Penn State finally gets over the hump to reach its first women’s hockey Frozen Four: ‘We’re not done yet’

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — When Jeff Kampersal became the women’s hockey coach at Penn State in 2017, he said his goal was to take the team to the next level.

The longtime Princeton coach inherited a Nittany Lions program that had won just 49 of its first 180 Division I games. But he embraced the challenge and got to work. And after years of building — including countless conference losses and several near misses — his team finally broke through on Saturday and punched its first ticket to the Frozen Four courtesy of a 3-0 win over Connecticut.

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Despite Penn State winning the last three Atlantic Hockey America tournament titles and establishing itself as a national contender, Kampersal’s program entered Saturday with an 0-3 record in the NCAA Tournament, the lone blemish on an otherwise pristine resumé.

But on Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena, the No. 3-seed Nittany Lions (33-5) exorcized those demons against sixth-seeded UConn in the regional final.

“When I started [at Penn State], we couldn’t beat Syracuse, we couldn’t beat Mercyhurst. And we’d have small goals to beat those league opponents and then win a league title,” Kampersal said.

“You’re trying to recruit hockey players instead of kids who play hockey. And these women are dedicated in the weight room, dedicated on the ice. They’re here in the mornings, working on shooting. ... We were pushed around, and now we’re pushing teams around.”

Until Saturday’s breakthrough, heartbreak had followed the Nittany Lions in the NCAA Tournament.

In 2022-23, their season ended in triple overtime with a 3-2 loss to Quinnipiac. The following season featured even more agony with a 1-0 overtime loss to St. Lawrence.

And last season, with high expectations after the program’s first 30-win campaign, the Nittany Lions fell short again with a 4-1 loss to St. Lawrence. But Kampersal never wavered in his pursuit of success.

He knew he had the right players. He knew he had built the right culture to guide the Nittany Lions to the Frozen Four. And on Saturday, in the same building where his Penn State journey began, Kampersal watched his players throw their gloves into the air in celebration as they clinched a spot in college hockey’s national semifinals.

“This year, we put ourselves in a position where we wouldn’t have to play [a first-round] game. And I think that speaks volumes about our consistency the entire year,” said Tessa Janecke, Penn State’s standout forward and a recent Olympic gold medalist. “The losses were heartbreaking. But we’ve made [the NCAA Tournament] every year. And hopefully this is the standard now.”

Penn State, which happens to be hosting this year’s women’s Frozen Four, will face defending champion Wisconsin, the No. 2 seed, on Friday at Pegula Ice Arena. The winner will advance to the national championship game, which is set for Sunday at Pegula. Starting times have not yet been announced for either game.

On the doorstep of history, Penn State wasn’t going to leave anything to chance on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions struck less than two minutes into the opening period, with Matilde Fantin deflecting Nicole Hall’s shot past the glove of UConn goaltender Tia Chan.

Fifty minutes of scoreless hockey ensued before Janecke, the program’s all-time points leader and a top-three finalist for this year’s Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award — given to the top female college hockey player in the country — scooped a misplayed puck and scored her 24th goal of the season to pad Penn State’s lead.

With the final seconds ticking down, Abby Stonehouse added an empty-netter to seal a monumental victory for the Nittany Lions.

It was a moment of pure jubilation and a realization for both players and staff members that this Penn State team, which had been battered by near misses and heartbreaking losses, had finally climbed the mountaintop.

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“It’s a testament to this place and this program,” Janecke said. “When [this senior class] came in, we were unranked. To get this team to the Frozen Four is super special. And it’s even more special that we get to have it here. It speaks to the people on this team, how we might not always have the big names or get the attention we deserve, but we’re right in the same spot as those [top] teams.”

“Our class came in, and we’ve redefined what Penn State hockey is,” added goaltender Katie DeSa, who stopped all 36 shots she faced Saturday. “Hopefully, we get the respect we deserve. But we’re not done yet.”