GAME DAY: No. 7/7 Penn State WHKY at RV Mercyhurst

ON THE ROAD

The Penn State women’s hockey team travels to Merychurst for a two-game conference series, facing the Lakers Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT

Two weekends ago, Penn State swept RIT in conference play with back-to-back shutouts, defeating the Tigers 1-0 on Friday, Oct. 30, and 6-0 on Saturday, Oct. 31. On Friday night, junior alternate captain Abby Stonehouse scored the lone goal for the Nittany Lions while first-year goaltender Morgan Stickney tallied 13 saves in net. On Saturday afternoon, Stonehouse powered Penn State to the second win tallying her first career hat trick while sophomore Mikah Keller and Danica Maynard, and junior captain Grace Outwater tallied the three other goals. Sophomore goaltender Maddy Campbell stopped all 15 shots she faced for her second shutout of the season.

ABOUT MERCYHURST

Last weekend, Mercyhurst swept Delaware in conference play, winning 1-0 on Friday night and 7-1 on Saturday afternoon. Sophie Erlam scored the lone goal on Friday, and goaltender Grace Kipfer made 10 saves for the shutout. Berlin Lolacher led the Lakers with a hat trick on Saturday, while Abby Poitras, Mariia Polozkova and Halle Duchene also scored. Lexington Secreto made 18 saves in net.

INTERNATIONAL NITTANY LIONS

Penn State junior alternate captain Nicole Hall and alumna Tessa Janecke ’26 are competing at the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark. Hall is skating for Sweden, while Janecke is representing the United States.

Team USA opened tournament play with a 7-0 win over Switzerland on Friday, Nov. 6. Janecke recorded a secondary assist on Laila Edwards’ second goal of the game. Sweden fell to Canada in its opener that same day.

Sweden bounced back with a 4-1 win over rival Finland on Sunday, Nov. 8. The United States shut out Germany, 5-0, with Janecke picking up a secondary assist on Joy Dunne’s goal.

Janecke scored twice in Team USA’s 11-1 win over Austria on Monday, Nov. 9. Hall added two goals of her own the following day in Sweden’s 10-0 win over Denmark.

On Wednesday, Nov. 11, Janecke recorded two primary assists in Team USA’s 8-1 win over Czechia, setting up the first of Hilary Knight’s three goals and a goal by Alex Carpenter. Sweden closed out preliminary play with a 5-0 win over Japan.

Both teams open quarterfinal play at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 13. The United States faces Denmark in Herning, and Sweden takes on Switzerland in Esbjerg.

THREE FOR THREE

Junior alternate captain Abby Stonehouse earned Forward of the Month, sophomore defender Sophie Morrow earned Defender of the Month, and first-year goaltender Morgan Stickney earned Rookie of the Month honors, the conference announced Tuesday, Nov. 3

Stonehouse recorded seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 10 games in September and October, including 13 points over her last eight appearances.

The junior alternate captain scored four goals in Penn State’s series sweep at RIT, highlighted by her first career hat trick in 6-0 victory against the Tigers on Oct. 31. Her three goals tied the program’s single-game record and helped her earn her first career AHA Forward of the Week honor on Nov. 2.

Stonehouse scored at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded, marking the ninth known instance of an AHA player scoring in all three situations in the last eight seasons and the seventh in conference play.

She became the first AHA player to do so since Mercyhurst’s Julia Schalin against Lindenwood on Dec. 5, 2025, and the first Penn State player since Grace Outwater against Delaware on Oct. 10, 2025. Stonehouse completed her hat trick with a shorthanded goal.

Against Robert Morris on Oct. 3, Stonehouse recorded four assists, including three primary assists. Her four assists tied for the second-most in a game in program history, while her four points tied for fourth. She also registered a career-high 12 shots on goal, the second-most in a game by a Nittany Lion.

Morrow tallied one goal and 12 assists for 13 points in ten October appearances and collected two AHA Defender of the Week awards.

She capped the month with four assists, including three primary assists, in Penn State’s 6-0 win at RIT on Oct. 31. Her four assists tied for the second-most in a game in program history, while her four points tied for fourth.

Morrow scored her first career game-winning goal and added two assists in the 5-4 victory over Lindenwood on Oct. 16, earning Defender of the Week recognition on Oct. 19. The goal was her first of the season, and the three-point performance was the second of her career at the time.

She first earned the weekly award on Oct. 5 after recording two assists, a plus-2 rating and a career-high eight shots on goal against Robert Morris on Oct. 3.

Stickney posted a 5-1-0 record with two shutouts, a .926 save percentage and a 1.62 goals-against average during September and October. Her five wins rank second in program history among first-year goaltenders, while her two shutouts rank third.

She earned three weekly awards, including one Goaltender of the Week honor and two Rookie of the Week selections.

Stickney earned Goaltender of the Week recognition on Oct. 26 after securing wins on consecutive nights for the first time in her career at St. Lawrence. She recorded a .953 save percentage across the two victories, allowing one goal in each contest.

The St. Charles, Mo., native earned Rookie of the Week honors on Oct. 19 after making 18 saves for her first collegiate shutout in Penn State’s 3-0 victory over Lindenwood on Oct. 17. She added her second shutout with 13 saves in a 1-0 win at RIT on Oct. 30.

Stickney’s first Rookie of the Week honor came on Sept. 28 after she made 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 in a 2-1 loss. Her 44 saves were the most by a Penn State goaltender in a collegiate debut since the 2016-17 season.

DYNAMIC DUO

Sophomore Maddy Campbell and first-year Morgan Stickney have anchored Penn State in net, combining for nine wins and four shutouts.

Stickney leads the tandem with five wins, posting a 5-1-0 record with a .926 save percentage and a 1.62 goals-against average. Campbell is 4-2-0 and holds a slight edge with a .929 save percentage and a 1.53 goals-against average.

Both goaltenders have recorded two shutouts this season. Campbell earned her first in a 4-0 win over Syracuse on Oct. 10, and Stickney picked up her first in a 3-0 win over Lindenwood on Oct. 17. The duo then shut out RIT on back-to-back days to seal the series sweep. Stickney made 13 saves in a 1-0 win on Oct. 30, and Campbell stopped 15 shots in a 6-0 win on Oct. 31.

PRE-SEASON PREDICTIONS

Penn State was picked to finish first in the AHA preseason poll, released Monday, August 24.

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.

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.

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.

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 83 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 captaining 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. She also competed at the Four Nations Tournament in mid-August and was named to Sweden’s roster for the 2026 Lidl Hockey Games, held Oct. 28–31 in Södertälje, Sweden, and the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship, scheduled for Nov. 6–16 in Herning, Denmark.

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.