Penn State women’s hockey looking for postseason success, more fan involvement

When Penn State women’s hockey’s skates hit the ice at Pegula Ice Arena, that’s often about the only sound you can hear beside the sliding of the puck. The stands are sometimes bare, with some sections blocked off completely.

Heading into this weekend’s AHA Tournament, the Nittany Lions have lost five games this year are ranked No. 3 nationally, the highest ranking in program history. They even have Tessa Janecke leading the way, who is the all-time goals and points leader in Penn State hockey history and just won gold with Team USA in Milan.

Yet, men’s hockey draws much larger crowds. Some of that is heightened this season by the expectations surrounding the team, but it’s also been the case for years. Dillan Hirschberg, vice president of the Roar Zone, hockey’s student section, believes the lack of fans for the women comes down to branding and lack of outside resources.

“You tend to see a lot more stuff on social media with the men’s team compared to stuff you see with the women’s team,” Hirschberg said. “The fact that we don’t really have a Big Ten conference for women’s hockey also definitely does not help, because the AHA doesn’t have as many helpful resources as the Big Ten does. So that’s definitely not great either. But from a social media standpoint, I think the men’s team is promoted a lot better than the women’s team.”

The team set a Penn State women’s hockey single-game record in late January when they played at Beaver Stadium in front of a crowd of 1,838, a day before Penn State men’s hockey drew a crowd of nearly 75,000 people.

Penn State students aren’t shy about supporting the school’s sports, especially the championship-caliber ones. Women’s volleyball received plenty of support last season, wrestling sells out the Bryce Jordan Center for duals and Beaver Stadium is always packed for football games.

Women’s hockey is a different story, it seems, as the student section usually consists of Roar Zone members that fill three or four rows of seats behind the glass. Roar Zone President Jeffery Warren said the organization promotes both teams just the same to their GroupMe members, but added the early start times make it difficult for students to make it to games.

“They have a lot of 2 p.m. Friday games. So I know a lot of students try and go to the games, or they have to trickle in during the first, second, third period because they’re coming from classes,” Warren said. “So I know that’s what can be tough for students.”

The knock on the Nittany Lions can sometimes be that they haven’t had postseason success. They’ve won four straight AHA titles, including last year, but they’ve also lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons.

But Penn State is looking to change that narrative, especially in 2026, when Pegula Ice Arena will host the Women’s Frozen Four. Senior Leah Stecker said in a recent interview this year feels different for her team, as the culture feels tighter and is built to withstand adversity.

“Every single year, everyone’s wanted to be there, everyone’s wanted to win, but especially this group,” Stecker said. “We’re super close, and I think losing three years in a row, especially for my class, being the seniors, we’ve had enough of that. We’re done with that. We actually want to do something and win a game. Losing over and over again in that one game, that one series is very frustrating. So I think this year, everyone really has just had enough of it.”

As for the lack of fan involvement, Stecker said her main goal is just to get more people to the games. She isn’t sure if there’s a misconception surrounding the women’s game that it’s not as physical as the men’s, which draws fans away.

But head to Pegula Ice Arena when the women’s team takes the ice, and Stecker promises it will be a pleasant surprise.

“It’s funny, because every single time a new fan comes to watch us like they’re just amazed, and they’re like, ‘oh my god, I’m so surprised that no one comes to these games,’” Stecker said.

The free games have also become popular for families, who are drawn to the flexibility of not needing tickets and being able to pick your own seats. Kids events are often a feature of each game.

Hirschberg and Warren may attend women’s matchups because they’re the faces of the Roar Zone, but they also really enjoy the game. Hirschberg said the game is much more fast-paced than one might expect.

She’s also aware that talent such as Gavin McKenna, who is making headlines for the men’s team as the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, is a big factor in drawing people to games. But the women’s squad has that talent too, especially with Janecke returning home with a gold medal.

Warren added that he loves the more intimate environment women’s hockey has, along with seeing the squad’s talent.

“You’re kind of all next to your friends. And it’s all kind of a lot of the same people all come to the women’s games,” Warren said. “So it’s kind of like where I’ve met a lot of my friends, and a lot of people there also meet their friends there, in terms of the student perspective.”

This weekend presents a perfect opportunity to see the women’s team, as the Nittany Lions’ are set for the AHA semifinals against Syracuse. The first game is at 6 p.m. Friday, game two is at 3 p.m. Saturday and game three, if necessary, is at 3 p.m. Monday. Unlike regular season games, tickets are required and cost $10. Tickets can be purchased at gopsu.us/4qPQ3Vm .