UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 10th-ranked Penn State women's ice hockey team faces off against eighth-ranked Quinnipiac in their first NCAA tournament appearance in the first round of the Columbus, Ohio regional on Thursday, March 9 at 6 p.m.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Date: Thursday, March 9
Place: Ohio State Ice Rink | Columbus, Ohio
Time: 6 p.m.
B1G+: Thursday (FREE)
Tickets: Thursday
Live Statistics: Thursday
Game Notes: Penn State (PDF)
HISTORY
- This will be the sixth meeting between the two teams as Quinnipiac leads the series 4-0-1. The last time the two teams faced each other occurred in the 2016-17 season when Quinnipiac defeated Penn State 2-1 on December 30, 2016.
QUINNIPI WHO?
- Quinnipiac is making their fourth NCAA tournament appearance and will be the second under head coach Cassandra Turner. The Bobcats ended the season with a 29-9 record as they fell in the semifinal matchup to Colgate in the ECAC Tournament.
CORREIA NEAR 100
- Graduate student Courtney Correia is approaching 100 career points. The Whitby, Ont. native currently has 97 points off 43 goals and 54 assists.
- This season, Correia has tallied 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points.
HOW'S A HAT-TRICK IN THE PLAYOFFS?
- Tessa Janecke tallied her first collegiate hat-trick in Saturday's 7-1 victory over Lindenwood in the CHA semifinals.
- She is the second Nittany Lion in program history as Natalie Heising accomplished that record in 2019-20 against RIT.
- Janecke currently sits second on the team in points with 47 including 22 goals and 25 assists.
KIARA TOP 10
- Forward Kiara Zanon was named by USA Hockey as one of 10 finalists for the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
- This is the second time in her career that's been named a finalist for the player of the year honor. The full list of 2023 finalists can be found via the Patty Kazmaier award website.
- Zanon's third season as a Nittany Lion was an historic one in 2022-23. She broke Natalie Heising's record in single season goals which was 21 as she's currently recorded 25 this season. The Fairport, N.Y., native leads the nation with five shorthanded goals. On Jan. 13 against RIT, the forward equaled and surpassed the 100-career point mark as she scored back-to-back shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill. She hit the mark faster than any Nittany Lion in program history.
- Zanon also broke her own single season program record in points from a season ago which was 41 as she's tallied 48 so far. She is a three-time CHA Forward of the Week recipient and captured two CHA Forward of the Month honors. The Fairport, N.Y. native also was named the 2023 CHA Player of the Year and CHA Scoring Champion.
- Off the ice, she has performed community service efforts including reading to kindergarten students at Young Scholars Charter School, was a buddy at Night to Shine (prom night experience for people with disabilities) of the Tim Tebow Foundation, volunteered at the Pink Zone opening ceremony for breast cancer awareness, and helped run and coach young girls' hockey clinics and camps in Rochester, N.Y.
- An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually presented to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey. Selection criteria includes outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness, and a love of hockey. Consideration is also given to academic achievement and civic involvement.
- The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman at Princeton University from 1981-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.
CHA TOURNAMENT CHAMPS
- The Nittany Lions secured their first CHA Tournament championship in program history in Saturday's 2-1 overtime win against Mercyhurst.
- Goalie Josie Bothun was named CHA Tournament MVP as she allowed just three goals in the entire three game tournament. Three other Nittany Lions were also named to the All-Tournament team including Gough, Izzy Heminger and Eleri MacKay.
- Julie Gough scored the game-winning goal 5:19 into the OT period.
- Head coach Jeff Kampersal will make his third NCAA tournament appearance and first at Penn State.
ALL-CHA TAKEAWAYS
- Penn State had five student-athletes named to All-CHA teams this season.
- Three Nittany Lions made the All-CHA First Team including Tessa Janecke, Izzy Heminger and Kiara Zanon.
- Lyndie Lodbell was named to All-CHA second team while Janecke and Kendall Butze each were named to the CHA Rookie Team.
- Janecke was also named CHA Rookie of the Year while Heminger was named CHA Best Defenseman and Kiara Zanon took the top prize of Player of the Year.
- Head coach Jeff Kampersal also captured his second CHA Coach of the Year honor.
MACKAY HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE
- Graduate student Eleri MacKay is the only Nittany Lion on the team who has had a taste of the NCAA tournament in her career.
- At Colgate, the forward has made two appearances at the NCAA tournament in 2022 and in 2021.
- In both games she played, the Raiders lost in overtime to Minnesota Duluth and Yale.
- She still looks for her first points at the NCAA's on Thursday.
Get all of the latest updates on Penn State women's ice hockey by following @PennStateWHKY on Twitter, "liking" the Penn State Women's Ice Hockey page on Facebook and following @pennstatewhky on Instagram.