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2025-26 Penn State Nittany Lions

I think it will be more memorable than fun for the players. Coach Newkirk sure looks cold in that photo. But, I don't think it is lost on the players and coaches that is momentous getting to play in Beaver Stadium. And the team will be minus three Olympians so the game plan will have to be a bit different. The game presents a great photo op for the program. I wonder if the Lion Mascot will have to appear.
 
No score after the first period of the outdoor game at Beaver Stadium. The puck is moving like it's a wwwwwwet rrrrrrrrrrag, too, and that's really changing the usual look of Penn State's quick game. I don't know how you adjust your game for that. It is what it is...I hope they're having fun!
 
Penn State takes the win outdoors 3-0, on goals from McKenna Walsh, Grace Outwater, and Maddy Christian. Shots on goal were 42-13 for Penn State. Tomorrow they're back inside Pegula Ice Arena for game two.
 
Good to see Desa got to play in the program's first outdoor game ever. Great on the attendance record. It's a big weekend in Happy Valley with men's wrestling tonight at the big arena and men's hockey tomorrow at Beaver Stadium. Walsh is stepping up and hopefully can build on this.
 
I hadn't bothered looking at the AHA standings in a while, so when I looked this morning and saw Lindenwood in third place, I almost had to call my cardiologist. Say what? Lindenwood? How did that happen?

Everyone except Mercyhurst has two regular season series left (Mercyhurst has one). Penn State and Mercyhurst have already locked up regular season first and second place, Delaware has locked up last place, so 3, 4, 5, and 6 are still to be decided, with 12 points up for grabs. Here are the standings and points as of this morning:

Penn State - (58 points)
Mercyhurst - (45 points)
Lindenwood - (30 points)
RIT - (29 points)
Syracuse - (28 points)
Robert Morris - (21 points)
Delaware - (thanks for playing)

I guess the only real surprise would be if anyone is really surprised that the middle of the AHA pack is a crapshoot at the end of the regular season. I kind of feel for Robert Morris, because they were solid when their school threw them under the bus and cut the program after the 2020-21 season (they won the conference championship that year). I haven't followed any other programs this season, but I still expect RIT to end up in third place.
 
I would have been shocked to see Lindenwood in third also. I had taken a gander recently on Mercyhurst's total win total and they should finish the regular season at about 22 wins. RIT had a better first half of the season and has tailed off recently.

Penn State dropped to #5 in the USA Today poll and were jumped in the standings by Quinnipiac. Update Quinnipiac just lost two this weekend including one to SLU.

Walsh had another goal and Kampersal has reverted to his tendencies of playing one goalie.
 
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I think RMU has more wins this year than last so they seem to be trending in the right direction. Not sure how much of that is getting 4 games vs a brand new program. Agreed it was foolish for the administration to reset their program like this but glad they are back.
 
Shane gets her first collegiate goal. Butze sets the record for most pts by a Penn State D, eclipsing Lobdell. Lobdell has found her footing in the PWHL and is now getting 15 minutes a game. I think Butze can follow in her footsteps. Roberts, Outwater and Christian continue to put up pts. PSU is closing in on 30 wins.
 
Thanks for sharing! I guess Penn State did take advantage of the photo op. And the Nittany Lion Mascot did have to attend.
 
This weekend is the final weekend of the AHA regular season, and tournament seeding for numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6 are up for grabs (Delaware is locked at #7). Penn State and Mercyhurst have already secured the #1 and #2 spots.

The current standings are almost comical (but typical) after #1 and #2:
-- RIT is third with 32 points
-- Syracuse is fourth with 31 points
-- Lindenwood is fifth with 30 points
-- Robert Morris is sixth with 27 points.

There are a total of 6 points available this weekend, and too many "if this/then that" scenarios to bother figuring all of them out. Just another end of the season in the AHA.
 
Alvarez and Pickering are 1 and 2 in scoring for RIT. Mercyhurst has quietly had a good year. It is to bad that two of their players bolted or it is likely that there would be two AHA teams in the top ten.
 
Vaslet appears to be out. Christian has been moved to center. it looks like it has worked so far for PSU as Christian has put up PSU 1-0.

Found this on asst coach Wakefield.

thehockeynews.com

Wakefield Using Career Of Experience And Expertise To Guide NCAA Prospects At Penn State

Jennifer Wakefield has gone from Olympic gold medalist with Team Canada, to imparting her career worth of knowledge on the next generation as a coach at Penn State. She's adding value to a burgeoning program, and loving every minute of it.
thehockeynews.com thehockeynews.com
 
I had a feeling that they were going to drop a game during the Olympics. It's just felt like the focus has dimmed just a little bit the last couple of weeks. Hopefully this is the jolt that refocuses them again for the stretch run. Thankfully, at least for today, it hasn't cost them a QF home game in the NCAAs.
 
Bad loss, however, Celeste is a hyper driven coach and obviously had RIT ready to play. The crazy thing is it was not Alvarez or Pickering leading the way and RIT received down the line production.

Vaslet missing the game did not help.

Stecker needs to move to offense with all the players missing and maybe even in the playoffs. She is an excellent defender no doubt, however she is arguably the best fore checker on the team.

Stecker Vaslet Walsh as a shutdown/fore checking line for the playoffs. Janecke is a fantastic forechecker also, but PSU needs her goal scoring.

Put Shane with your best D, whomever that might be and move Stecker to offense.

I found it interesting that the Keller Christian Outwater line was broken up. That line has been producing big time.

PSU usually turns it around the next game after a late Friday game so the above might be overthinking. Kampersal has a history of making the right adjustments in game 2.
 
spwood said:
I had a feeling that they were going to drop a game during the Olympics. It's just felt like the focus has dimmed just a little bit the last couple of weeks. Hopefully this is the jolt that refocuses them again for the stretch run. Thankfully, at least for today, it hasn't cost them a QF home game in the NCAAs.
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How in the world do you lose to the 24th team in the country and not drop.
The system is flawed.
 
BuckyB said:
How in the world do you lose to the 24th team in the country and not drop.
The system is flawed.
Click to expand...
Maybe because the #5 team, immediately behind #4 Penn State, has a loss to the #29 team (as well as a loss to Penn State head-to-head).

And the #6 team has a loss to the #41 team, the #26 team, and two losses to the #5 team.

Etc, etc, etc.
 
robertearle said:
Maybe because the #5 team, immediately behind #4 Penn State, has a loss to the #29 team (as well as a loss to Penn State head-to-head).

And the #6 team has a loss to the #41 team, the #26 team, and two losses to the #5 team.

Etc, etc, etc.
Click to expand...
Bottom line after the top 3….. ehhhh.
Nobody has anything dominant
 
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