Offensive Outburst Leads to Series Sweep for No. 12 Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa – For the first time in program history, Penn State women’s hockey has swept Syracuse.
The No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Syracuse Orange 3-0 on Dec. 3 and 11-3 on Dec. 4.
Penn State’s 11 goals set the record for most goals in a game in program history.
Penn State started the scoring early with Olivia Wallin, Kiara Zanon, Julie Gough and Izzy Heminger all contributing to the quick 4-1 lead.
Syracuse struck back in the second period but was out-scored by Zanon and Eleri MacKay later in the action. In the third period, MacKay, Wallin, Zanon, Gough and Maeve Connolly added to the touchdown score.
Head coach Jeff Kampersal said it was “nice to see everybody on the scoresheet” and pointed out Connolly’s goal and Lexi Bedier’s two assists.
MacKay, Wallin and Gough all had two-goal games, but the star of the game was Zanon with her first career hat trick.
Zanon’s first goal came within the first two minutes of the game and scored the other two in the second and third periods.
Zanon and teammate Tessa Janecke had a “fake Michigan” style goal where they faked a lacrosse goal on a wrap-around shot.
“Kiara and Tessa have worked on that little play for a long time,” Kampersal said.
“It was nice to see [Zanon’s performance] because she generally is a passer, which is a playmaker, but she’s shooting the puck more now,” Kampersal said. “She also works at her craft hard, like she’s a goal-scorer, too, so it was nice to see her get that.”
While Zanon earned the First Star of the Game, MacKay and Wallin took home Second and Third honors, respectively.
Goaltender Josie Bothun saved 15 out of 18 Orange shots.
The Penn State and Syracuse matchup was the Nittany Lions’ third conference series of the season, and the win put them at 5-1 in the CHA.
Four Nittany Lions ended up in the penalty box after rough play, but Kampersal noted that the CHA is a “very chippy league” where “most players try to be hard on the skill players like Kiara and Tessa.”
However, the solution to roughness isn’t to be rough back, but according to Kampersal, “reverse charges and play through it.”
Penn State will have a break until the end of the month after playing for eleven consecutive weeks.
The Nittany Lions will take on the Long Island University Sharks on Dec. 30 and 31 at Pegula Ice Arena.
Adrianna Gallucci is a first-year student majoring in journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.
