It’s a hockey homecoming that seems like it was devised by one of those Hallmark Christmas movie plots … but in fact, it’s real.
Beverly native Jeff Kampersal, one of the most successful Division 1 women’s college hockey coaches of all time, returns to the North Shore this weekend with his unbeaten Penn State Nittany Lions to face off against another power program, Northeastern, Saturday at 2 p.m.
This will take place in the cozy confines of the Dorothy Talbot Rink in Gloucester, where upwards of 1,600 fans are expected to take in this rare treat of Top 10 teams playing a regular season game in their own backyard. The game will be presented by the Gloucester High Athletic Hall of Fame committee.
“It’s going to be really cool,” said the 55-year-old Kampersal, who has guided Penn State to a perfect 16-0-0 record thus far this season. They are currently ranked fourth in the latest USCHO (US College Hockey Online) poll.
“I played at Talbot Rink as a kid; it’s going to be a great experience for our players. I hope it’s packed.”
Northeastern, a perennial Hockey East powerhouse, currently holds a 12-2 and a No. 7 national ranking. The two teams will face off Friday at legendary Matthews Arena in Boston (3:30 p.m.) before Saturday’s tilt at Talbot.
“We try to schedule the best non-league opponents that we can outside of the AHA (Atlantic Hockey America) that we can, and Northeastern certainly fits that bill,” said Kampersal, who played high school hockey at St. John’s Prep before going on to a fine college career at Princeton. He was drafted out of high school by the New York Islanders (10th round) in 1988 and played professionally in both the AHL and ECHL before turning to coaching.
“Northeastern represents a huge challenge for us to see where we are,” he added. “Between NU and upcoming games against Cornell and Ohio State (right after the holiday break), we’ll be able to judge where we are. We’re in the ‘prove it’ mode.”
Gloucester native Ben Smith, an early advocate for women’s hockey who coached the first US Olympic team to gold at the 1998 games, reached out to both Kampersal and Northeastern coach Dave Flint about putting on a game locally. Smith had long been an ally of Kampersal’s going back decades, with ‘Punky’ serving as a mentor to ‘Kampy’ when the latter was first starting out and continuing through their mutual involvement with USA Hockey to this present day.
Smith set up a game at Talbot three seasons ago between Boston College and NU to coincide with Gloucester’s 400th birthday celebration. Kampersal said he loved the idea of bringing Penn State there for a game when given the chance.
He also said there was “self interest on my part” in doing so; his father Dave, who watched all of his son’s games online, would’ve celebrated his 80th birthday on Saturday. He passed away over the summer, but the thought of his father being able to watch him coach locally was certainly appealing to Kampersal.
“Ben wants to continue to fill the women’s hockey brand around him,” said Kampersal, whose mother Pam, sister Heidi, and his niece and nephew, will all be in attendance. “To be able to go back home, playing a good team in front of my family and friends, and promoting women’s hockey in general, I was all for it.”
Penn State has what Kampersal terms “a generational player” in Tessa Janecke. The program’s all-time leading scorer with 74 goals and 104 assists, she has 11-14-25 totals in 14 games this season. She’s the rising tide that lifts all boats, according to her coach.
Kendall Butze, poised to become PSU’s all-time points leader for a defenseman, quarterbacks the team and always plays with her head up. Fellow senior Maddy Christian (11 goals) not only delivers offensively but uses elite speed as a weapon on the penalty kill. Forward Katelyn Roberts is a selfless player with a wicked shot and the glue that keeps the Nittany Lions together. Goalie Katie DeSa will set a number of records between the pipes before she leaves as well.
“We’re a very player-led team,” acknowledged Kampersal. “They set the standards; there’s no drama. It’s a really easy group to coach.”
Currently seven victories away from 500 for his NCAA coaching career between Princeton (20 seasons) and Penn State, Kampersal sits ninth all-time in NCAA women’s hockey coaching annals.
Kampersal’s wife, Eileen, and two hockey/lacrosse playing children, 14-year-old Keira and 12-year-old Jack, will come to the North Shore with him and his team. The Nittany Lions plan on getting in a practice at Talbot before Saturday’s game and will take in some of the sights locally … including giving some of the players their first-ever look at the Atlantic Ocean.
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Tickets to Saturday’s game at Talbot Rink can be purchased for $7 either online or at Cape Ann Savings Bank. Tickets at the door the day of the event will be $10.