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2023-24 Penn State Nittany Lions

ZedLeppelin said:
Every game going forward could be the final NCAA game for Julie Gough, Maeve Connolly, Carrie Byrnes, Maggie MacEachern, and Alva Johnsson.
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According to the transfer portal tracker on GopherPuckLive, Maeve Connolly is in the transfer portal so she's looking for somewhere to play for her fifth year. I believe Byrnes is going to PA school and Gough, MacEachern and Johnsson are out of eligibility so definitely heading to their last game. Somewhat surprised Bothun isn't (yet?) in the transfer portal.

Unfortunately the CHA championship weekend comes during the beginning of PSU's spring break. Hoping the community turns out to support the team like they did last year for the championship game!
 
Connolly will be picked up by someone. She is a willing forechecker and plays a 200 ft game. I would not be surprised at all if s CHA rival picked her up for her fifth year.
 
Random Thoughts: I thought Kampersal was in the driver's seat for Coach of the year and then the RMU weekend happened and I was not so sure anymore. Kudos to the coaching staff on the award.

Janecke was a a no brainer.

Lobdell had a real nice year with 9 goals and leading the team in blocks.

I expect the game Saturday to be the usual nail biter with Mercyhurst.

Gough got healthy just in time.


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Reddington said:
I thought Kampersal was in the driver's seat for Coach of the year and then the RMU weekend happened and I was not so sure anymore. Kudos to the coaching staff on the award.
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He has established PSU as the team to beat in the CHA. That said, quite the comeback by RMU -- take a couple of years off and then finish comfortably in the top half of the league.
 
After one period of play in the CHA championship, Penn State is up 1-0 on a goal from Mya Vaslet. Shots on goal are 16-5 for Penn State, and Mercyhurst took the only two penalties.
 
Penn State wins the CHA championship!

Final score remained 1-0, final shots on goal were 46-24 for Penn State, and there were no more penalties after the first period. Penn State really controlled this game, keeping Mercyhurst from being able to set anything up, and keeping the play in the Mercyhurst half of the ice. Katie DeSa (and Mercyhurst's Ena Nystrom) had some great saves in net today.
 
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Congrats to Penn State. I watched most of it, and couldn’t believe the way Penn State had them penned in their zone. Not sure if that’s typical for a Penn State Mercyhurst game this year. First time back to back tourney champions since ‘14 and ‘15 I believe, when RIT did it.
 
Good attendance for students having break.

Vaslet keeps rolling.

Desa had had two shutouts in a row. That's amazing.

You can't leave out the d when it is a 1-0 game

On to the dance.
 
I'm wondering why Mike Sisti waited so long to pull Ena Nystrom. He had a chance to pull her a good 30 seconds earlier than he did, and Mercyhurst was buzzing in the Penn State zone.
 
It's obvious now, but they were getting chances. It's a game of inches two years in a row. Having three lines that can score has paid off big time.
 
The Tournament MVP was Desa. The goalie coach has paid dividends.

All tournament for Penn State were: Vaslet, Machado and Lobdell. Lobdell with four blocks and Machado with her relentless forecheck.
 
Vaslet is having a stupendous junior season:

2021-22 stats -- 5 goals, 2 assists, 7 points
2022-23 stats -- 3 goals, 9 assists, 12 points
2023-24 stats -- 16 goals, 10 assists, 26 points and the winning goal in the conference championship!

She hasn't (until Saturday!) been getting the attention that some of the other top forwards not named Janecke are getting but she's been doing a great job centering the third line.

Vaslet highlight video from Saturday: https://www.facebook.com/reel/409683478214373
 
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Penn State deserve this win ..Sisti teams have had trouble scoring when it matters for the last few years ..It didn’t help that his best defenseman (Pedersen ) was out with what I believe was a knee injury .Sisti started a forward ( Kromer) at D,and who did Vaslet beat for the goal Kromer .That is on Sisti..Mercyhurst chips more puck out of there D zone than any other team they I have watch in recent past ..What ever happened to puck possession..Oh that’s what Penn State does .
 
wcaps said:
Penn State deserve this win ..Sisti teams have had trouble scoring when it matters for the last few years ..It didn’t help that his best defenseman (Pedersen ) was out with what I believe was a knee injury .Sisti started a forward ( Kromer) at D,and who did Vaslet beat for the goal Kromer .That is on Sisti..Mercyhurst chips more puck out of there D zone than any other team they I have watch in recent past ..What ever happened to puck possession..Oh that’s what Penn State does .
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I'm not sure I would throw Kromer under the bus, the weak side d should have been rotating back. As far as Sisti, I'm sure he was playing matchup and he probably had his weakest defensive pair against the supposed third line. Vaslet is no third line player even though that is what she is asked to play on. Kampersal just rolls and the other teams match-up. It worked out for Kampersal this time.
 
And in a 1-0 game I think the concerns about scoring go both ways. At least 3 times Janecke fed a puck to where she thought there would be a player and there was no one there, misread by one of the 2 players. Scary defensively if your opponent snags that puck and gets going the other way.

Penn State speed really was the difference. Hoping the Lakers get over the hump next year. Unreal showing by Nystom, Ste Croix was making a push too.
 
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