See Penn State women’s hockey celebrate after advancing to first-ever Frozen Four
Penn State women’s hockey is now one step closer to clinching a storybook season.
The Nittany Lions shut out UConn 3-0 Saturday in the regional championship of the postseason, formally referred to as the National Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey Championship. The win at home advances PSU to its first-ever Frozen Four appearance, which just so happens be hosted by Penn State this season.
Coach Jeff Kampersal’s squad will take on Wisconsin in the Frozen Four on Friday, March 20 at a time TBD. The game will be played at Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena, with the winner advancing to the national championship on March 22.
Players erupted in celebration Saturday after advancing to the Frozen Four with a win over the Huskies. The Nittany Lions emptied the bench moments after the final whistle, converging in front of the net to embrace while the blue-and-white crowd cheered and clapped.
Penn State led for almost the entire game thanks to its Olympians, so the celebration was a long time coming. Freshman forward Matilde Fantin, who represented Team Italy at the Olympics, struck first by finding the back of the net less than two minutes into the game — thanks to an assist by Nicole Hall, who represented Team Sweden.
The next score didn’t come until midway through the final period, when Tessa Janecke — the first Nittany Lion to ever represent Team USA at the Olympics — scored her 24th collegiate goal of the season. Teammate Abby Stonehouse added an unassisted goal about six minutes later to finish the scoring.
Penn State goalie Katie DeSa was named the game’s “1st star” after stopping all 36 shots.
The postseason win serves as an important one for the program. Penn State made the last three NCAA tournaments but lost in the first round each time. This was the Nittany Lions’ first-ever win in the regional championship, and it’s the furthest they’ve ever gotten in the tournament.
This story was originally published March 14, 2026 at 6:08 PM.
