Penn State Can’t Find The Back Of The Net Enough, Ties RIT 2-2 In Game 1 Of Series
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State women's hockey and the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers tied 2-2 in the first game of their final 2021-22 regular season series, Friday at Pegula Ice Arena.
The Nittany Lions moved into the contest after a series sweep against Long Island last weekend. Penn State outscored the Sharks 12-0 and improved to 17-9-4 overall.
RIT earned its one and only win so far this season against Lindenwood last Saturday on senior day. The Tigers tied the Nittany Lions the day before, but overall improved their record to 1-25-3.
The Tigers made their shots count as Penn State struggled to convert offensively. The Nittany Lions recorded 45 shots on goal while the Tigers only produced 15 shots on goal.
Penn State head coach Jeff Kampersal does not believe the Nittany Lions took advantage of their scoring opportunities. Players often made low-chance, low-percentage shots, which reflected the tally in the end.
“We hit a couple posts, their goalie made some sick saves so she was really good,” Kampersal said. “But other times, we buried it right in her chest.”
Kampersal felt in many instances the team was one step away from success.
“Offensively, there was one more pass to make,” Kampersal said. “Especially in the first period, one of our wingers could have hit Anna on a breakaway and missed the pass.”
Kampersal also thought the team was inconsistent and relaxed with its play at times. The squad lacked a sense of urgency and sat back after scoring the first goal to lead 1-0.
Penn State recorded three times as many shots on goal as RIT, 45 to the Tigers’ 15, and Penn State’s on-goal shot percentage was higher than RIT’s as well.
Penn State put in the effort offensively, but could not find the sweet spot enough to get the win.
Sarah Coe earned 43 saves against Penn State’s shot barrage while Josie Bothun only had 13 saves. RIT managed to tie despite a vast difference in the shot categories.
Third-year left wing Julie Gough and second-year center Kiara Zanon explained that the Penn State defense is generally strong, but was weaker today because of a team breakdown. The players did not support each other’s play throughout the game.
The inability to finish was another issue on the Penn State side.
“We’ve had plenty of games where we’re over 30 or 40 shots and we’re not capitalizing on those opportunities,” Zanon said. “We have the chances, the chances are there, but we have to get more hungry and get to the net and pound those home.”
Gough put emphasis on the importance of having players down in front of the goalie. The second and third shots that come from those players are crucial to the team’s success in scoring goals.
Penn State moves to 17-9-5 overall while RIT moves to 1-25-4. The teams face off again tomorrow, Feb. 19 at the Pegula Ice Arena for a 1 p.m. start.
Neil Conley is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email nzc5252@psu.edu.
