Tessa Janecke Leads Penn State Women's Hockey Toward Potential History

After winning the first Winter Olympics gold medal in Penn State sports history, Tessa Janecke returns seeking to lead the Nittany Lions to another milestone. Penn State opens the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship with its highest seed ever and a chance to play in the Frozen Four on home ice.

Penn State will host one NCAA Regional, which begins Thursday with sixth-seeded UConn facing ninth-seeded Princeton in the first round. at Pegula Ice Arena Third-seeded Penn State will meet the winner on March 14 at Pegula Ice Arena with a trip to the Frozen Four at stake.

Penn State also will host the Frozen Four, which begins March 20 with the semifinals at Pegula Ice Arena. The NCAA women's championship game is scheduled for March 22 on ESPNU.

Penn State, ranked third in the USCHO.com poll, recently won its fourth straight Atlantic Hockey America title, defeating Mercyhurst 3-2 in the championship game. The win was Penn State's program-record 32nd of the season.

Janecke, who won a gold medal with Team USA at the Winter Olympics, returned to lead Penn State to the AHA tournament title. She was named the tournament's oustanding player, producing five points (four goals and an assist) in three games.

Janecke became the first Penn State 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 recorded five assists for Team USA at the Olympics, 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 certainly isn't new to international success. She scored the overtime golden goal in 2025, lifting Team USA over Canada 4-3 at the Women's World Championship.

THAT'S OUR 🐐

Tessa Janecke's GOLDEN GOAL to win the IIHF Women's World Championship 🥇🇺🇸#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/btzI4GmlSf
— Penn State Women’s Hockey (@PennStateWHKY) April 20, 2025

Janecke now has an opportunity to lead Penn State to its first NCAA women's hockey title. The greatest women's hockey player in Penn State history, Janecke is among three nominees for the Patty Mazmeier Memorial Award, given to the nation's top college women's hockey player. Janecke is Penn State's first top-3 finalist for the award.

The senior from Orangeville, Illinois, leads the AHA and ranks sixth nationally in points per game (1.55). She was named the AHA player of the year for the third consecutive season and is a four-time all-AHA first-team player.

Janecke is the most prolific scorer in Penn State hockey history, men or women. She is Penn State's career points leader with 198 (86 goals, 112 assists). Janecke tied her own Penn State single-season record with 53 points last season. She enters the postseason with 45 points, which ranks 12th nationally.

"We are proud of Tessa. She is certainly deserving of this Patty Kazmaier recognition," Penn State coach Jeff Kampersal said. "From scoring two goals against Wisconsin in her very first game in a PSU uniform until now, Tessa has set a new standard for Penn State hockey in terms of work
ethic in the weight room, in the classroom and every practice.

"Tessa and her classmates made program history by winning four league titles in all four years of their eligibility. Tessa has been dominant in all three zones, especially tenacious in the faceoff circle, and has given our program a physical edge. Tessa has also made Patty proud.”

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