Dominant Defense and Explosive Offense: No. 6 Nittany Lions Blank Delaware 7-0
THE PRESS CENTER
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SPORTS/ THE NITTANY LEAK
NEWARK, Del. – The No. 6-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions delivered a commanding performance in their first conference series of the season, shutting out Delaware 7-0 and allowing just one shot on goal — a new program record for defensive dominance.
Game Recap: How It Happened
The scoring opened early in the second period when Maddy Christian intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and skated in shorthanded, sniping the high corner to make it 1-0.
Just 80 seconds later, Kendall Butze set up Danica Maynard, who glided from the top of the circle to the dot and fired a shot into the upper corner for a 2-0 lead.
Early in the third, Matilde Fantin battled along the boards and fed Maynard at the blue line. Maynard stepped in and threaded a shot through traffic for her second goal of the game.
Midway through the third, Nicole Hall capitalized on a rebound from Sophie Morrow’s shot, scoring with the Delaware goalie out of position to make it 4-0.
Just 24 seconds later, Maynard found Fantin alone in the slot, who buried her chance to extend the lead to 5-0.
With 6:46 remaining, Delaware turned over a defensive zone faceoff, and Fantin pounced, skating in and going bar-down for her second of the game.
Capping off the scoring, Maynard connected with Christian on the far post, who lifted the puck over the goaltender for her second goal of the afternoon.
Between the Pipes
- Maddy Campbell made her first collegiate start and earned a shutout with one save.
- Delaware’s Mattie Robitzer faced a barrage of shots, making a career-high 62 saves.
Stats & Highlights
- Penn State outshot Delaware 69-1, the fewest shots allowed in program history and the largest shot differential ever recorded.
- The 69 shots on goal tie for the second-most in program history, matching their total against Robert Morris on Feb. 10, 2024.
- The seven-goal outburst ties for the 10th most in a single game for the Nittany Lions, last achieved on Nov. 16, 2024 vs. Lindenwood.
- Maddy Christian scored twice, continuing her streak of recording a point in all six games this season. She leads the nation in game-winning goals with three.
- Danica Maynard had a standout performance with two goals and two assists, bringing her season total to nine points — fifth nationally.
- The team recorded 16 total points, their highest this season and most since tallying 30 against Stonehill on Oct. 26, 2024.
SOURCE CREDIT: https://gopsusports.com/news
