2021-22 Penn State Nittany Lions

[ZedLeppelin]

[TABLE="border: 0, cellpadding: 6, cellspacing: 1"]
[TR]
[TD]Alexis Bedier[/TD]
[TD]L[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD]06/11/03[/TD]
[TD]Lake Country, B.C.[/TD]
[TD]Pursuit of Excellence (CSSHL) former Ohio State commit Causality of Muzzy de-comitting her incoming Freshman class. Picked up in Place of Emma Conner who decomitted to go to Minnesota.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

And, just like that, Penn State announces Bedier coming in this season: https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/7/6/womens-ice-hockey-welcome-to-hockey-valley-lexi-bedier.aspx

 

[ZedLeppelin]

So Jeff Kampersal is adding three forwards (Audrey Shirer, Mya Vaslet, and Alexis Bedier) and three defenders (Karley Garcia, Erika Shirer, and fifth-year Clarkson transfer Avery Mitchell) to the roster this season. Penn State's defense only lost Jessica Adolfsson to graduation ("only" being an understatement), but that left Kampersal with just four defenders, so these three defensive newcomers will be expected to work as soon as they start here.

Offensively, everybody's back, plus these three new forwards, so Kampersal will have plenty of options on that side with fifteen forwards to work with. They set the bar for themselves last season - I hope they're putting in the work this summer.

 

[Reddington]

Hope the former OSU hopeful can play with a chip on her shoulder after watching her OSU commitment video. That really is something that OSU did not honor any of their commitments. Meanwhile, PSU honored all theirs this time around. The coaching staff is awfully quiet this year on the recruiting, but I have wondered in past years if it just means whomever was writing the blurbs in the past year graduated.

 

[Timothy A]

That really is something that OSU did not honor any of their commitments.

That is a recruiting gift to other schools that will keep on giving.

 

[zambonidriver]

Don't know if this is a trend or mirage but it seems as if the top WCHA schools are more active using the transfer portal than other schools in college hockey. One has to wonder if recruiting is evening out across the country as the game grows. Wisconsin and OSU seem to be the biggest users of the portal with Duluth starting to become more heavily involved. Minnesota not so much. Seems like Penn State will only use it to fill a glaring need. Brenneman two years ago and now to replace Adolffson. They have 4 pretty good ones with Uhlein, Hemminger, Gangarosa, and Lobdell, so the two additons should fit nicely into a really solid back end. Hopefully the new forwards will add to the fire power up front. The nice thing is it will be real hard to focus on just the line of Heising, Zanon, and Gough, when you also have Weiss, Machado, and Wallin who I think is the female version of Brett Hull, Also a real good third line of Conolly, Ciarochi, and Dobson who provide Energy with scoring add the depth of Promesberger, Byrnes, and Lantto, with the incoming Freshman and you you have some real competition for lineup spots up front. Barring injury they should make their first trip to the big dance this year. Hopefully they will be playing at Pegula. Over Thanksgiving they will get a big test as they will be playing OSU and Duluth in DC. Should be a fun year.

 

[ZedLeppelin]

Penn State has posted the 2021-22 roster (again): https://gopsusports.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster

 

[ZedLeppelin]

Hope the former OSU hopeful can play with a chip on her shoulder after watching her OSU commitment video. That really is something that OSU did not honor any of their commitments.

I watched that video, too, and felt bad hearing how she's basically been "Ohio State or nothing" from the start. There was a point in the video where it was mentioned that things don't always work out the way you want or plan, and at least she sounded aware and accepting of that. Now she's seen it firsthand, and got a taste of how adulting goes sometimes. She picked a pretty good alternative to Ohio State, I think, and she'll get to beat up on Ohio State at the Thanksgiving tournament in DC.

They have 4 pretty good ones with Uhlein, Hemminger, Gangarosa, and Lobdell, so the two additions should fit nicely into a really solid back end.

It's going to take me a season to stop missing Jessica Adolfsson's size, strength, and smarts on the defensive end. I'd like to see Penn State find more defensive players cut from her mold.

Hopefully the new forwards will add to the fire power up front. The nice thing is it will be real hard to focus on just the line of Heising, Zanon, and Gough, when you also have Weiss, Machado, and Wallin, who I think is the female version of Brett Hull.

Olivia Wallin would've gotten a lot more recognition if she weren't playing on a team with Kiara Zanon. She has a really good scoring touch and such a deceptively quick shot. Julie Gough really turned up her game last season, too, so it wasn't just the freshmen doing it all. Lots of players making lots of other players better.

Also a real good third line of Connolly, Ciarrocchi, and Dobson, who provide energy with scoring. Add the depth of Promersberger, Byrnes, and Lantto with the incoming freshmen and you have some real competition for lineup spots up front. Barring injury, they should make their first trip to the big dance this year. Hopefully they will be playing at Pegula. Over Thanksgiving they will get a big test as they will be playing OSU and Duluth in DC. Should be a fun year.

Jeff Kampersal has no shortage of offensive options this year, to say the least, especially having no offensive losses to the roster from last year. He's got five full lines of forwards to work with. It's really hard to guess at the possibilities of this season after what they did last year. That was supposed to be a "get your feet wet" season for so many on the roster, and instead they just jumped into D-1 hockey head first. As hockey fans know, though, one season doesn't make a program, so I hope they're spending the summer angry at how last season ended.

 

[ZedLeppelin]

Penn State officially announced Clarkson graduate transfer Avery Mitchell: https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/7/8/womens-ice-hockey-welcome-to-hockey-valley-avery-mitchell.aspx

That finishes their welcomes to the five freshmen and Avery Mitchell, so the roster is set. It would be great to see a schedule, but I'm sure the Robert Morris mess threw a wrench into that process.

 

[zambonidriver]

https://www.collegian.psu.edu/sport...cle_2475437e-df7d-11eb-973b-1f84118c974e.html

 

[ZedLeppelin]

https://www.collegian.psu.edu/sport...cle_2475437e-df7d-11eb-973b-1f84118c974e.html

Knowing nothing about goalie workouts or training, how does a goalie up her game over the summer? Years ago, Penn State had a coach who was listed as a goalie coach, but that title left when that coach did. What's out there to help a goalie improve in the off-season?

The only thing I can remember ever seeing of a goalie in the off-season was a video of Chantal Burke catching arrows that somebody was shooting at her.

 

[Lindsay]

CHA posted a schedule for Penn State on Instagram. Non conference events:
SLU, BC, Holy Cross, Brown, D1 in DC, New Hampshire, Battle of the Burgh (?!), Cornell, LIU

Who are the D1 in DC teams this year? Ohio state and...

Lindenwood has 12 of 14 non conf games against WCHA teams wow. I wonder if that will be a standard thing in the future...

 

[mar7967]

CHA posted a schedule for Penn State on Instagram. Non conference events:
SLU, BC, Holy Cross, Brown, D1 in DC, New Hampshire, Battle of the Burgh (?!), Cornell, LIU

Who are the D1 in DC teams this year? Ohio state and...

Lindenwood has 12 of 14 non conf games against WCHA teams wow. I wonder if that will be a standard thing in the future...

Ohio State, PSU, Minnesota-Duluth, and St. Lawrence. Penn State is playing Minnesota Duluth in the first game (11/26) according to the schedule here: https://chawomenshockey.com/calendar.aspx?path=whockey&season=2021-22

 

[zambonidriver]

CHA posted a schedule for Penn State on Instagram. Non conference events:
SLU, BC, Holy Cross, Brown, D1 in DC, New Hampshire, Battle of the Burgh (?!), Cornell, LIU

Who are the D1 in DC teams this year? Ohio state and...

Lindenwood has 12 of 14 non conf games against WCHA teams wow. I wonder if that will be a standard thing in the future...

I am wondering if Lindenwood is starting to posture itself to join the WCHA?

 

[zambonidriver]

Ohio State, PSU, Minnesota-Duluth, and St. Lawrence. Penn State is playing Minnesota Duluth in the first game (11/26) according to the schedule here: https://chawomenshockey.com/calendar.aspx?path=whockey&season=2021-22

From what we have heard is that PSU will play UMD and OSU in DC.
Battle of the Burgh is SCSU, Syracuse, PSU, and BU

 

[ARM]

I am wondering if Lindenwood is starting to posture itself to join the WCHA?

From its first season, Lindenwood played a lot of WCHA games. I'm assuming that comparative proximity to those teams is the biggest reason.

 

[Lindsay]

From its first season, Lindenwood played a lot of WCHA games. I'm assuming that comparative proximity to those teams is the biggest reason.

True but I don’t think it’s ever been this extreme. I know 2017 - 2020 all CHA teams played more WCHA teams due to UND folding. I thought we would return to pre ‘17 like schedules with WCHA getting back to 8.

Instead this year, which may not be indicative of what the future holds, we see more WCHA than usual on Lindenwood, and less on Hurst. Just an observation, not drawing anything from it. I like Hurst’s schedule and Penn State having numerous Hockey East opponents will allow for some good comparisons.


Certainly a WCHA heavy schedule for Lindenwood makes sense due to geography, and perhaps budgets also incentivize this, and some of it may be a preference of Coach Looney who is now in her third year.

Addition of NEWHA to the D1 slate probably also plays a factor.

 

[Lindsay]

From what we have heard is that PSU will play UMD and OSU in DC.
Battle of the Burgh is SCSU, Syracuse, PSU, and BU

interesting. Preset opponents rather than seeing who wins game 1. To get the cross conference comparisons, this makes sense.

CHA needs to clarify the battle of the burg. Composite schedule has it taking place in November and January. I don’t see it on BU’s schedule but maybe I am reading stuff wrong. At any rate very exciting to see schedules with inter conference play again!

 

[zambonidriver]

interesting. Preset opponents rather than seeing who wins game 1. To get the cross conference comparisons, this makes sense.

CHA needs to clarify the battle of the burg. Composite schedule has it taking place in November and January. I don’t see it on BU’s schedule but maybe I am reading stuff wrong. At any rate very exciting to see schedules with inter conference play again!

Jan 1 and 2 Hotel is reserved

 

[ZedLeppelin]

This is what I have for the 2021-22 Penn State schedule, going by the CHA composite. All kinds of east teams in the non-conference matchups, and some good tests for Penn State.


(home) Sep. 23-24 vs St. Lawrence
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(home) Sep. 30/Oct.1 vs Boston College
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(home) Oct. 8-9 vs Holy Cross
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(away) Oct. 23-24 vs Brown
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(away) Oct. 29-30 vs Mercyhurst
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(home) Nov. 5-6 vs Lindenwood
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(away) Nov. 19-20 vs Syracuse
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(away) Nov. 26 vs UMD, Nov. 27 vs Ohio State (D1 in DC Tournament)
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(away) Dec. 9-10 vs New Hampshire
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(away) Jan. 1 vs St. Cloud, Jan. 2 vs Boston University (Battle In The 'Burgh Tournament)
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(home) Jan. 11 vs Cornell
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(away) Jan. 14-15 vs RIT
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(away) Jan. 21-22 vs Lindenwood
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(home) Jan. 28-29 vs Mercyhurst
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(home) Feb. 4-5 vs Syracuse
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(away) Feb. 8 vs Cornell
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(away) Feb. 11-12 vs LIU
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(home) Feb. 18-19 vs RIT
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CHA Tournament Feb. 24-26, hosted at regular season champion

 

[ARM]

Certainly a WCHA heavy schedule for Lindenwood makes sense due to geography, and perhaps budgets also incentivize this, and some of it may be a preference of Coach Looney who is now in her third year.

I'd guess that there is also a Covid factor, with a desire to reduce travel and especially flying. While hours and hours together in a bus would certainly be conducive to spreading the virus, it is at least a more-controlled bubble.