Penn State Sports Roundup: Men’s Hockey Matches Record Start

Penn State’s mens hockey team matched its best start in school history, moving to 6-0-0 for the first time since 2018-19.

It didn’t come easy though as the Lions had to regroup in a 3-2 overtime win against St. Thomas last Friday at Pegula Ice Arena. Connor McMenamin scored a goal, his second of the night, in the closing seconds to win the game.

Penn State won the opener against St. Thomas last Thursday thanks to a flurry of three goals in just over a minute during the second period. Simon Mack, Ben Schoen, and Connor MacEachern each netted goals in that stretch to help push Penn State to a 6-2 win.

Following the weekend sweep, Penn State moved up to No. 16 in the USCHO rankings ahead of opening up Big Ten play on Friday at Wisconsin. The Lions will play a pair of games against the Badgers on the weekend.

Women’s Hockey Sweeps Pair

Penn State’s womens hockey team moved up to No. 12 in the national rankings, while also sweeping a Sunday/Monday series against Franklin Pierce.

The Nittany Lions (5-4-1) won the two games by a combined score of 10-1.

Six different women scored in the 6-0 win on Sunday, while Kiara Zanon led Penn State with two goals in a 4-1 win on Monday afternoon.

The Lions are on the road this weekend for a pair of CHA contests against Lindenwood.

On the Verge of a Title

Penn State’s field hockey team scored a crucial, and dominant, upset win to give itself a shot at a share of the Big Ten title.

The No. 5 Lions scored five unanswered goals to rout No. 2 Maryland 5-1.

Sophia Gladieux had a pair of goals, Elena Vos recorded two assists, while Mackenzie Allessie had a goal and an assist for Penn State, who improved to 14-2 and 6-1 in the Big Ten. Vos was honored as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

The Lions have won sixth straight and are ranked No. 3 in the latest national poll. More importantly, they’ll have a chance to clinch a share of the conference crown on Friday at Rutgers. The season finale will air live on the Big Ten Network at 3 p.m.

Elisaia Named Setter of the Week

Penn State’s womens volleyball team earned a Big Ten sweep last weekend, knocking off Maryland and Rutgers in a pair of matches.

Senior Seleisa Elisaia was named Big Ten Setter of the Week for her performances in those matchups.

In a four-set win against the Terrapins, Elisaia set a career high with 55 assists, while adding five kills, eight digs, and two blocks. In Sunday’s victory versus Rutgers, she added 33 assists.

Penn State moved up two spots to No. 11 in the latest national rankings, while they’re tied for fifth in the Big Ten standings. The Nittany Lions did drop a road match 3-1 to Illinois on Wednesday night. It was the first win against a ranked team this season for the Illini.

Mens Soccer Closes Home Slate

Penn State’s up-and-down mens soccer team played its final game of the season at Jeffrey Field, falling 2-1 to Rutgers.

Peter Mangione scored off a corner in the 65th minute to bring the Lions to within 2-1. However, Penn State wound up playing a man down and could not find the equalizer.

The Nittany Lions are now 5-5-4 on the year and 2-2-3 in the Big Ten. Penn State closes its regular season on Sunday at Michigan.

Womens Soccer Preps for Big Ten Tournament

Penn State’s final regular season weekend yielded mixed results as the Lions were beaten 4-2 at Nebraska before salvaging a 1-1 draw at Iowa.

Now, the 10-4-3 Lions turn their attention to the postseason.

Up first is a Big Ten tournament date at Wisconsin on Sunday. The Lions bested the Badgers 3-0 during the regular season in a game played at Jeffrey Field.

Wisconsin enters as the No. 3 seed in the tournament. Penn State finished in a four-way tie, two points behind the Badgers. With a win, the Lions would advance to the tournament semifinals in a week.