(Ann Arbor, MI) - The Concordia Cardinals women's hockey team prepares for their first ever appearance in the CCWHA Division 1 Tournament. They will face off with Penn State on Thursday, February 20th at 5:30pm.
Game Information
#6 Concordia Cardinals vs #3 Penn State
February 20th | 5:30 pm | Eddie Edgar Ice Arena | Livonia, MI
About Penn State
Penn State finished the regular season with a 9-7-0 overall record while compiling a 7-7-0 CCWHA record.Their only non-conference games were a sweep of Rhode Island in November. Penn State started off their season hot, winning 7 of their first 8 games. They then fell in 5 of their next 6 games. The team split their final series of the year against Grand Valley State with two close 1-goal games.
On the offensive side, Penn State is led by forward Camryn Salaski, who has nearly double the points of any of her teammates. She currently sits at 26 points with 9 goals and 17 assists. Penn State has one skater with double digit goals, and that is Kaitlyn Bahrs who has 11 goals through her 13 games played.
Penn State has had three goalies see action this year, led by Paige Gorman who has logged over 600 minutes in net. Avery Blanchard has only allowed three goals all season in limited time, while rookie Alexis Riley has compiled 115 saves on the year.
About the Cardinals
The Cardinals finished the season with a 9-14 record while collecting a 5-9 record in CCWHA conference play. The Cardinals fell in their first six games, but then won three straight, including a big win over then #15 Lake Superior State. The Cardinals played some top-ranked teams in December and early January, but saw the tides shift near the end of the season. They finished the season winning six of their final eight games, including an incredible 8-0 (95 shots-on-goal) win over Davenport heading into the playoffs.
On the offensive side, the Cardinals were led by seven players with ten points or more. Senior captain and all-time Cardinal points leader, Grace Dodgson, currently leads the team with 20 points. She is followed closely by Emma Shore, who has added 17 points this season. Mallory Collins is the current goals-leader for CUAA, finding herself at 11 goals after the regular season conclusion. Lauren Benoit has added 11 points of her own on the season. On defense, Sara Kaczmarek has led the Cardinals with 13 points, all coming via assist.
The Cardinals have been anchored down all season at goalie by sophomore Rose Lennon. She has compiled over 1000 minutes in net this season, and at 639 saves currently sits five away from CUAA's single-season saves record.
In Case You Missed It (Previous Matchups)
Concordia and Penn State did not meet this season, but previously matched up in the 2023-24 season in State College, PA. The two teams split the series, with CUAA losing the first game 8-4 before reigning victorious in the second game 8-3.
CCWHA Tournament
All games will be hosted at Eddie Edgar Arena in Livonia, Michigan.
*Records listed below are regular season CCWHA conference records
Round One, February 20th
GM1 1:30pm: H#4 University of Michigan (7-6-1) vs E#5 Aquinas (1-13-0)
GM2 2:30pm: E#4 Grand Valley State (5-9-0) vs H#5 Miami Ohio (7-6-1)
GM3 4:30pm: H#3 Indiana Tech (9-5-0) vs E#6 Davenport (1-13-0)
GM4 5:30pm: E#3 Penn State (7-7-0) vs H#6 Concordia (5-9-0)
Quarterfinals, February 21st
GM5 11:00am: H#2 Michigan-Dearborn (9-5-0) vs winner game 3
GM6 11:30am: E#2 Michigan State (9-5-0) vs winner game 4
GM7 2:00pm: H#1 Adrian (14-0-0) vs winner game 1
GM8 2:30pm: E#1 Lake Superior State (9-5-0) vs winner game 2
Semifinals, February 22nd
GM9 1:00pm: Winners from game 5 vs game 6
GM10 5:30pm: Winners from game 7 vs game 8
Championship, February 22nd
GM11 3:30pm: Winners from game 9 vs game 10
