Defender Kendall Butze (17) receives puck during game against Syracuse on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024 at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Orange in sudden death 3-2.
Goalie Lauren Barbro (37) lines up with her teammates before the game against Lindenwood at Pegula Ice Arena on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in University Park, Pa. Penn State defeated Lindenwood 3-2.
Forward Tessa Janecke (15) prepares to take a faceoff during the game against Lindenwood at Pegula Ice Arena on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in University Park, Pa. Penn State defeated Lindenwood 3-2.
Defender Kendall Butze (17) receives puck during game against Syracuse on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024 at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Orange in sudden death 3-2.
No. 8 Penn State remains on the road this weekend for its second and final conference series against Lindenwood.
The Nittany Lions will face Lindenwood at 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday in St. Charles, Missouri.
Penn State holds a perfect 12-0-0 record in AHA play this season, with recent 1-0 and 4-0 wins over Syracuse.
Goaltender Katie DeSa was a flawless 43-for-43 in the away series. DeSa faced 18 shots in Game 1 and 25 in Game 2, keeping the puck out of her net for two more shutouts, which brought her season total to six.
In DeSa’s last four games, she recorded three shutouts and stopped an impressive 97.4% of the shots she faced.
For comparison, No. 1 Wisconsin’s Ava McNaughton has a sturdy .951 save percentage this season. DeSa’s last four games surpassed even that.
The Penn State goalie has a 1.41 goals-against average through 22 games, which ranks top five nationwide. This means the Nittany Lions, who average 3.6 goals per game, will likely win if their offense scores more than twice.
Captain Tessa Janecke leads the charge for the Penn State offense. She’s tallied 38 points through 26 games and aided in the blue and white’s 4-0 victory over Syracuse when she scored the team’s second goal.
Goalie Lauren Barbro (37) lines up with her teammates before the game against Lindenwood at Pegula Ice Arena on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in University Park, Pa. Penn State defeated Lindenwood 3-2.
In Janecke’s previous series versus the Lions on Nov. 15-16, she recorded three goals and three assists in the two-game stretch.
Penn State hosted the first series at Pegula Ice Arena and took both games, one a 3-2 overtime victory and the other a 7-1 blowout.
Nittany Lions defender Kendall Butze made history in the second outing, tying former Penn State forward Kiara Zanon’s school record for most assists in a single game. Butze had five helpers on goals scored by Maddy Christian, Grace Outwater, Katelyn Roberts and Janecke.
Butze capped her career-high six-point game with a goal of her own in the third period.
On the other side of the puck, Lindenwood’s Morgan Neitzke was the most impactful for her squad during the Penn State series, notching a goal and two assists.
Forward Tessa Janecke (15) prepares to take a faceoff during the game against Lindenwood at Pegula Ice Arena on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in University Park, Pa. Penn State defeated Lindenwood 3-2.
Neitzke leads the Lions in goals and points this season. She’s found the back of the net eight times and assisted on another eight.
The senior also leads her team in shots by a massive margin. Neitzke’s fired 95 shots on goal in 23 games — one less game than the team has played. Sidney Jackel, the runner-up, has 63.
While Penn State sports a dominant AHA record, Lindenwood’s record is quite the opposite at 2-9-1.
The Lions’ two wins were against Mercyhurst and Syracuse, both coming in November 2024.
Lindenwood most recently faced off with Mercyhurst last Friday and Saturday in Erie, Pennsylvania. They lost 3-1 and 5-2 despite Neitzke contributing a goal and an assist.
The Nittany Lions carry their eight-game winning streak into Missouri with the opportunity to build on their ruling conference presence.
MORE HOCKEY CONTENT
Orangeville, Illinois native, Tessa Janecke set the program record in points at 138 in Penn …
If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
