UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's hockey team begins its 2019-20 regular season with a two-game nonconference series on the road in Worcester, Mass. against Holy Cross out of the Hockey East Association.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Penn State (0-0-0) vs. Holy Cross (0-1-0)
Dates: Friday, Sept. 27 | Saturday, Sept. 28
Times: 7:05 PM | 6:05 PM
Location: Hart Center Rink | Worcester, Mass.
Live Stats | Penn State Game Notes
A BRAND-NEW OPPONENT
This series matchup against the Crusaders is the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Holy Cross is a newly appointed Division I program in its second season in the Hockey East Association after making the jump from Division III. Holy Cross has one game under its belt already, a 4-1 loss to Colgate Saturday, Sept. 21.
LAST TIME OUT: DURHAM WEST
Penn State had a positive first outing in its 4-0 exhibition shutout of the Durham West Jr. Lightning. All the Nittany Lions goals were scored in the second and third periods.
Penn State had four different goal scorers in the outing and nine different skaters recorded points. Katie McMillan and Brooke Madsen led the team with two points (1G, 1A) each.
Junior goaltender Chantal Burke played all 60 minutes in net for Penn State and picked up the shutout with 10 saves. The Nittany Lions outshot the Lightning 51-10.
READY FOR A CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
The Nittany Lions feature a tough nonconference schedule in the 19-20 season to pair with their always competitive College Hockey America slate. PSU begins the season with two brand-new nonconference opponents on the road in Holy Cross and defending national champion Wisconsin.
The Nittany Lions also head to Vermont for the Windjammer Classic to face off with the University of Vermont Nov. 29. Another nonconference matchup will follow against either preseason #3 Clarkson or Minnesota State Mankato.
Preseason #7 Boston University, Providence (RV), and New Hampshire round out the nonconference slate before familiar CHA foes Syracuse (RV), Robert Morris (RV), Mercyhurst, RIT, and Lindenwood fill the rest of the 2019-20 schedule.
CHA PRESEASON POLL
Penn State was chosen fourth in the 2019-20 version of the College Hockey America Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Nittany Lions were selected behind preseason favorite Mercyhurst, Robert Morris, and defending CHA Tournament champion Syracuse while being placed ahead RIT and Lindenwood.
The Nittany Lions finished the 2018-19 season in fourth place and a CHA record of 6-9-5. That record was good for 13 points, which tied RIT in the standings, but a tiebreaker gave the fourth-seed advantage to Penn State.
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