With one sleep separating Penn State women’s hockey from the biggest game in program history, the Nittany Lions took to the rink at Pegula Ice Arena for one final tune-up session on Thursday afternoon.
With a Friday night Frozen Four clash against No. 2-seed Wisconsin on deck, the skaters worked with a sense of urgency but also kept energy high, celebrating goals with teammates and even singing happy birthday to defender Danica Maynard at center ice.
“It’s the loudest group that I’ve coached in 30 years, whether it’s on the ice, whether it’s in the lounge or the bus … they’re getting along with each other when they’re loud,” head coach Jeff Kampersal said after practice.
Following periods of special teams practice, breakaways and various other drills, Kampersal, forward Tessa Janecke and goaltender Katie DeSa spoke to the media to preview the upcoming game.
Regardless of the outcome Friday, reaching the first Frozen Four in program history is not just a monumental achievement, but one the players have manifested since arriving on campus. Janecke and DeSa have known nothing but success in four seasons with the team, winning conference championships every year which resulted in NCAA tournament berths.
This year, the Nittany Lions won an NCAA tournament game for the first time, downing UConn 3-0 last Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena. The team is also ranked No. 3 in the USCHO poll, a spot it held for much of the season, which is the highest mark in program history.
“That was kind of always our goal to get over that hump of being a top-10 team and getting up to a top-five team and now on to the Frozen Four,” Janecke said. “So I think what we’ve done, the senior class and just leadership group in general, is kind of amazing, just what we’ve done with the program in these four years, and I know it’s just going to continue once we leave, it’s going to continue to get better and hopefully remain a powerhouse.”
A program that previously had sporadic success is undergoing the most sustained winning stretch since its inception. On the macro level, the senior class is hoping to raise the program standards after graduating.
A large part of that is Janecke, who recently helped Team USA win gold at the Olympics, which occurred mid-season. She’s heralded as one of the top skaters in the country and was recently named one of three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the most prestigious honor in NCAA women’s hockey.
Additionally, Janecke, DeSa and other talented skaters have opted to remain within the program despite a high likelihood they would garner interest from other schools with big reputations and, potentially, bigger checkbooks in the transfer portal.
“She’s a rising tide that’s lifted all the boats,” Kampersal said. “Not only on the ice, but off the ice, she sets the standards in the weight room and then connects teammates along the way. That’s huge. When you’re an elite player like that, sometimes it’s hard for other players to play with her … she puts them at ease … she is Tessa, but you wouldn’t really know it by chatting with her.”
Janecke has previously discussed her decision to play for Penn State as opposed to perennial powerhouses like Ohio State and the Badgers — two other teams in this year’s Frozen Four — stating the willingness to build a program up. It’s hard to argue she hasn’t done that.
One benefit of playing alongside and against some of the best skaters in the world in Italy is learning from them and applying that back in Happy Valley.
“I think just being in those big, high-pressure moments and being able to calm the room — because that’s what those veterans did for us in those moments — they helped calm the room, and keep people steady and get them to believe in themselves,” Janecke said.
Another group of skaters that has helped the team is the men’s squad, which is coming off a Frozen Four appearance of their own a season ago and is gearing up for another NCAA tournament this season.
“When we see them around the rink, they’re excited for us, and I think they’re going to be there (Friday) showing their support,” Janecke said. “I know (head coach Guy) Gadowsky is very supportive of us. He always makes time to go out of his way to talk to you about something or congratulate you on what we’ve accomplished. They were an underdog team last year, and they just worked really hard, and I know that’s gonna have to be the way we play tomorrow. So if we can take anything from them, it’s just kind of banding together as a team.”
Knocking off Wisconsin is a tall task — the Nittany Lions have rarely found themselves underdogs this season, but they will be against a Badger dynasty that claimed four of the last six national championships. Penn State is attempting to elevate its program on par with Wisconsin’s, and a win would further that mission.
“We really focus on ourselves and our concepts and habits, and we know that Wisconsin will be a speed change,” Kampersal said. “The first five minutes of the game, we need to come strong at them, but we know they’re obviously skilled and quick and deep.”
The Nittany Lions’ regular-season series against the Buckeyes — who are responsible for the two national championships Wisconsin didn’t win in the last six years — resulted in a pair of losses by a combined score of 9-2. Despite the lopsided series, Penn State is confident it learned from the physicality and speed it encountered and will be ready to face another team of that caliber.
“I think it would just be a testament to our team, to our leadership,” Janecke said. “I think it’s gonna test both leadership groups, not just ours, but theirs as well, just to see, like, what we both can bring. And I’m excited for it. I know our team’s ready for it and to get this win, it’ll be huge.”
