AHA Monthly Recap: October 2025

A lot happened in the AHA this month with a legend returning to her roots, Penn State remaining undefeated, Mercyhurst coming through with the upset I was hoping for, and Delaware earning their first win in program history.

Let's get started!

Featured Game: St. Lawrence vs. Mercyhurst

I picked this game as my series to look forward to in October and I am happy to report I was right. The 10th-ranked Saints visited the Lakers and goaltending was the story for both games in this series as Mercyhurst won the first game 1-0 only to lose the second game 3-0. Let's focus on the first game. The Lakers got out to an early lead with a goal from Julia Perjus four minutes into the game and that would be it. Goaltender Magdalena Luggin and the defense took care of the rest. Luggin made 25 saves while the defense recorded 11 blocks in the upset.

The Lakers were rewarded for their split that weekend because they entered the USCHO rankings at 15 the following week. Though they are no longer ranked, they continue to receive votes every week. Maybe with a few more wins, we'll see them back in the rankings at some point in the season.

Awards Season🏆:

Best Player of October - Danica Maynard

The Penn State defender finished her first full month of college hockey with some great stats. She recorded 14 points in 11 games including a four point game against Delaware on Oct. 11 that she followed up with a three point outing the following weekend against Mercyhurst. She recorded at least one point in six of Penn State’s first seven games in October! Maynard currently leads the conference in assists with 11 and was named the AHA’s Defender of the Month. Let’s see what November brings.

Best Team of October - Penn State Nittany Lions

It is not easy being undefeated in college hockey and yet Penn State is only one of two teams in all of the NCAA to not suffer a loss this season. They currently sit at 12-0-0 and are ranked sixth nationally. They also swept the AHA’s monthly awards this month. This is a strong team with the likes of Team USA forward Tessa Janecke, forward Grace Outwater, goaltender Katie DeSa, and rookie defender Danica Maynard all contributing to the unbeaten streak the Nittany Lions currently have. DeSa recorded four shutouts in October, has allowed only eight goals this season, and has a save percentage of .947. Janecke recorded 13 points in October, while Outwater had eight points including a hat trick. I can see this streak continuing given how strong the offense is with Penn State, even though they have nationally-ranked Northeastern on their schedule in November. However, with five or more goals in seven games so far this season and seven shutouts – that's a solid team right there!

Notable Milestones and Moments from October:

• Mercyhurst entered the USCHO rankings on Oct. 13 after upsetting nationally-ranked St. Lawrence.
• Lakers goaltender Tara Bach recorded her second career shutout on Nov. 1.
• Lindenwood’s Molly Henderson reached 100 career games. The senior forward has also served as an assistant captain the last two seasons!
• Josey Dunne was named captain of the Lions before the team's series against Merrimack.
• Penn State's goalie Katie DeSa recorded four shutouts in October and has gone 120 minutes without allowing a goal.
• Goaltender Maddy Campbell recorded two shutouts of her own for her first shutouts in her college career.
• The Nittany Lions are 12-0 and one of two undefeated teams in the NCAA.
• Freshman forward Matilde Fantin collected six points in late October against Lindenwood. She was also named AHA Rookie of the Week after her performance which was her second weekly honor of the season.

• Delaware earned their first win on Oct. 5 against Holy Cross.
• The Blue Hens' Lexie Lonask scored her first collegiate goal.
• Syracuse's Rachel Walsh also scored the first goal of her career on Oct. 24.
• Cuse goalie Ava Drabyk recorded her first collegiate shutout and helped sweep Delaware earlier this month. She made 47 saves and allowed one goal that weekend.
• RMU forward Jessica MacKinnon also had a six point weekend in late October and has five multi-point performances so far this season.
• The Colonials recorded back-to-back shutouts against Delaware in their series from Oct. 24-25. It was the first time the team had accomplished that feat since 2021.
• MacKinnon and forward Alaina Giampietro both scored two goals in one game on Oct. 25 and are the first duo to do so this season.
• RIT's Addie Alvarez recorded her first career hat trick in the Tigers dominating 7-1 over Lindenwood on Nov. 1
• Tigers goaltender Sophia Bellina made 54 saves in the weekend series against RMU and was rightfully awarded the AHA Goaltender of the Week honor after going 1-1-0 in the series.

Interesting Storyline:

Delaware is a brand new program in the NCAA, which I wrote about in last month's recap. Well, in the first weekend of October, the Blue Hens recorded their first win in program history against Holy Cross in a close 2-1 game. Delaware entered the second trailing 1-0 and scored two goals in the period to take the lead. The defense remained strong and goaltender Charlotte Payne made 49 saves for her first collegiate win.

You can read more about the program and one of the members of the Blue Hens hockey team in my feature on the first commit to the program ever, Francesca "Franki" Barresi, below.

Delaware’s Francesca “Franki” Barresi Was Destined for the Ice

Francesca “Franki” Barresi’s dad knew she was destined to be a hockey player when she was three months old thanks to a Senators game on TV. Now the 18-year-old is helping shape the brand new Delaware hockey program.

The Ice GardenGiselle Velazquez

Something You May Have Missed:

On Oct. 11, Lindenwood women's hockey welcomed back former Lions goaltender and two time Walter Cup champion Nicole Hensley. The program celebrated Hensley's career with the Lions and had a postgame autograph session with the goalie. Hensley played four years at Lindenwood, appeared in 123 games, and finished her career with a 2.98 goals against average and a .921 save percentage.

They even handed out bobbleheads to fans!

Looking Ahead:

Penn State faces a challenge this month as they go against nationally ranked Northeastern from Nov. 28-29. Can the Nittany Lions arrive in Massachusetts unscathed or will someone else hand them their first loss before the holiday weekend arrives?

No, I think Penn State makes it out fine and remains undefeated before and after playing in The Bay State.

You can check out the full AHA schedule here.

See y'all next month.