Series Preview: Penn State Women’s Hockey vs. Syracuse
No. 10 ranked Penn State is riding the high of a series sweep of Lindenwood and heads north to Syracuse this weekend. This series against the Orange marks the beginning of the Nittany Lions’ final four-game road stretch that will end their regular season.
After a 5-1 win in game one and a 6-3 win in game two, Penn State jumped two spots in the National Collegiate Rankings. The Nittany Lions have been in the top 15 rankings for 19 out of 20 weeks this year.
Eleri MacKay had a huge weekend against Lindenwood where she scored three power-play goals and four total with two assists. She’ll be seeking to continue to shine as the team travels to New York.
Unranked ‘Cuse was looking for a big win against the Lions after a tough weekend at Mercyhurst. The Orange lost their first game 6-1 and drew a 1-1 tie in the second game of the series. Their last win came in the second game of their series against RIT on Jan. 25.
However, one positive from Syracuse’s Mercyhurst series was the extensive test on their goaltender Arielle DeSmet. In their tie against the Lakers she recorded a season-high 50 saves and has a .904 save percentage for the season.
The Nittany Lions sit at a current record of 10-1-1 in conference play, while the Orange is 6-5-1 in their respective conference. However, in school matchups, Syracuse historically pulls out as the victor.
Penn State made ‘Cuse bleed orange in an 11-3 blowout in its previous matchup in 2022, but Syracuse is 30-7-8 against State all time.
Sarah Thompson is the name to remember for the Orange. She is having an incredible season with 12 goals and eight assists in the 29 games the team has played.
Additionally, Penn State has a fantastic junior goaltender on their side. Josie Bothun was named CHA Goaltender for the month of January as she leads CHA goalies in both goals-against average and save percentage.
She also holds the fourth highest number of wins this season against all of the nation’s goalies.
On the other side, ‘Cuse has eight players that have recorded double digit points this season, and at the front of scoring is forward Lauren Bellefonte. This season alone she has eight goals and eighteen assists.
When it comes down to coaching, head coach Jeff Kampersal for the Nittany Lions is in his sixth season and has 34 wins in the past two seasons, which is the most over two years in program history.
Head coach Britni Smith is in her first season with Syracuse, after Paul Flanagan retired after the end of last season. In fact, Flanagan was their only coach in the program’s history, making Smith only their second.
Although she may be new to coaching the Orange, she has extensive experience on the ice including being a defenseman with St. Lawrence University and being a Top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award during her senior year at the university.
Penn State is looking to do anything but lose. The Nittany Lions are on a nine game unbeaten streak and haven’t lost a game since Nov. 25 with theirloss against Minnesota.
The two-game series begins at the Tennity Ice Arena on Friday at 6pm. Game two will be Saturday at 3 p.m.
Allie Wenskoski is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email amw7637@psu.edu.
