Penn State women’s hockey wins back-to-back CHA titles

Penn State women’s hockey won the program’s second consecutive CHA Tournament Championship 1-0 against Mercyhurst on Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena. The Nittany Lions complete the season sweep by winning both the regular season and conference tournament. As a result, Jeff Kampersal has Penn State returning to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history.

Nittany Lions capture back-to-back CHA crowns

Penn State came out on the attack from the get-go, as Mya Vaslet scored the game’s opening goal at the 4:11 mark of the first period. The Nittany Lions dominated with a 16-5 shot advantage and controlled possession of the puck in the offensive zone for much of the period.

The Nittany Lions once again dominated the period with 23-4 shot advantage, but couldn’t get an insurance goal across and the score remained 1-0 after two. Once again, most of the play was on the Mercyhurst end of the ice, but Penn State wasn’t able to cash in. The Lakers had more ice time in the Penn State zone, but the Nittany Lion defense was excellent in forcing turnovers and not giving up many scoring opportunities.

Mercyhurst came out firing to start the third period and had the first three shots, all of which were high-quality chances.  The Lakers kept the pressure up throughout the period, outshooting the Nittany Lions 15-7. But ultimately, Mercyhurst couldn’t get one to find the back of the net. Penn State goaltender Katie DeSa made clutch save after clutch save to hold onto the lead.

Penn State women’s hockey picking up momentum ahead of second NCAA Tournament

Penn State women’s hockey has been quickly picking up recognition on the national stage over the past few years. It started with the team’s first CHA regular season title back in 2021, and now the Nittany Lions have won the CHA regular season and tournament title and will make the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons. The Nittany Lions will now wait for the NCAA Tournament selection show on Sunday.

“We’re not going to just be happy to be there. After last year’s game against Quinnipiac, we have business to take care of,” Jeff Kampersal said when asked about his feelings heading into selection Sunday.

Penn State lost a 3-2 heartbreaker in triple overtime last season to Quinnipiac in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Kampersal mentioned during the week that he wants the program to take the next step and become a top-five team nationally. Winning a game in the NCAA Tournament is the next step toward that goal, and could have far-reaching for the program in terms of recruiting.

Hockey Valley brings the home-ice advantage

Part of what makes conference tournaments so special is the home-ice advantage that teams get. Being able to have the backing of the home fans makes the playoff atmosphere that much better with an NCAA Tournament berth on the line.

The 2024 CHA Championship was the sixth highest-attended game in Penn State women’s hockey history. An impressive achievement considering it is the first weekend of student break in Happy Valley.

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