What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

2023-24 Penn State Nittany Lions

After one period of play, it's 0-0 vs RIT. Shots on goal are 12-7 for Penn State, and Penn State took the only penalty late in the period.
 
After two, Penn State is up 2-0 on goals from Mya Vaslet and Maggie MacEachern. Shots on goal are 38-11 for Penn State, and RIT took the only penalty. That period was all Penn State, and included some highlight saves from Katie DeSa and a disallowed Katie Roberts goal on a quick whistle.
 
Robert Morris has apparently gelled as the season has gone on and is up 2-0 on Mercyhurst. Goals from Snow and ex Laker Jersey Phillips.

Vaslet has been rolling lately.
 
Penn State wins game one by a score of 2-1. This game was all Penn State, but RIT still didn't make it easy. Game two is tomorrow at 1:00 (Eastern) and also streaming on BTN+. In the other semifinal game, Robert Morris beat Mercyhurst 5-0...say what?
 
Desa with two games in a row with 1 goal against. The trend is in the right direction Shot total on RiT was impressive, but not enough production for that total. RIT is tough to put away. If you don't knock them out, they seem to hang around and around.

​​​​​Mercyhurst getting blown out is a bit of a shocker.

Hopefully, the attendance is better Saturday.
 
Last edited:
Reddington said:
Desa with two games in a row with 1 goal against. The trend is in the right direction.
Click to expand...

Katie DeSa looked great in net yesterday, and she had a couple highlight reel saves. She doesn't seem nearly as prone to freezing the puck as Josie Bothun was, which I kind of like. If there's anything positive program-wise about losing Bothun, it's that DeSa took over late in the season when she's had to face teams already seasoned and on their game, so she stepped right into the fire and is doing well.

Reddington said:
Shot total on RiT was impressive, but not enough production for that total. RIT is tough to put away. If you don't knock them out, they seem to hang around and around.
Click to expand...

Celeste Brown got herself a good one in this goalie, Sophia Bellina. The announcers mentioned her aggressiveness, and Penn State could use that if they got more players in position for rebounds, as Bellina really commits to the initial shot. Well, just look at Mya Vaslet's goal...she took the shot, Bellina went all in but kicked out the rebound right back to Vaslet, and she buried it for the goal. She faced a lot of shots, but not really a lot of challenging shots, because Penn State wasn't clogging up the crease.

Reddington said:
Hopefully, the attendance is better Saturday.
Click to expand...

And it would be nice to see the school band show up for a tournament. It's embarrassing to see RIT's band at Penn State, and Penn State can't send their own band to a home ice tournament.
 
ZedLeppelin said:
Penn State wins game one by a score of 2-1. This game was all Penn State, but RIT still didn't make it easy. Game two is tomorrow at 1:00 (Eastern) and also streaming on BTN+. In the other semifinal game, Robert Morris beat Mercyhurst 5-0...say what?
Click to expand...

1-0 at the end of the 2nd. Grrr. Hopefully next game goes Lakers way.
 
ZedLeppelin said:
Katie DeSa looked great in net yesterday, and she had a couple highlight reel saves. She doesn't seem nearly as prone to freezing the puck as Josie Bothun was, which I kind of like. If there's anything positive program-wise about losing Bothun, it's that DeSa took over late in the season when she's had to face teams already seasoned and on their game, so she stepped right into the fire and is doing well.



Celeste Brown got herself a good one in this goalie, Sophia Bellina. The announcers mentioned her aggressiveness, and Penn State could use that if they got more players in position for rebounds, as Bellina really commits to the initial shot. Well, just look at Mya Vaslet's goal...she took the shot, Bellina went all in but kicked out the rebound right back to Vaslet, and she buried it for the goal. She faced a lot of shots, but not really a lot of challenging shots, because Penn State wasn't clogging up the crease.



And it would be nice to see the school band show up for a tournament. It's embarrassing to see RIT's band at Penn State, and Penn State can't send their own band to a home ice tournament.
Click to expand...
Great point. Two games this year, can they make it three?

Good point by Lindsay on Mercyhurst. I'm not counting out Sisti's ability to make adjustments.


​​​​​​
 
Attendance should be better today -- Friday afternoon games are hard (adults are at work, kids are in school), but Saturday attendance has been strong all season. I completely agree with Zed about the band. This is playoff hockey, the band should be there!!
 
After one, it's 1-0 Penn State on a goal from Tessa Janecke, her 100th career point. Shots on goal are 11-10 for RIT, thanks to three Penn State penalties, including a five-minute game misconduct on Mya Vaslet.
 
PSU is up 3-0 now. Mercyhurst just went up 2-0. It looks like a game three for RMU and Mercyhurst. Gough got back just in time for the playoff push.
 
After two, Penn State is up 3-0 on goals from Julie Gough and Lyndie Lobdell. Shots on goal are 26-16 for Penn State. RIT took the only 2 penalties of the period.

(Mercyhurst is up 2-0 on Robert Morris after the first period.)
 
ZedLeppelin said:
After two, Penn State is up 3-0 on goals from Julie Gough and Lyndie Lobdell. Shots on goal are 26-16 for Penn State. RIT took the only 2 penalties of the period.

(Mercyhurst is up 2-0 on Robert Morris after the first period.)
Click to expand...

Alva Johnson is quite the screen in front of the net on Gough's goal. I'm glad Kampersal has recognized that RIT's are no match for that size. If you have to double Alva now there are 3 screening the goal.

On another note, I'm not sure how Lobdell was not second team CHA and how Retrum being up for national frosh of the year didn't make CHA rookie of the year. Alas sometimes it is tough to figure out those awards.
 
Penn State wins their CHA semifinal series by a score of 4-0 on an empty-netter from Maddy Christian. Shots on goal were 37-23 for Penn State.

Mercyhurst and Robert Morris are tied 2-2 after two periods.
 
Last edited:
Robert Morris is giving Mercyhurst everything they can handle

21 wins in the books. All that is left is winning one more and getting to the dance.

Mercyhurst or RMU are not gimmies.

The Christian girl has had a nice second half of the season.

And Upson Boucher and Johanson lead Mercyhurst to force a game 3.
 
Last edited:
The Penn State band did, in fact, show up this afternoon but props to the RIT band they were being loud to the very end. Nice dominant win by Penn State and great to see Tessa finally get her 100th point. Retrum made a point of collecting that puck as soon as Tessa scored the goal and Tessa got a very loud cheer when the 100th point milestone was announced.
 
Awesome milestone on 100 pts and the GWG to boot. The band makes a difference and changes the atmosphere. No doubt if RMU can get a band to their home games, PSU should be able to also. RIT turned it up a notch with the band showing up to an away game.
 
Mercyhurst is looking like they will advance, they are currently up 5-0 midway through the second. RMU made great strides this year.
 
For the second year in a row, Penn State and Mercyhurst will play at Pegula Ice Arena for the CHA championship and a trip to the national tournament. Game time is 2:00 (Eastern) next Saturday, March 2, and thankfully it will be streamed on BTN+ (and, being CHA, also on BloHockey...errrr, FloHockey). Mercyhurst beat Robert Morris 6-1 in game three of their semifinal matchup yesterday.

I'm so glad the CHA went to this best-of-three semifinal tournament format rather than the old one-and-done they were doing. This current format does a much better job of getting the best two teams into the championship game. I also like that they no longer cram one-game quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship all into a single weekend.

Penn State went 3-1 against Mercyhurst this season. They each had a 4-0 shutout on the other, and a third game went to overtime, so there's no clear favorite next weekend. Obviously, Penn State has home ice, but the overtime game against Mercyhurst this year was a home game for Penn State, so home ice doesn't mean an automatic win. Mercyhurst will be coming for payback after last season's championship loss to Penn State, and they'll have a head of steam after crushing Robert Morris yesterday. Penn State sophomore goalie Katie DeSa will be getting tested, but she was in net for Penn State's 4-0 and 3-2 OT wins over Mercyhurst three weeks ago.

Every game going forward could be the final NCAA game for Julie Gough, Maeve Connolly, Carrie Byrnes, Maggie MacEachern, and Alva Johnsson.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top