Penn State’s Tessa Janecke Wins Olympic Gold With Team USA Women’s Hockey

Penn State star Tessa Janecke is bringing some hardware back to the United States.

Janecke and the United States women’s hockey team claimed gold medals Thursday at the Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, defeating Canada 2-1 in the final. The U.S. tied the game late in the third period before an overtime goal sealed the deal.

The Nittany Lions’ senior forward was held off the stat sheet Thursday but was on the ice for both goals and totaled five assists throughout her seven-game stint representing the red, white and blue, serving as a facilitator during her first Olympic experience.

The U.S. outscored opponents 33-2 and won every game by at least four goals until the title match — including a 5-0 win over its northern neighbors in the preliminary rounds.

Janecke and the Americans claimed victories over Italy in the quarterfinals and Sweden in the semifinals, with Nittany Lions representing each of those countries as well.

Matilde Fantin was the leading scorer with three goals for Italy, which finished with a 2-3 record. Jess Adolfsson and Nicole Hall participated in the bronze medal game with Sweden but came up short against Switzerland. Adolfsson, who played for Penn State from 2018-2021, scored a goal against Italy in the preliminary rounds.

Janecke, Fantin and Hall will return to State College for the postseason, with the Nittany Lions eyeing their fourth consecutive AHA tournament championship, beginning with the semifinals on Feb. 27 at Pegula Ice Arena.