GAME DAY: No. 4 Penn State WHKY at Syracuse

ON THE ROAD

The Penn State women’s hockey team hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Syracuse, N.Y., for a two-game series against Syracuse on Friday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 10, at 3 p.m at the Tennity Ice Pavilion.

LAST WEEKEND

Penn State women’s hockey opened its 2026-27 Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) campaign with a weekend sweep of Robert Morris at home. On Friday, the Nittany Lions secured a 5-3 comeback victory with five different goal scorers, including juniors Nicole Hall, Grace Outwater, and Abby Stonehouse. First-years Sofia Ismael and Lorelai Nelson each tallied their first collegiate goals, while goaltender Morgan Stickney made 13 saves to earn her first collegiate victory. Penn State followed up with a 4-1 win on Saturday, highlighted by Ismael’s first collegiate hat trick. The first-year forward also added an assist on Kylie Amelkovich’s first collegiate goal, finishing the weekend with six points alongside Stonehouse. Goaltender Maddy Campbell recorded three saves to secure her seventh career victory.   

ABOUT SYRACUSE

Syracuse opened its Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) campaign on the road against Mercyhurst, earning a 3-1 victory on Friday before falling to the Lakers, 5-2, on Saturday. Junior Rylee McLeod scored twice in Friday’s victory, while first-year Nina Geric tallied her first collegiate goal. Sophomore goaltender Ava Drabyk recorded 26 saves in the win. On Saturday, senior Jackson Kinsler tallied both goals for the Orange, while Drabyk made 31 saves.

 SIX-POINT STATEMENT   

First-year forward Sofia Ismael was named Atlantic Hockey America Forward of the Week on Monday following her six-point weekend against Robert Morris. Ismael tallied her first collegiate goal and added an assist in Friday’s 5-3 comeback victory before recording her first collegiate hat trick and adding an assist for a four-point performance in Saturday’s 4-1 win. She scored on three of her four shots on goal.

Ismael became the first Penn State first-year to record a hat trick since junior captain Grace Outwater scored three goals in an 11-1 win over Stonehill College on Oct. 26, 2024, during the Ice Breaker Tournament.

Through four games, Ismael is tied for the national lead among freshmen with four goals and leads all freshmen with six points.

LUCKY NUMBER TWO

Sophomore blueliner Sophie Morrow tallied two assists,  with a +2 rating, and a career-high eight shots in Saturday’s 4-1 over Robert Morris.

Defensively, Penn State limited Robert Morris to just four shots on goal, the second-fewest ever allowed by Penn State and Atlantic Hockey America team. The Nittany Lions allowed just one shot in their Oct. 11, 2025, win at Delaware.

Saturday marked the first time Penn State held an opponent to 10 or fewer shots on goal since limiting Delaware to seven in a 5-0 victory on Jan. 23, 2026, as well.

THREE FOR THREE

Junior captain Grace Outwater scored in each of Penn State’s first three games of the season for the second straight year, finding the back of the net in both games against No. 2/2 Ohio State on Thursday, Sept. 24, and Friday, Sept. 25, and against Robert Morris on Friday, Oct. 2. She also scored in both games of the Nittany Lions’ season-opening sweep of No. 9 St. Lawrence on Sept. 25–26, 2025 and against Vermont on Oct. 3, 2025.

POINTS ON POINT

Junior alternate captain Abby Stonehouse tallied six points over the weekend, recording a goal and an assist in Friday’s 5-3 win over Robert Morris. Stonehouse followed up with her first career four-point game on Saturday, recording a career-high four assists, including assists on all three of first year Sofia Ismael’s three goals and first-year Kylie Amelkovich’s first collegiate goal.

Stonehouse also opened the 2026-27 season with an assist on Outwater’s Thursday goal against the Buckeyes, marking the second straight season she has recorded an assist in Penn State’s season opener. She tallied an assist against No. 9 St. Lawrence in last season’s 3-0 season-opening victory on Sept. 25, 2025.

INTERNATIONAL NITTANY LIONS

Junior captain Grace Outwater and junior alternate captain Abby Stonehouse were invited to Hockey Canada’s 2026 October Selection Camp announced on Monday. The camp will take place this week, Oct. 7–15, in Quebec City, Quebec, and will determine Canada’s roster for the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Herning, Denmark, from Nov. 6–16.

Over the summer, Outwater and Stonehouse attended Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Team Development Camp from Aug. 2–9. Both were then selected for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team, which competed in a three-game series against the United States National Women’s Collegiate Select Team from Aug. 10–16 at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Vancouver.

Stonehouse also represented Canada at the 2023 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, competed at the 2023 National Women’s U18 Championships, and earned a bronze medal at the 2023 Canada Winter Games. Outwater was invited to a Canada women’s team camp in the summer of 2023.

At Penn State, Outwater has tallied 43 goals and 26 assists for 69 points in 78 collegiate games played while Stonehouse has tallied 24 goals and 21 assists for 45 points in 81 games.

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. 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 at various levels over the last seven years, skating in 83 games and recording 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points. She progressed through Sweden’s national team program as a member of the U16 team in 2020 before serving as captain of Sweden’s U18 team at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, helping the team capture gold. Hall made her Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games this past season, skating in all seven games.

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 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.