Penn State women’s hockey head coach Jeff Kampersal announced the team’s leadership group for the 2026-27 season on Wednesday afternoon, naming junior defenseman Taya MacDonald and junior forward Grace Outwater as team captains, according to Onward State. Junior forwards Abby Stonehouse and Nicole Hall will serve as alternate captains for the upcoming campaign.
The Nittany Lions’ newly minted leadership group brings significant collegiate and international experience to the ice ahead of their regular-season opener against Ohio State on September 24 at Pegula Ice Arena. MacDonald enters the season anchored by a robust defensive resume, having recorded three goals and eight assists last year. According to Onward State, her career plus/minus of +56 ranks 10th in program history, while her single-season mark of +38 last year stands third in the Penn State record book.
Outwater Leads a Potent Offensive Core
Grace Outwater steps into a captaincy role following a standout sophomore season where she tallied 24 goals and 16 assists, bringing her career totals to 40 goals and 26 assists. According to Onward State, Outwater led Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) in conference scoring last season, finishing with 40 total points that ranked third in the conference and tied for 27th nationally. Her production earned her All-AHA First Team honors, the Atlantic Hockey America Preseason Player of the Year award, and a spot on the Preseason All-Conference Team.
International Experience Bolsters Alternate Capitals
Alternate captains Abby Stonehouse and Nicole Hall round out the leadership roster with international credentials. Stonehouse, a junior forward, has accumulated 23 goals and 15 assists over her career, including 14 goals and 10 assists with a +28 plus/minus during her sophomore campaign, per Onward State. She also represented Canada at the 2023 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.
Hall enters her junior season with 18 goals and 14 assists across her career, having posted 11 goals and 10 assists in 33 games last year, according to Onward State. On the international stage, Hall has represented Sweden at various levels and most recently made her Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games, as well as competing in the Four Nations Tournament in late August.
Penn State will test its newly designated leadership group when the puck drops against Ohio State at 6 p.m. on September 24.