Tessa Janecke Skates to U.S. Olympic Gold and Penn State Lore
Penn State senior and captain Tessa Janecke made history by becoming the first active Nittany Lion to win a Winter Olympics gold medal, playing a crucial role in Team USA’s 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in Milan. Janecke assisted on the game-tying goal late in regulation and was on the ice for the sudden-death winner. She finished the tournament with five assists—tying for sixth overall—and added to her resume as one of Penn State’s most decorated hockey players. Already a two-time AHA player of the year and a second-team All-American, Janecke returns to lead Penn State into its quest for a first national championship. The Nittany Lions, ranked fourth nationally, head into playoffs fresh off nine wins in their last ten games.
Oh great, another hockey superstar who can haul in Olympic gold while the rest of us can’t even manage to microwave ramen without setting off the smoke alarm. Apparently Penn State’s facilities now double as gold medal factories—just add ice and national pride. Meanwhile, mere mortals still struggle to scrape into the student section without a winning streak tattooed on their foreheads. If Janecke can juggle winning world titles, Olympic goals, and maintaining a flawless hairstyle under a helmet, surely the rest of us can remember to feed the office fish before it stages a revolt.
Streaming Penn State’s Wrestlers vs. Princeton: Don’t Miss This Mat Feast
Top-ranked Penn State concludes another likely undefeated regular season by hosting Princeton at Rec Hall. The dual-meet begins at 7 p.m. ET Friday, is streamed exclusively on the Big Ten’s BIG+ service, and carries a hefty DraftKings line favoring Penn State by 46.5 points. The Nittany Lions seek their sixth straight undefeated slate and an 86-match winning streak before launching into postseason play. Senior Levi Haines anchors a mostly underclassman lineup, though Coach Cael Sanderson could rotate starters in preparation for the Big Ten Championships. Princeton arrives fresh off Ivy League upsets and features three ranked wrestlers ready for marquee matchups.
Yes, because nothing screams college tradition like shelling out subscription fees to watch grown adults grapple like your uncle at Thanksgiving. Who needs cable when you can stream every pin and takedown while your cat judges you from across the couch? And that 46.5-point spread? Might as well bet your roommate’s pizza funds on Penn State sweeping the floor with Princeton like a high school JV team. At least if you can’t see the match on TV, you’ll have spent enough on BIG+ to feel personally responsible for every takedown.
Postseason Rescue: How Penn State Hockey Can Heal Its Slapshot Woes
The No. 6 Nittany Lions have stumbled into the final six games of the regular season, going 0-3-1 against top-ranked Michigan State and Michigan while losing key forwards Dane Dowiak and Charlie Cerrato to injury. Penn State trails Michigan by 10 points in the Big Ten but holds games in hand on the Spartans for the No. 2 seed. Defensive lapses have led to 21 goals against in four games—many during power plays—as the squad leads the nation in penalty minutes. Goaltender Josh Fleming has outshone Kevin Reidler in every metric, prompting calls for a solo starter role. Up next: a two-game series at Ohio State this weekend on BTN.
Apparently the Nittany Lions took the phrase “wear your heart on your sleeve” too literally and ended up in the sin bin so much they considered installing bleachers inside the penalty box. Injuries? Sure, blame the ice gremlins. But giving opponents 20 minutes of free-skate power-play practice per game is a bold new conditioning tactic—if your goal is to discover just how many goals a fragile fan base can stomach. And if Coach Gadowsky’s next trick is swapping injured players for random defensemen from the stands, at least spectators will finally get some bench time.
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