As her Penn State hockey career ends, Tessa Janecke believes she’s helped build the newest blue blood

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Certain stories captivate leagues and fan bases during a team’s run from misery to triumph.

Take the 2018 Washington Capitals, who, after nine untimely playoff exits in 10 seasons, finally broke through to win their first Stanley Cup. Or the 1969 New York “Miracle” Mets, who had lost 100-plus games in five of their first eight seasons before winning their first World Series.

Those teams, and others like them, had a star player who helped build a winning foundation from the ground up.

For the Mets, that was Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver. For the Capitals: Alex Ovechkin, who captained Washington through many second-round exits and Game 7 losses before hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup in his 13th season.

And for Penn State women’s hockey, which last Friday played its first Frozen Four game in program history after a nine-year journey of losing seasons and tournament heartbreaks, that player was Tessa Janecke.

“Tessa is the rising tide that’s lifted all the boats,” Penn State coach Jeff Kampersal said. “She came and set the standards. … She left it all out there.”

It’s hard to summarize the impact Janecke had on Penn State.

When she arrived on campus as a freshman from Orangeville, Ill., in 2022, the Nittany Lions had won just 119 of their first 352 Division I games. Kampersal’s squad had stacked a few winning seasons but had yet to secure any hardware or advance beyond the conference tournament.

Upon Janecke’s arrival, that changed.

It started against then-No. 2 Wisconsin. Janecke scored twice and added an assist in her collegiate debut as Penn State upset the Badgers for its first top-five win in program history.

An impressed parent told Kampersal that Janecke’s impact rivaled that of Carmelo Anthony, who, as a freshman, led Syracuse from unranked to a national championship in basketball.

And while that game introduced outsiders to Janecke’s skill, Kampersal wasn’t surprised. He knew Janecke was different the day she entered Pegula Ice Arena.

“Watching her crush the bike test on her first day on campus, we were like, ‘All right, we’re ready. Something’s happening here,’” Kampersal said. “It was not always easy [to coach Janecke]. She’s stubborn in a good way, and she’s loyal. In this new age of college athletics, Tessa was loyal to Penn State, loyal to her coaches and her classmates.”

» READ MORE: Tessa Janecke fulfilled a 'dream' at the Olympics

It’s been a busy month for Janecke, who in February won an Olympic gold medal with the United States women’s team in Milan, Italy. She was on the ice for both U.S. goals in its 2-1 overtime victory over Canada and became the first Penn State women’s hockey player to win gold.

Less than a month later, she was back in State College, leading Penn State to its fourth straight conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The next week, she scored an important goal in the Nittany Lions’ first NCAA Tournament win in program history.

And last Friday, in front of a record crowd for a women’s hockey game at Pegula, Janecke captained Penn State in its first Frozen Four game.

After four years of building — four years of grueling practices, heartbreaking tournament losses, and afternoon games at Pegula in front of thousands of empty seats — Janecke and her teammates finally got the send-off they deserved.

While Penn State’s breakthrough season ended with a 4-3 overtime loss to eventual champion Wisconsin, that moment at Pegula — the deafening crowd during Janecke’s game-tying goal, the sold-out student section decked in all white, the gravity of that game — was the perfect swan song to a career etched in Penn State history.

“I couldn’t believe how packed [the crowd] was, but I think it’s just a testament to what we’ve done for Penn State,” Janecke said. “I’ve given everything I can to this program for four years, so to just have that support, getting that kind of sign-off, was awesome. It was a testament to not only myself, but what we were able to do here in four years.”

» READ MORE: Inside Penn State's years-long journey to the Frozen Four

The forward departs as the program’s all-time leader in goals (89) and assists (112). Her 201 career points are 64 more than the next-closest Nittany Lion.

Janecke’s 26 goals this season topped the Atlantic Hockey America conference, even though she played at least four fewer games than everyone else inside the top 10. She was a top-three finalist for this year’s Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the top female college hockey player in the country.

“Tessa is the hardest worker I’ve ever met,” Penn State goaltender Katie DeSa said. “She always gives you 110%, whether it’s on the forecheck or the backcheck. It’s great to have been a part of her journey.”

Janecke has left her imprint on the Nittany Lions. But she also has laid the foundation for what she hopes will follow.

In her mind, Penn State was never considered a blue blood of college hockey, not like Wisconsin or Ohio State. But under her leadership, the Nittany Lions have broken into that conversation.

“Regardless of what league you’re in, five losses the entire season is not something that’s easy to do. And to do it for a month without three of our players also speaks to our team,” Janecke said. “We don’t get respect in the entire NCAA. But hopefully making this Frozen Four will change that narrative.”