Makenna Newkirk returns to Penn State as an assistant coach for her third season in 2024-25 and brings several great intangibles to the Penn State program. Newkirk has played an instrumental role in the development of players which led to back-to-back CHA tournament titles and NCAA tournament appearances. During her three years at Penn State, she's helped produce two CHA Players of the Year in Tessa Janecke and Kiara Zanon, while also leading Janecke to her first CHA Forward of the Year honor in 2023-24 and her CHA Rookie of the Year award in 2022-23. She also helped Janecke and Zanon to become Patty Kazmaier finalists in 2024 and in 2023. In the past two seasons, Newkirk has elevated the amount of goals scored, assists, and power-play percentage which in the 2022-23 season, the Nittany Lions scored a program leading 140 goals followed by 121 in 2023-24.
A former Boston College team captain and star student-athlete, Newkirk joins the Nittany Lions after spending the 2021-22 season with Brown women's hockey in the ECAC.
She had a positive impact behind the bench for the Bears, as Brown finished the campaign with their best overall record in the last five seasons, including their most wins in ECAC play since 2008-09 and highest finish in the ECAC standings in a decade.
The Scottsdale, Ariz. native shined in her collegiate career at Boston College from 2015-19 as one of the most consistent point producers and playmakers in the nation. She finished her BC career ranked fifth on the program scoring list in points (189), sixth in goals (73), third in assists (116) and fourth in game-winning scores (14) and was a two-time captain.
Newkirk also competed for USA Hockey on the U22 National Team, was an invitee to the Olympic Tryouts for the 2018 Pyeongyang Winter Games and also attended three National Team Festivals.
She was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2019 NWHL Draft and played two seasons in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association in the New Hampshire Region.
Newkirk's additional coaching experience includes time with the North American Hockey Academy at the U16 and U19 levels. She also was an assistant coach for Milton Academy in 2019-20.
She had a positive impact behind the bench for the Bears, as Brown finished the campaign with their best overall record in the last five seasons, including their most wins in ECAC play since 2008-09 and highest finish in the ECAC standings in a decade.
The Scottsdale, Ariz. native shined in her collegiate career at Boston College from 2015-19 as one of the most consistent point producers and playmakers in the nation. She finished her BC career ranked fifth on the program scoring list in points (189), sixth in goals (73), third in assists (116) and fourth in game-winning scores (14) and was a two-time captain.
Newkirk also competed for USA Hockey on the U22 National Team, was an invitee to the Olympic Tryouts for the 2018 Pyeongyang Winter Games and also attended three National Team Festivals.
She was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2019 NWHL Draft and played two seasons in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association in the New Hampshire Region.
Newkirk's additional coaching experience includes time with the North American Hockey Academy at the U16 and U19 levels. She also was an assistant coach for Milton Academy in 2019-20.