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2025-26 Penn State Nittany Lions

Well, Penn State got it back to 3-2 on third period goals from Grace Outwater and Mya Vaslet, but it wasn't enough...Northeastern hands Penn State their first loss of the season, 3-2. Shots on goal ended at 36-18 for Penn State, and penalties were 2-2.

Nothing lacking in Penn State's game, so credit to Northeastern for making adjustments after a bit of a lackluster first period. Maddy Campbell looked great in net in the third period.
 
The goalie change for the second game at RIT and the switch to Desa after the first and now the reverse to Campbell. The eyebrows have to be raised. Vaslet is rounding into form and Outwater just keeps getting it done.
 
PSU salvaged a split with a resounding 5-1 win. Desa was back in the net and gave up another early one, but battened down and finished at a .96 save percentage. Scoring was from up and down the lineup including Lum. The fifth yearers, Vaslet and Lum each scored this weekend. A split is better than getting swept, but PSU needs to be better in game one of any series. Penalties need to be cleaned up.
 
RIT v Delaware. The former two PSU coaches vs the former PSU coach and former PSU player. The Kampersal PSU coaching tree. His former assistant at Princeton is now a gm in the PWHL.
 
Since we're officially into the holiday break, here's a look at AHA conference standings:

36 points - Penn State (12 AHA games played)
22 points - RIT (14 AHA games played)
21 points - Mercyhurst (12 AHA games played)
21 points - Robert Morris (14 AHA games played)
14 points - Lindenwood (12 AHA games played)
13 points - Syracuse (12 AHA games played)
05 points - Delaware (12 AHA games played)

With three points for a conference win, things are tight with second, third, and fourth place standings...maybe even fifth, if Lindenwood decides to get consistent. Syracuse really dropped off, and RIT? In second place? Ahead of Mercyhurst? To be fair, RIT has played two more conference games than Mercyhurst has, and is only a point up, so looks are a little deceiving there.

For Penn State to slip out of first place, they will have to drop five conference games somewhere in the remaining schedule, and someone else will have to have a hell of a run. Penn State is probably the only team this season who can stop Penn State from hanging a fourth consecutive regular season banner.

Penn State plays Cornell on December 30 at home, thankfully - thankfully, because three days later they travel to Ohio State for a weekend series. I don't like a short turn-around like that, especially when it also involves travel, but it is what it is. Ohio State will be coming off nearly a month of holiday break. It's a non-conference series, so it doesn't really matter, but it would be nice to see Penn State take at least one of the games from Ohio State.
If we're being honest, Penn State - good as they are - is not at the caliber of Ohio State, so...if nothing else, it will be good for Penn State to play a team that's at that level before getting back into the remainder of the conference schedule. How much would you trip if Jeff Kampersal decides to start freshman goalie Maddy Campbell in net instead of Katie DeSa? I don't know if I would care...it's non-conference, no points to lose, and Campbell looks like his choice to replace DeSa next season, so let her get a baptism by fire, right?
 
Great stats Zed. I think Kampersal is taking the non-conference very seriously. I don't know what was up with the whole Campbell thing. Desa will be graduating and Campbell won't, but there is another goalie coming in from Shattuck and PSU has been going to the well with Shattuck. Campbell looks good. I'd like to see both reserve goalies get some time and not necessarily for a whole game.

PSU has beaten Wisconsin and Minnesota while Janecke has been at PSU so why not OSU?
 
Well, to be very honest, the most important games of the season are against Cornell and Ohio State. They are not throw-away games. That is where Penn State needs to make a statement to really see how good they are.
 
Desa has been racking up the awards. The team can go as far as Desa takes them. Janecke had a goal with USA hockey last night and continues to make Penn Staters proud. I agree with Bartowski although it is never smart to look past archrival Mercyhurst.

Great link for tickets.
 
Butze is having a nice senior year - second in d scoring with 17 pts and first in blocks with 32. I think she will be following Lobdell to the PWHL and she is kind of following Lobdell 's progression of ending up as a complete d.
 
Holiday break is over, and Penn State is back on the ice tomorrow night for a one-off with #10 Cornell at Pegula Ice Arena. Game time is 6:00 Eastern and streaming on BTN+. They've been off for a full month, so it will be good for them to get back into it. This probably would've been a better "measuring stick" game before the break, but both teams have been off, so at least they're on the same page. It's just good to see them back on the ice...should be fun!

BTN+ Video: https://www.bigtenplus.com/en-int/livestream/10-cornell-at-4-penn-state/2016384
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=608334
 
The ECAC with their befuddling Tuesday night games. Penn State has a challenging 6 game stretch coming up with Cornell, OSU x2, Cornell and then Mercyhurst x 2. The high ranking is on the line. I am expecting a 2-1 shot disparity over Cornell, but Bergemans is a brick wall. PSU has a pretty good goalie too with Desa.
 
No Outwater..... I wonder what's going on with her. PSU fan has been banging the drum on Fantin and Fantin pots the game winner in a 1-0 win. PSU was outshot by three. Janecke with three straight faceoff wins against three different players as the Cornell coach was searching for somebody that could win it against Janecke in the last 90 seconds. Maddy Christian with an assist and 6 blocks.
 
I missed the game, but the stats say it was a close one. I did see replays of Matilde Fantin's goal - what a rocket. She looked like she knew she scored before the light even lit up.
 
PSU was handled easily by OSU 5-1. Kampersal usually has the team better prepared for game 2, so tomorrow will be telling. Campbell comes in again in the third period after Desa shuts out Cornell, but gave up five in two periods against OSU. Campbell didn't give up any goals in the third. The d is going to have to lock it down more tomorrow and the offense can't get by on a goal a game.
 
Reddington said:
PSU was handled easily by OSU 5-1. Kampersal usually has the team better prepared for game 2, so tomorrow will be telling. Campbell comes in again in the third period after Desa shuts out Cornell, but gave up five in two periods against OSU. Campbell didn't give up any goals in the third. The d is going to have to lock it down more tomorrow and the offense can't get by on a goal a game.
Click to expand...
Who exactly is going to provide the offense ?
The team was exposed plain and simple.
 
My eyebrows were raised when Cornell outshot PSU and evidently it carried over to three days later. OSU is good though.
 
The games this weekend were gritty with both teams no stranger to the penalty box and both had majors and ejections. I thought Penn State played much better Saturday but the timing of the 5 minute major was unfortunate for Penn State allowing two Ohio State goals and a lead they maintained. The final score was misleading, if not for the goals from the major it looked like the game would have been tight.
Good luck to you the rest of the season and hope to see you back in Columbus for the regionals.
 
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