2026-27 Penn State Nittany Lions

[fanofhockey]

I am looking forward to the upcoming Penn State season. The coaches have done an excellent recruiting job over the last few years and the pipeline of talent in the upcoming classes appears capable to keep this team ranked high nationally. The goalies will have to step up and fill the void with Desa graduating. However, the returning skaters already have depth and should help continue the run of conference championships and national title contenders.

 

[ZedLeppellin]

...the pipeline of talent in the upcoming classes appears capable to keep this team ranked high nationally.

It does look like Jeff Kampersal and staff have done a great job with recruiting, for sure. The incoming freshman class looks to have some real talent, and it's going to be fun to watch them develop their game at D-1.

The goalies will have to step up and fill the void with Desa graduating.

It would've been nice for Maddy Campbell to get more looks as a freshman last season, but I get it - Kampersal had to keep Katie DeSa primed for tournament time. Campbell didn't really face anything much, so she's going to have to beat Morgan Stickney for the starter job, and I think Stickney has just as good a chance at that spot.

...the returning skaters already have depth and should help continue the run of conference championships and national title contenders.

That's a big plus, having returning players who know what it takes to win a conference title, and then advancing in the national tournament, too. That experience is priceless for a team with only one senior (transfer) and eight incoming freshmen.

Having lost a very talented senior class, I still don't see anything keeping Penn State from another AHA title and run in the national tournament. Mercyhurst is always a challenge, especially at tournament time, but they seem to be in a rebuilding phase. Brian Idalski taking over at Syracuse is very interesting, and I hope he elevates that program, but probably not in his first year. RIT seemed like they were going to really move up last season, and they've been slowly doing that, so we'll see what Celeste Brown can do with them this year. Lindenwood, Robert Morris, and Delaware are all works in progress and have a long way to go.

 

[Reddington]

It's time to put last season in the books, although I did see Roberts received another schoolwide award. The PSU women's hockey social media has tanked again as that person must have graduated and the incoming class is not getting the attention they deserve. And yes, it is a giant group of new players.

Campbell did look good last year.

Outwater has the record for most goals as a frosh and then again as soph. And yes you are reading that right - more than Janecke. And BTW, someone will say it's because she played with Janecke and no she never was on Janecke's line.