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Penn State's Tessa Janecke Makes History at Winter Olympics

Janecke helps the U.S. Women's Hockey Team beat Canada in overtime to win gold at the Winter Olympics.
Mark Wogenrich|
Tessa Janecke of United States in action vs. Anna Caumo of Italy in a women's ice hockey quarterfinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Tessa Janecke of United States in action vs. Anna Caumo of Italy in a women's ice hockey quarterfinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Penn State's Tessa Janecke scored a golden goal in 2025 and was on the ice Thursday for an Olympics golden goal in Milan. And in the most dramatic fashion, the most decorated hockey player in Penn State history also made program history.

Janecke became the the first active Nittany Lions athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Penn State's senior star and captain was on the ice for both of Team USA's goals in its 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in the gold medal game.

Janecke first celebrated as Hilary Knight scored the game-tying goal late in the third period to force overtime. Penn State's all-time leading scored then skated a skillful shift in overtime and was on the ice when Megan Keller scored the game-winner. Team USA won Olympics gold after falling to Canada in Beijing in 2022.

Janecke recorded five assists for Team USA, tying for sixth among all players in the women's tournament. She had two assists in Team USA's 5-1 opening win over Czechia and assists in consecutive games against Italy, Sweden and Canada.

Janecke, from Orangeville, Illinois, is the most decorated international player in Penn State hockey history. In 2025, Janecke played the hero's role, scoring the golden goal for Team USA at the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship. The goal lifted the U.S. to a 4-3 overtime win over Canada and its second world title in three years, with Janecke being part of both teams.

Janecke is the first Penn State women's player to make a U.S. Olympic team and one of three current Nittany Lions to play at the Milan Cortina Games. Sophomore forward Nicole Hall, and former Nittany Lion Jessica Adolfsson, played for Sweden, which lost to Switzerland in overtime in the bronze medal game. Freshman forward Matilde Fantin played for Italy.

Janecke, a senior, is a two-time AHA player of the year for the Nittany Lions and was named a second-team All-American in 2025. She leads the team, and ranks seventh nationally, this season with 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists). Janecke has produced at least 40 points in each of her four seasons at Penn State.

Janecke already is the most prolific scorer in Penn State hockey history, men or women. She is Penn State's career points leader with 193 (82 goals, 111 assists). Janecke tied her own Penn State single-season record with 53 points last season.

Janecke also has won nearly every award in women's college hockey. She was the AHCA and USCHO.com rookie of the year during the 2022-23 season and is a two-time AHCA/CCM All-American.

Janecke was named the AHA player of the year in 2023-24 and 2024-25 and has been named the AHA forward of the week 11 times.

Now, Janecke returns to Penn State in time to pursue the program's first national championship. The Nittany Lions (29-5) rank fourth in the latest USCHO.com women's hockey poll and enter the postseason having won nine of their last 10 games.

That includes a 3-0 victory over Robert Morris in the first outdoor hockey game played at Beaver Stadium. Janecke did not play in that game, as she had joined Team USA, but enters the postseason on an eight-game points streak.

Penn State, the top seed in the American Hockey Association playoffs, will host Mercyhust in a best-of-three semifinal series beginning Feb. 28.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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