March 1, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The fourth-seeded Penn State women's hockey team (9-20-5, 8-10-2 CHA) heads to the HarborCenter in Buffalo, N.Y., for a College Hockey America (CHA) First Round matchup against the fifth-seeded RIT Tigers (6-26-2, 4-14-2 CHA) on Thursday, March 2. Puck drop is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m. The winner will face either top-seeded Robert Morris or No. 2 seed Syracuse on Friday, March 3, either at 4 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
For the live stream, fans can purchase a tournament pass for $25.00 or a game-by-game feed for $12.00 via Stretch Internet. Live stats will be available for free via GoPSUsports.com.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for all five games of the College Hockey America Championship Weekend are to be priced at $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for students (with ID)/youth. Tickets can officially be purchased online through the KeyBank Arena Box Office.
SCOUTING RIT
The RIT Tigers ended the regular season with an overall record of 6-26-2 and a CHA record of 4-14-2. RIT finished fifth in the 2016-17 CHA regular season standings with 10 points. The Tigers closed out the regular season losing their last six games.
Offensively, sophomore Kendall Cornine leads the team in points (19) and goals scored (12). Fellow classmate Reagan Rust leads the team in assists with 11.
In net for the Tigers, freshman Terra Lanteigne has started 18 of 34 games on the season.
On the year, Lanteigne has a save percentage of .918, a goals against average of 2.72, tallied 570 saves, allowed 51 goals and has recorded two solo shutouts.
SERIES HISTORY VS. RIT
RIT leads the all-time series against Penn State, 12-11-3. The 2016-17 regular season featured Penn State posting a record of 3-0-1 against RIT.
In the last meeting between the two programs on Jan. 22, the two teams played to a 4-4 tie after Penn State rallied from a 4-0 deficit heading into the third period.
Last postseason, the Nittany Lions ousted the Tigers in the CHA First Round. With the 2016 CHA First Round still a best-of-three series, Penn State topped RIT, 2-0 and 3-2, to advance to the semifinal round of the CHA Tournament.
LAST TIME OUT: SYRACUSE
The Nittany Lions closed out the 2016-17 regular season with a pair of losses to Syracuse at home.
After the Nittany Lions cut the deficit to 2-1 just 25 seconds into the third on a short-handed goal from Amy Petersen, the Orange used a three-goal third period to capture a 5-1 victory.
On the Petersen tally, senior Laura Bowman netted the primary assist for her 32nd point of the season, which set a program record for points in a season.
Syracuse then tallied a 2-0 win over the Nittany Lions in the 2016-17 regular season finale.
CHA STANDINGS
With the 2016-17 regular season in the books, Robert Morris captured its first CHA regular season title with 32 points.
Syracuse finished second overall with 30 points followed by Mercyhurst (23), Penn State (18), RIT (10) and Lindenwood (7).
CHA TOURNAMENT INFO
The 2017 CHA Tournament is scheduled for March 2-4 inside the HARBORCENTER in Buffalo, N.Y.
The top two seeds will receive a bye in the CHA First Round, while the No. 3 seed takes on the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed plays the No. 5 seed. The lowest remaining seed will play the No. 1 seed during the CHA semifinal round.
Tickets can officially be purchased online through the KeyBank Arena Box Office.
Full tournament packages are available for adults and are $25. Single-session tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students with a valid ID and children.
Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m. each day with the second session of the first two days slated for 60 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
CHA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Heading into the 2017 CHA Tournament, the Nittany Lions have tallied a record of 4-4 in the CHA First Round and a record of 0-2 in the CHA Semifinal round.
Last season, the Syracuse Orange topped Penn State, 3-2, in a three-overtime contest, which is the eighth-longest game in Division I women's hockey history.
The two teams played for 116:10 minutes, which surpassed the CHA Tournament record for the longest game (108:04 - Lindenwood vs. Robert Morris - 2013).
BOWMAN FROM PETERSEN
During the 2016-17 season, Amy Petersen has assisted on 10 Laura Bowman goals. Last season, Petersen recorded an assist on 12 Bowman goals.
ECLIPSING THE CENTURY MARK
On Jan. 28, Laura Bowman recorded a two-assist performance to become the first Nittany Lion in program history to tally 100 career points.
Her second assist of the game came on an Amy Petersen goal during the third period of play. Bowman now has 61 goals and 43 assists to her name while donning the Blue & White.
At No. 8 Robert Morris on Feb. 17, Petersen became the second Nittany Lion to record 100 career points. Petersen tallied her 100th career point on an assist on a goal from Bowman in the first period of play. In her Nittany Lion career, Petersen has recorded 38 goals and 63 assists.
On Feb. 18 at No. 8 Robert Morris, Sutton became the 13th Nittany Lion in program history to skate in 100 career games.
AMONG THE BEST OF THE BEST
Among the nation's leaders heading into the weekend, Laura Bowman is tied for 15th in goals (18), is tied for 78th in assists (14), is tied for 30th in points (18-14--32), is ninth in shots on goal (159) and is fifth in faceoff wins (397).
Amy Petersen is tied for 38th in goals (14), is tied for 56th in assists (16), is tied for 42nd in points (14-16--30), is tied for third in short-handed goals (three) and is fourth in shot percentage (.200).
Brooke Madsen is tied for 12th among freshmen, and is tied for 78th, in assists (14). She is also tied for 15th in points among freshmen with 20 (6-14--20).
As a team, the Nittany Lions are 19th in the nation in power play goals scored with 21 and their power play percentage of 14.6 is 18th in the nation.
HAT, HAT, HAT TRICK
The Nittany Lions have tallied three hat tricks during the 2016-17 season, which included a pair of hat tricks in an 8-1 win over Union on Oct. 7. The Nittany Lions are one of eight teams to tally at least three hat tricks on the year.
Individually, Laura Bowman has recorded two hat tricks (Oct. 7 - Union & Dec. 4 - Robert Morris) and Amy Petersen has one hat trick on the year (Oct. 7 - Union). Bowman is one of 11 individuals to tally at least two hat tricks this season.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Compared to last season after 34 games, the 2016-17 Nittany Lions are +15 in goals for, +7 in power play goals, and +41 in points.
On the year, the Nittany Lions have netted 188 points, 73 goals, 115 assists, and 21 power play goals.
Heading into postseason action, Penn State has set program-records in points (188), goals (73) and assists (115).
The Nittany Lions are currently recording program-best numbers in points per game (5.53), goals per game (2.15) and assists per game (3.38)
The 2014-15 season featured the Nittany Lions tally program-best numbers in goals scored (72) and power play goals scored (22). The 2012-13 season featured Penn State post program-best numbers in points (174) and assists (105).
In 2016-17, Laura Bowman has set program records in goals scored (18) and total points (32).
During the 2012-13 season, Shannon Yoxheimer tallied a program-record 31 points on 14 goals and 17 assists and then in 2014-15, Bowman netted 31 points on 16 goals and 15 assists.
CHA HONORS
On the year, six Nittany Lions have combined for 10 CHA weekly awards and a pair of CHA monthly honors.
Senior Laura Bowman was named the CHA Player of the Week on Dec. 5 and garnered CHA Player of the Month honors for Sept./Oct.
Classmate Amy Petersen was named the CHA Player of the Week twice this season (Oct. 10 & Nov. 7).
Three Nittany Lion freshmen have been named CHA Rookie of the Week. Brooke Madsen (Oct. 10), Katie McMillan (Nov. 7) and Daniela Paniccia (Oct. 24) have received CHA Rookie of the Week honors this season.
Along with her CHA Rookie of the Week honors, Paniccia has been named the CHA Goalie of the Week three times (Oct. 31, Nov. 14 & Jan. 2) and the CHA Goalie of the Month for Sept./Oct.
Following a pair of victories at Lindenwood, junior netminder Hannah Ehresmann was tabbed the CHA Goalie of the Week on Feb. 13.
FUTURE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State women's hockey head coach Josh Brandwene announced the signing of six future Penn State student-athletes to National Letters of Intent Wednesday, Nov. 16. Natalie Heising (Maple Grove, Minn.), Cam Leonard (Cary, N.C.), Shea Nelson (Evanston, Ill.), Katie Rankin (Kanata, Ontario), Morgan Rolph (Mitchell, Ontario) and Sophie Slattery (Edina, Minn.) will be on campus for the 2017-18 season.
HEISING WINS GOLD
Incoming Nittany Lion Natalie Heising and the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team defeated Canada, 3-1, to capture its third-straight IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship on Jan. 14. Heising, a forward from Maple Grove, Minn., was named one of Team USA's three top players of the tournament.
NIELSEN NAMED HOCKEY HUMANITARIAN AWARD NOMINEE
Senior Sarah Nielsen has been nominated for the 2017 Hockey Humanitarian Award, as announced by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation on Thursday, Jan. 19.
Nielsen is one of 15 student-athletes, and one of five female student-athletes, nominated for the award. She joins David Goodwin of the Penn State men's hockey program on the nominee list.
PRESEASON POLL
The Penn State women's hockey team was selected fourth in the CHA Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference office Sept. 19.
2016-17 CAPTAINS
Laura Bowman was named the captain of the 2016-17 Nittany Lions, while Kelsey Crow and Amy Petersen were named alternate captains.
DYNAMIC DUO
Nittany Lion linemates Laura Bowman and Amy Petersen return to the Blue and White for their senior season in 2016-17. During their junior seasons, Bowman tallied 25 points (17g, 8a) and Petersen recorded a career-best 29 points (8g, 21a).
Last season, Petersen recorded an assist on 12 Bowman goals. Petersen closed out her junior year with 18 points over the final 16 games and Bowman ended the year with four-straight games with a goal.
2015-16 RECAP
The Nittany Lions finished the 2015-16 season with an overall record of 12-19-6 and a record of 6-8-6 in CHA play. Penn State finished third in CHA regular season standings, its best finish in program history.
Penn State tallied a record of 5-2-1 during the month of January last season.
In the first-ever meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Boston University Terriers, Penn State topped the No. 7/8 Terriers, 5-3, for its third win in program history over a ranked team.
In the all-time record books, Laura Bowman scored a single-season program-record 17 goals, she also tied a single-season program-best six power play goals scored and Amy Petersen recorded a single-season program-best 21 assists.
THE 2016-17 SLATE
The Nittany Lions will play 34 games over the course of the 2016-17 regular season, which includes 16 home games inside the Pegula Ice Arena.
The 2016-17 schedule features the 2014 NCAA champion Clarkson Golden Knights (Sept. 30-Oct. 1), the second-ever series against Boston University (Oct. 14-15), a home series against Ohio State (Jan. 6-7) and the Nittany Lions close out the regular season at home against Syracuse (Feb. 24-25).
NEXT UP
Pending a Penn State victory on Thursday and the winner of the Mercyhurst-Lindenwood game, the Nittany Lions will play either the No. 1 seed Robert Morris or the No. 2 seed Syracuse on Friday in the CHA semifinal round.
If Mercyhurst wins, the Nittany Lions will play No. 1 seed Robert Morris at 4 p.m. and if Lindenwood wins, Penn State will play No. 2 seed Syracuse at 7:30 p.m.