fantin and Mikah Keller; juniors Nicole Hall, Grace Outwater, Abby Stonehouse and McKenna Walsh. Five defensemen - sophomores Danica Maynard, Sophie Morrow and Shelby Shane; juniors Taya MacDonald and Grace Tullock - and sophomore goaltender Maddy Campbell.

FRESH FACES

Penn State welcomes 10 newcomers, including six forwards: first-years Kylie Amelkovich, Sofia Ismael, Kayla McCarthy, Sydney McIntosh and Lorelai Nelson, and junior Alanna Devlin; two defensemen: first-year Megan Hosman and senior Ashley Kokavec; and two goaltenders: first-year Morgan Stickney and junior Savanna Muir.

TWO TRANSFERS

Penn State added two transfers: junior forward Alanna Devlin from Boston College and senior defenseman Ashley Kokavec from Vermont.

Devlin spent two seasons at Boston College, recording nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points. She earned Hockey East All-Academic Team honors as a freshman and won 54.9 percent of her faceoffs last season. Internationally, Devlin represented Team USA twice at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, helping the team win gold in 2024. She recorded a goal and an assist in six games during the championship run.

Kokavec began her collegiate career at Maine before transferring to Vermont, where she recorded eight goals and 25 assists for 33 points in 74 games over two seasons. In 2025–26, she led Vermont defensemen with 17 points and 14 assists. Her 14 assists tied for third among Hockey East defensemen, while her 17 points tied for fourth. She also blocked 49 shots, the second most on the team.

FORWARD FLEET

Penn State returns a solid core of juniors Grace Outwater, Abby Stonehouse, and Nicole Hall, sophomores Mikah Keller and Matilde Fantin.

Outwater had a standout sophomore campaign, recording career highs of 24 goals and 16 assists for 40 points. Outwater led the AHA in conference scoring, contributing 31 points (19G, 12A) in 24 conference games to capture the AHA scoring title. Her 40 total points ranked third overall in the conference and tied for 27th nationally. Outwater’s 24 goals set Penn State’s sophomore single-season record while ranking second in the AHA and tied for 11th nationally. Outwater earned a spot on All-AHA First Team following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.

Stonehouse recorded career highs of 14 goals and 10 assists for 24 points in her sophomore campaign. Her 14 goals ranked fifth all-time by a Penn State sophomore, while her 10 assists ranked eighth and her 24 points ranked sixth. Stonehouse also recorded a +28 plus/minus, which ranks eighth on Penn State’s single-season list.

Hall recorded career highs of 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points as a sophomore. Her 11 goals ranked seventh all-time by a Penn State sophomore, and her 10 assists and 21 points ranked eighth.

Internationally, Hall has represented Sweden in 82 games, recording 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points. She helped Sweden’s U16 team capture silver at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics before serving as captain of Sweden’s U18 team at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. Hall made her Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games, skating in all seven games, and most recently represented Sweden at the Four Nations Tournament in mid-August.

She most recently represented Team Sweden at the Four Nations Tournament at the end of August, competing against Finland, Switzerland and Czechia following her participation at Sweden Women’s National Team Training Camp in June.

Fantin recorded 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points as a freshman. She earned All-Tournament Team honors after recording a goal and an assist to help Penn State capture its fourth straight AHA tournament title. Her 10 goals ranked seventh on Penn State’s freshman single-season list, while her 23 points ranked eighth.

Fantin was named to Team Italy’s Olympic roster for the first time in her career and competed on home ice at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. She appeared in all five games tallying three goals and was just one of 16 women to score at least three goals during the tournament. All three of Fantin’s goals came in Italy’s two victories, helping propel the host nation to the playoff round. She opened the tournament with a goal in Italy’s 4-1 win over France on Feb. 5 before netting two goals in a 3-2 victory over Japan on Feb. 9. Fantin has made eight international tournament appearances across U18s, national team, and Olympic levels, totaling 36 games, 25 goals and 21 points for 46 points.

Keller appeared in all 39 games for the Nittany Lions as a freshman, recording eight goals and 26 assists for 34 points. Her 26 assists rank fifth on Penn State’s single-season list and set the program’s freshman record. Her 34 points rank sixth on the single-season list and second among freshmen. She was named to the All-AHA Rookie Team following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.

ANCHORING THE BLUELINE

Penn State returns a solid core of sophomores Danica Maynard and Sophie Morrow, and  junior captain Taya MacDonald.

Maynard emerged as one of the nation’s top rookie defensemen in the 2025-26 season, tying the program’s single season defenseman points record with 33 points while her nine goals tied the record for most by a defenseman in team history. On the national stage, her 33 points tied second nationally amongst all freshman defensemen. Maynard earned AHA Rookie of the Year honors for recording 26 points on nine goals and 17 assists in 24 conference games played. She also added All-USCHO Third Team honors an All-USCHO Rookie Team honors to her accolades.

Internationally, Maynard helped Canada win gold at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, recording one goal and three assists in six games.

Morrow skated in 39 contests as a first-year, tallying three goals and 13 assists for 16 points as a first year. Morrow also most recently represented the United States in a three-game series against Canada, August 10-16, on the National Women’s Collegiate Select Team.

MacDonald  skated in all 77 career games through two seasons, tallying three goals and 13 assists for 16 points. She has consistently made a positive impact in the lineup, recording a career plus/minus of +56, which ranks 10th in program history. Her career-best +38 during the 2025-26 season alone ranks third on Penn State’s single-season list.

BRICKWALL BRIGADE

Penn State returns sophomore goaltender Maddy Campbell, who posted a 6-2 record with a .935 save percentage and a 1.44 goals-against average as a rookie last season. She played five periods against No. 2 Ohio State on Jan. 2–3 and appeared in the series against No. 15 Mercyhurst on Jan. 9–10. In her first appearance this season, Campbell made 31 saves with a .939 save percentage and a 2.02 GAA against No. 2/2 Ohio State on Sept. 25.

The Nittany Lions welcome first-year goaltender, Morgan Stickney. Stickney competed four years at Shattuck St. Mary’s. In the 2025-26 season, she recorded 13 shutouts in 34 games while compiling a 1.28 GAA and .950 SV%. She also helped Shattuck capture the 2024 USA Hockey National Championship title.

On the international stage, Stickney represented Team USA at the 2025 and 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships. In 2026, Stickney recorded two shutouts as Team USA won gold without trailing or being tied at any point in the tournament, including its 2-0 win over Canada in the gold-medal game. In 2025, she helped the U.S. earn silver, posting a 0.67 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage in six games while earning All-Star Team honors. She became the first goaltender in tournament history to record an assist and to post shutouts in all three preliminary-round games and set a tournament record with a 183:01 shutout streak.

Stickney also became the first American female selected in the 2023 WHL Draft.

Penn State also adds junior goaltender, Savanna Muir, to the roster. Muir most recently competed for BK Selects after spending two seasons at SUNY Cortland at the Division III level. While competing for Bishop Kearney, Muir compiled a 9-1 record in 11 starts with six shutouts. She helped Bishop Kearney capture the NYSAHA District Championship and finish third at the 2026 USA Hockey National Tournament as the team posted a 46-14-1 record.

TRIPLE THREAT

Along with Stickney, Penn State welcomes first-years Kylie Amelkovich and Sofia Ismael.

Amelkovich played 152 games for Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep team from 2023–26, recording 76 goals and 83 assists for 159 points. In 2025–26, she totaled 36 goals and 36 assists for 72 points in 53 games. She also helped Shattuck-St. Mary’s win the 2024 USA Hockey U19 Championship.

Amelkovich represented Team USA at the 2025 and 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships. Serving as an assistant captain in 2026, she recorded two goals and 12 assists in six games as the United States completed a “perfect gold,” never trailing or being tied throughout the tournament. Her 12 assists are the second most by an American in a single tournament. She also earned silver in 2025, recording three goals and two assists in six games.

Ismael spent three seasons with the Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins U22 team, totaling 71 goals and 100 assists for 171 points in 125 games. As an assistant captain in 2025–26, she recorded 31 goals and 53 assists for 84 points in 44 games.

Ismael represented Team Canada at the 2025 and 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships. She earned silver and tournament All-Star honors in 2026 after recording seven goals and eight assists in six games. Her 15 points set a Canadian single-tournament record at the U18 women’s championship. In 2025, she helped Canada win gold, contributing two goals and two assists in six games.