2022-23 Penn State women’s hockey series grades: Colgate
It was a weekend of heartbreak for the Nittany Lions, as No. 11 Penn State dropped both games against No. 6 Colgate with back-to-back late third-period collapses.
Game 1 saw the Raiders and Nittany Lions tied with under a minute to go in the third period before Danielle Serdachny shoved a loose puck right in front between the legs of goaltender Josie Bothun to win the game for Colgate.
Game 2 was another contest tied late into the third period until an odd-man rush with exactly one minute to go ended in a goal for the Raiders off the stick of Elyssa Biederman.
Here are the grades from a heart-wrenching series.
Offense: C-
Credit must be given to the Penn State offense, as it became the first team to score all year on the Colgate Raiders, who came into the series outscoring their opponents 10-0.
However, the Nittany Lions only put up 38 total shots this series, which was less than the number of shots the Raiders had in game 2 alone.
It was clear how suffocating the Colgate defense was, especially in the second game, where the Nittany Lions would only put up 10 shots through two periods.
The blue and white were lucky to even have a goal in game 2, with Lyndie Lobdell sneaking one by Hannah Murphy to even the score.
Scoring has always been an issue for the Nittany Lions, but putting up a lot of shots is a given. Instead, Penn State sputtered all weekend long.
Defense: D+
The defense was a sore spot once again, not only with the number of breaks the Raiders had throughout the series but the number of total shots and chances in high-danger spots.
The Nittany Lions gave up 68 shots this weekend, 29 in the opening game and 39 in game 2. If the shot totals weren’t bad enough, both of Colgate’s game-winning goals came on massive defensive breakdowns.
Game 1 saw Serdachny all alone out in front with no one to stop her from shoving the puck past Bothun.
Game 2 was much more frustrating. The Nittany Lions had four defenders back on the rush, yet each one of them chased the puck instead of the other players, leading to a wide-open net for Biederman.
Penn State needs to make massive changes on defense if they want to compete with the top programs in the nation.
Goaltending: A+
It’s starting to sound like a broken record, but Josie Bothun was the best player for the Nittany Lions.
Bothun stopped 26 of 29 shots in game 1 and looked like her old self, stopping nearly all of Colgate’s high-danger chances.
Nothing would compare to her performance in game 2, but with 37 saves on 39 shots and making some incredible acrobatic saves in the process.
If not for Bothun, Penn State could have lost by a dozen in both contests.
Coaching: D
Jeff Kampersal is one of the winningest coaches in women’s hockey history, yet he was outcoached yet again against the Raiders.
The Nittany Lions struggled to find any offense, no matter which line combinations Kampersal sent out on the ice.
Even when the blue and white had the power play, they only capitalized once on eight attempts in the series, losing several chances to swing momentum in their favor.
While the penalty kill was seven for eight in the series, discipline continues to be an issue for the Nittany Lions, averaging around four penalties per game.
When you give your opponents so many opportunities to take control of the game, it’s nearly impossible for you to come away with a victory.
Joshua Bartosik is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jsb6137@psu.edu.
