McGee Headed to Holy Cross

What was well known in Penn State and women's hockey circles for quite some time is finally official - former Nittany Lions defender Taylor McGee is headed to Worcester, MA and the College of the Holy Cross for the coming season, the school announced Friday.

McGee, who joined University of British Columbia-bound Katie Zinn in transferring out of the Penn State program this off-season, played 23 games as a freshman in 2012-2013 and put up a pair of assists. When healthy, the Pearl River, NY native and former captain at Taft School was an outstanding puck mover with good offensive instincts from the blue line. Her highlight as a Nittany Lion was probably the opening weekend of the season (and of the NCAA era), as she and defense partner Paige Jahnke were each a +3 in the historic 5-3 win at Vermont on October 6, 2012. The duo followed up with +1 ratings and one of McGee's assists in defeat the next day.

Holy Cross, which plays at the NCAA Division III level for women's hockey, is perhaps best known to PSU as the alma mater of assistant coach Casey McCullion. The 2007 graduate's name still dots the Crusaders' goaltending record books, as she's second in program history for career saves, third for wins, fifth for save percentage and fourth for goals against average, and also owns several top ten single-season marks in those categories. Overall, Holy Cross is 198-130-25 in 14 seasons of play and captured the 2009 ECAC East regular season championship. Head coach Peter Van Buskirk has posted winning records for seven years running, dating back to McCullion's senior year, after the program enjoyed just one winning campaign in its first seven.

Here is the body of the press release covering McGee and the six other members of her recruiting class...

Holy Cross head women's ice hockey coach Peter Van Buskirk has announced the newest members of the Crusaders' program. Six newcomers make up the 2013 incoming freshman class while one transfer student-athlete joins the roster as a sophomore. Izzy Bagi (Branford, Conn.), Erin Hall (Pembroke, Mass.), Hildie Hoeschen (St. Paul, Minn.), Livvy Konaxis (Beverly, Mass.), Meghan O'Donnell (Lancaster, Mass.) and Rose Rather (Stamford, Conn.) make up the freshman class while Taylor McGee (Pearl River, N.Y.) comes to Holy Cross after spending her freshman year at Penn State.

"We are very excited to have these players attend Holy Cross and be part of the women's hockey program," Van Buskirk said. "They all have good skills but more importantly they are all team players with great work ethic."

...and finally, here's the standard-issue quote from Van Buskirk regarding McGee, who will wear number 28 for the Crusaders:

"Coming from Penn State we expect great things from Taylor. We anticipate she will help stable our defensive core and contribute offensively. We see her as an offensive defenseman with great decision making skills, strong on the puck and a good shot."

2013-14 Women's Roster Released

Blueliner Lindsay Reihl, now a graduate student, returns to help lead PSU into Pegula Ice Arena

Penn State has posted its 2013-2014 women's roster on GoPSUSports.com. Without further delay, here it is:

No	Name	Pos	Yr	Ht	Hometown	Last Team
2	Jeanette Bateman	D	So.	5'6"	Greeley, CO	Colorado Select
3	Cara Mendelson	F	Jr.	5'6"	Pittsburgh, PA	Steel City Selects
4	Jordin Pardoski	D	So.	5'5"	Rochester Hills, MI	Honeybaked
5	Stephanie Walkom	D	So.	5'7"	Moon Twp., PA	Pgh. Penguins Elite
6	Lindsay Reihl	D	Gr.	5'4"	Cheshire, CT	CT Polar Bears
9	Amy Petersen	F	Fr.	5'4"	Minnetonka, MN	Minnetonka HS
10	Micayla Catanzariti	F	So.	5'4"	Rancho Santa Margarita, CA	Gilmour Academy
12	Sarah Nielsen	F	Fr.	5'6"	Edina, MN	Edina HS
13	Kendra Rasmussen	F	So.	5'5"	Sartell, MN	Sartell/Sauk Rapids HS
14	Darby Kern	F	So.	5'11"	Venetia, PA	Pgh. Penguins Elite
15	Jess Desorcie	F	Jr.	5'4"	Westford, VT	Connecticut College
16	Hannah Hoenshell	F	So.	5'3"	Plano, TX	Alliance Bulldogs
17	Paige Jahnke	D	So.	5'6"	Oakdale, MN	Roseville HS
18	Laura Bowman	F	Fr.	5'7"	Minnetonka, MN	Minnetonka HS
19	Jill Holdcroft	F	So.	5'1"	Pa. Furnace, PA	Pgh. Penguins Elite
20	Emily Laurenzi	F	So.	5'2"	Townsend, DE	Nat'l Sports Academy
21	Sarah Wilkie	D	So.	5'6"	Ashby, MA	Williston N'hampton
22	Jenna Welch	F	Sr.	5'8"	Austin, TX	Connecticut
23	Birdie Shaw	F	So.	5'2"	Troy, MI	Honeybaked
24	Taylor Gross	F	Sr.	5'1"	Colorado Springs, CO	Connecticut
25	Katie Murphy	F	Jr.	5'4"	Novi, MI	Honeybaked
27	Kelly Seward	D	Fr.	5'9"	Williamsville, NY	Nichols School
30	Celine Whitlinger	G	So.	5'8"	Garden Grove, CA	Gilmour Academy
31	Brooke Meyer	G	So.	5'7"	Naperville, IL	Chicago Huskies
33	Madison Smiddy	D	Jr.	5'7"	Grand Rapids, MI	Honeybaked
36	Tess Weaver	F	Jr.	5'5"	Windber, PA	Pgh. Penguins Elite
37	Nicole Paniccia	G	Sr.	5'5"	Oakville, ON	Connecticut
40	Shannon Yoxheimer	F	So.	5'7"	Jackson, MI	NAHA

The primary news items with any roster release, of course, are the comings and goings and this roster confirms that forward Katie Zinn and defender Taylor McGee have both left the program after their freshman seasons. McGee, who arrived at PSU from Taft School, was sidelined with a concussion for a chunk of the season but was still generally a solid regular when healthy, playing in 23 games and collecting a pair of assists. Zinn, a Coquitlam, BC native, is probably the less surprising of the two departures. She played in 12 games and scored once with three assists, but ended the season on an undisclosed suspension and last played in a 2-1 loss at Union on January 12th, missing PSU's final 13 games.

Josh Brandwene's recruiting class remains at the four - Kelly Seward, Sarah Nielsen, and Minnetonka High School linemates and three-time state champions Laura Bowman and Amy Petersen - officially announced back in November and tracked here over the last year-plus. Just to refresh things, here is a post including observations on Seward after watching her at USA Hockey nationals with the Buffalo Bisons in April, another covering Bowman and Petersen's most recent Minnesota AA title in February, and one reporting Nielsen's initial commitment last August.

Buffalo-area native Kelly Seward is a key part of an outstanding freshman class

Also, here are the quotes from PSU's fall National Letter of Intent signing release, including Brandwene on each player, and each player on Penn State.

Bowman on PSU: "I chose Penn State because I was impressed with the school of science and research opportunities. I love the atmosphere that I feel there and the campus is exactly what I imagined my college would look like. I can't wait to become part of the Penn State family and I'm looking forward to making history in the new Pegula Ice Arena."

Brandwene on Bowman: "Laura is the total package of skill, speed, height and tenacity. She is equal parts scorer, play-maker and outstanding penalty killer. Laura plays terrific hockey at both ends of the ice and she will have immediate impact."

Petersen on PSU: "I chose Penn State for both the athletic and academic options that it has to offer."

Brandwene on Petersen: "Amy defines what it means to be a clutch scorer. Her consistent play, her intensity, and her knack for big game performances are what caught our eye. She's fun to watch and will be an immediate presence in our lineup next year."

Seward on PSU: "After visiting many college campuses, I feel that Penn State is a great school to attend. Even though it is a huge campus, it has a small-school feel. It is the perfect fit for me."

Brandwene on Seward: "I am very impressed with Kelly's consistency and well-rounded game. She possesses great height, strength, foot speed, on-ice vision and puck distribution skills, complemented by a terrific point shot. She'll be a defensive force for us."

Nielsen on PSU: "I fell in love with Penn State because of the coaching staff, their team-first philosophy and type of hockey tradition they're trying to build. I also loved the beautiful campus and college town feel."

Brandwene on Nielsen: "Sarah is a fantastic two-way forward with an outstanding hockey IQ, and impressive maturity and poise. She has skill, strength, a positive attitude, and tremendous work ethic. Sarah will be a difference-maker for us at both ends of the ice."

With the four freshmen and three departures (outgoing senior Kate Christoffersen being the third, of course), the Nittany Lions' roster for the inaugural season at Pegula Ice Arena now sits at 28: 17 forwards, eight defenders and three goaltenders.

Penn State-RIT Photo Gallery

Photos from Friday afternoon's visit to RIT for the CHA playoff contest between the Tigers and the Nittany Lion women. Click any photo to enlarge.

Note: Ordinarily I like to do a campus tour, but in RIT's case, I already handled some of that task back in October when the men's team played in Rochester. I may add to that tomorrow, or I may not, but for now, here are a few from the rink (with the last one from what will be a rink).

It was casual Friday for RIT's pep band

My stick shot from last week didn't include the big clubs, so I fixed that

As usual, captain Taylor Gross helps junior goaltender Nicole Paniccia warm up

Sophomore forward Tess Weaver

Freshman forward Birdie Shaw

Freshman defender-turned-center Taylor McGee

Sophomore forward Jess Desorcie (through glass, sorry about that)

Freshman forward Darby Kern

Freshman defender Sarah Wilkie

Gross

The helmets lined up on the bench is always a favorite shot

The game's opening faceoff, as seen from the press box

Josh Brandwene and the PSU bench during the third period

Pile driving at RIT's Polisseni Center - about one year after happening at PSU

Penn State-Princeton Photo Gallery

Photos from Tuesday night's Penn State-Princeton women's game. All are by and courtesy of Steven Hass. Click for full size.

Taylor McGee (8) cleans off Nicole Paniccia's (37) doorstep

McGee

Paniccia stopped 27 pucks...

...and at least one player.

Senior defender Lindsay Reihl

Junior forward Taylor Gross was dangerous on several occasions

Freshman forward Micayla Catanzariti

Sophomore forward Jess Desorcie

Freshman sparkplug Jill Holdcroft

Freshman forward Hannah Hoenshell and her silky smooth mitts

Freshman forward Birdie Shaw

Freshman forward Kendra Rasmussen

Freshman defender Jordin Pardoski, one of Paniccia's trusted protectors

Paniccia

Desorcie

Gross (C) and Reihl (A) have a meeting for people who wear a letter

W: Penn State 1 at Syracuse 4

Box score // GoPSUSports.com recap // SUathletics.com recap

SUathletics.com photos

Former Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart once famously declared in Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964) that "I know it when I see it." Stewart, as many of you may know, was speaking about hardcore pornography, but he just as easily could have been referring to the progress of the 2012-2013 Nittany Lions women's hockey team.

That progress, much like pornography, sometimes evades clear definition. On Saturday afternoon against Syracuse (14-11-1, 8-3-1 CHA) and repeating a pattern seen earlier in the season, Penn State (7-16-1, 1-10-1 CHA) was outshot 55-15. Things like scoring chances and zone time aren't available, but I imagine the proportions would be similar. But that's rarely the whole story, and it certainly wasn't this time around.

Taylor Gross helps Celine Whitlinger defend the PSU net from Syracuse's Allie LaCombe.

The simple fact is this: but for a late empty-net goal by Julie Knerr of Syracuse, PSU outscored the Orange over the last 48:30 of the game. The 1-0 margin was thanks to Jill Holdcroft - Does she have a fan club? If so, I want in - the scrappy State High alumna. Holdcroft, in adding the icing to a fantastic weekend, took a feed from Shannon Yoxheimer after a nice play at the line, swooped in on SU goalie Jenesica Drinkwater, and scored on her own rebound after the initial shot was saved.

Syracuse, of course, won the game with three early goals. First Nicole Ferrara put back a Margot Scharfe rebound just as an early penalty expired, then Kallie Goodnough rippled twine off of a loose puck kicked back into the slot, and finally, Jacquie Greco made it 3-0 early on a power play one-timer. The Orange also built an early 9-0 shots lead during the scoring run.

Penn State's mental toughness won from that point on, though. Celine Whitlinger, who ended with 51 saves, shut the door the rest of the way. The defense generally reduced the quality of the chances by SU's talented top two lines (although Whitlinger was certainly spectacular when that wasn't the case). And PSU's offense, while not very prolific, did develop some opportunities.

The entire situation reminded me of two games earlier this season:

• On November 11th, Robert Morris jumped on PSU for three first-period goals at the Ice Pavilion. However, Nicole Paniccia shut things down from there, and Micayla Catanzariti's third-period goal provided a glimmer of hope in an eventual 4-1 loss.
• On December 1st at Mercyhurst, an early Taylor Gross blueline takeaway led to a Jess Desorcie rebound goal and first blood against the juggernaut Lakers, a lead that PSU held through the midpoint of the opening period.

Do those things, or the fact that the Nittany Lions scored against Syracuse after being shut out in the first three games of the season series, look like much on the outside? No, not really. But for those paying close attention, they're the type of glimmers that show a young program in development. I'll spare the tired cliche about crawling before walking before running, but it's true. Take any winning team in sports, look back to before it was a winning team, and I guarantee you'll find a set of milestones and moments - sometimes isolated games within seasons, sometimes isolated plays within games - that indicated they were on the right track. I'm a skeptic by nature and don't always pick them up as they're happening, but I'm seeing them with Penn State women's hockey.

Here's the live blog for the latest step in the journey:

PSU-RIT Photo Gallery II

Photos from Friday evening's Penn State-RIT women's game. All are by and courtesy of Steven Hass. Click for full size.

The Nittany Lions during lineup introductions

Taylor Gross heads down Glove Bump Rd. following her first-period goal

Freshman defender Jordin Pardoski

Freshman forward Emily Laurenzi battles with RIT's Julie Hall

Junior goaltender Nicole Paniccia was the game's first star

Sophomore forward Tess Weaver

Sophomore forward Jess Desorcie had a productive offensive game

Freshman forward Birdie Shaw

Freshman forward Shannon Yoxheimer has six goals this season

Freshman forward Micayla Catanzariti

Freshman defender Jeanette Bateman motors down the ice

Paniccia, as she typically is seen: with the puck in front of her

Laurenzi intently watches for the puck to be dropped

Junior forward Jenna Welch

Freshman forward Kendra Rasmussen has had a good start to the season