Column: Penn State Women’s Hockey Has Arrived

Penn State women’s hockey didn’t just reach the Frozen Four this season — it proved something the rest of the sport has long questioned: the Nittany Lions belong among the nation’s elite.

For much of their existence as an NCAA program, that wasn’t a given. After transitioning from club to Division I ahead of the 2012-13 season, Penn State stumbled through its early years, going just 49-111-20 across its first five seasons. Progress came, but slowly, and without much attention.

While it’s never easy to transition to Division I competition — the men’s team endured similar struggles at the start — it was an uninspiring entrance to the varsity scene.

Under head coach Jeff Kampersal, hired in 2017, the program began to climb. Win totals ticked upward and conference titles followed. NCAA tournament appearances became the expectation rather than the exception.

But the skepticism never fully went away.

Fair or not, Penn State carried a reputation: dominant within its conference, unproven everywhere else. Three straight NCAA tournament appearances ended in first-round exits. Around the sport, there was a growing sense the Nittany Lions benefited from a softer conference but couldn’t hang with the nation’s elite.

Then came the 2025-26 season, when Penn State posted one of the best records in the country at 33-6, including a 22-2 mark in conference play, once again winning the AHA title. But would it translate?

“We can compete with anybody,” Tessa Janecke said. “We can compete with the best. I think we get a lot of slander for our conference and whatnot. Doesn’t matter what conference you’re playing in. To go the whole (regular) season with only five losses, it’s something that’s not easy to do.”

This time, they checked a few more boxes. The Nittany Lions reached No. 3 in the USCHO poll, the highest in program history, and maintained that standing for a large portion of the season and into the postseason. They returned to the NCAA tournament, this time as a regional host with a first-round bye.

They shut out UConn 3-0 to win their first regional championship and punch a ticket to the Frozen Four, matching up against No. 2-seed and reigning national champion Wisconsin.

Though the Badgers emerged victorious via a 4-3 overtime thriller, Friday night’s contest showed a Penn State team that proved it can compete at the highest levels of the sport. Pushing Wisconsin, winner of four of the last six national titles, to the brink in front of a record 5,176 fans showed just how far the program has come.

That night, Penn State didn’t look like a newcomer trying to break through. It looked like an equal.

“We probably had a bunch of people that, maybe that’s their first hockey game they saw tonight,” Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson said. “What a wonderful experience. They saw both teams playing, competing hard … Hopefully what they saw tonight is enjoyable to them, and they’ll bring other people to the game, and maybe you’ll see that on a regular basis.”

Though Penn State wasn’t satisfied with the ending to the season, it proved that the program is an emerging power in the world of women’s hockey. The team has also emphasized the need for increased support, and Friday showcased the impact it can have on the program.

“That was awesome. I couldn’t believe how packed it was … But we don’t just want that in a Frozen Four,” Janecke said. “We want that at every game, and I think we deserve it. And I think going forward, it’d be awesome to see those crowds. You can see how much it helps the team on the ice when you’re there supporting. So going forward, we’d love to see this program obviously succeed, but to also have the support.”

For years, Penn State was building incrementally and quietly. Now, it has something more tangible to show for it. Proof that it can compete with the best teams in the country. Proof that the gap is gone. And proof that the program has moved beyond potential and into reality.

“This crowd tonight, this is one of the best atmospheres I’ve ever played in, and I just wish for these girls that that continues next year … We grew women’s hockey in Hockey Valley and Penn State, just in general,” Janecke said.

Penn State women’s hockey has arrived.