Brandwene Snags Two More

According to a release from the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program, Penn State has its second and third women's commitments for 2012.

Jill Holdcroft

Forward
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 19U
5'1", 121 pounds
Pennsylvania Furnace, PA
DOB 1/29/1994

Pittsburgh Penguins Elite site

Season   Team                   Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM
-------------------------------------------------------------
2010-11  State College Area HS  PIHL   17    1    4    5    0
2010-11  Pgh Penguins Elite 16U MWEHL  16    5    4    9    2

Darby Kern

Forward
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 19U
5'11", 145 pounds
Venetia, PA
DOB 8/28/1994

Pittsburgh Penguins Elite site

Season   Team                   Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM
-------------------------------------------------------------
2010-11  Pgh Penguins Elite 16U MWEHL  16   10   10   20    4

Here's the full text of the release:

We are excited that two Pittsburgh Penguins Elite u19 girls become the 1st two Pennsylvanians to commit to the Nittany Lions 2012 D1 team! Jill Holdcroft (Pennsylvania Furnace) and Darby Kern (Peters Township) made a verbal commitment to PSU head coach Josh Brandwene after the NAHA Labor Day Tournament. It was great that Josh had an opportunity to watch the girls play at the Beantown Classic in August and the NAHA Tournament and offered the girls spots on Penn State's first D1 team! The girls are excited to become Nittany Lions (both girls have parents who are PSU alums and Darby Kern's brother, Rod is a sophomore at PSU....so Penn State is a family tradition for the Holdcroft's and Kern's.

In 2012 Penn State will join two other PA schools -- Mercyhurst and RMU in the CHA, as well as Niagara and Syracuse Universities. In the near future, it is suspected that a 6th school will join the CHA giving that league an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

If the Holdcroft name sounds familiar, that's because Jill is cousin to our former u19 goalie, Lindsay Holdcroft who is now an NCAA standout playing for Dartmouth College. Lindsay's dad, Bob is also a PSU grad!

Jill and Darby are long-time teammates with our program, both attended multiple USAH National Development Camps and also both play for their respective highschool hockey programs. Good luck at Penn State girls!!!!

Incidentally, current Lady Icers Katie Vaughan and Tess Weaver also came up through the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program, although obviously, and as mentioned, the Penn State ties of Holdcroft and Kern go much deeper than that. Bob (Dartmouth goalie Lindsay's father) Holdcroft happens to be an old teammate of Joe Battista, while Tim (Jill's father) Holdcroft played for the Icers just after that and was part of the 1983-1984 national championship team.

Last season, Holdcroft played for State High's boys team and put up five points in 17 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League games, including a power play goal in a loss to McDowell. She had an assist in a first-round PIHL playoff defeat as well. Of course, she also played for the Penguins Elite 16Us and added nine points in 16 games.

Kern's line of 10-10-20 with the Pens 16Us led the team in goals, assists and, as you might expect, points. She had a hat trick plus an assist last September 26th against the Ohio Flames and added another hat trick on January 8th against Compuware. Anyone burning anything having to do with Pete Karmanos is good with me. She's also good with the people at the Toronto Prospects Camp and the USA Hockey Select 16 Camp, both of which she has attended.

The NAHA Labor Day tournament represented sort of a final appraisal for the two, one they obviously passed before accepting Penn State's offers in short order. Kern had a pair of assists in six games while Holdcroft added a goal. Overall, in eleven games this season, Holdcroft leads the team with seven goals, two assists, while Kern's not far behind with a goal and six assists.