Surrounded by her teammates, sophomore Nicole Hall received the call of a lifetime with an invitation to the 2026 Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the teammates filmed her getting the call from the Swedish officials, and it was just pure joy on her face and her reaction,\u201d coach Jeff Kampersal told The Daily Collegian. \u201cIt\u2019s a pretty genuine response, and I\u2019m proud of her for putting in the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
While only a sophomore at Penn State, Hall experienced international play well before she takes on the Olympics in February.<\/p>\n
The Stockholm, Sweden, native competed on a pair of teams in the Swedish Women\u2019s Hockey League before representing her country on the 18U Swedish team at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships.<\/p>\n
When Hall arrived at Penn State in 2024, she already had six years of international and semi-professional experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s such a great teammate,\u201d sophomore Abby Stonehouse said. \u201cShe\u2019s super fun to be around, helps her teammates out, and then on the ice, is obviously a great player, high hockey IQ and makes her line mates better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right off the bat, Hall took the ice for the Nittany Lions and her presence had a positive influence on her team.<\/p>\n
While playing in all 38 games in her freshman year, Hall recorded seven goals and four assists. Just two weeks into the season, the forward recorded her first and second career goals in back-to-back games against Union and Dartmouth.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/695463b01eddb.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Forward Nicole Hall (21) skates with the puck during\u00a0the Penn State women\u2019s hockey game against Cornell in Pegula Ice Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Bears 1-0.<\/p>\n
Matt Cropp<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the practices, the games, (work) off the ice, on the ice has helped me,\u201d Hall said. \u201cThe coaches are willing to help all day, and my teammates are making me a better hockey player every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a freshman, Hall stood up and helped her teammates down the stretch of a successful season as the Nittany Lions earned a spot in the AHA semifinals against RIT.<\/p>\n
\u201cI watched her in the world championships when she was the captain of the U18 Sweden team,\u201d Kampersal said. \u201cShe made it with those little things like winning plays, having good habits and being a good teammate. We knew she had leadership capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hall\u2019s success was on display throughout the postseason as she recorded two blocks and a faceoff victory as she wrapped up her first year as an AHA champion.<\/p>\n
Entering her second season, Hall\u2019s efforts were even more on display as she increased her work ethic and put in the work ahead of Year 2.<\/p>\n
\u201c(The biggest thing I learned from her) is how hard she works,\u201d Stonehouse said. \u201cShe never takes a shift off. She\u2019s always in there, so she just taught me to always keep my feet moving and work hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just as the Nittany Lions opened 2025 with success \u2014 earning 16 straight wins \u2014 Hall found her own success with goals in each of the first two games of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cNicole and her teammates kind of run the show in terms of how they want their season to go,\u201d Kampersal said. \u201cShe just brings that lunch pail, work hard mentality to Penn State.\u201d<\/p>\n
After 16 straight wins, Penn State suffered its first loss of the season against Northeastern on Nov. 28. With the help of Hall\u2019s mentality, the blue and white came back and went on an 8-3 stretch since then.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes you can get frustrated a bit, but she just keeps up the positive energy,\u201d graduate student Mya Vaslet said. \u201cShe just keeps saying, \u2018Just trust the process, it\u2019ll come,\u2019 and I think that\u2019s really important too.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/68fc0189c6712.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Forward Nicole Hall (21) skates\u00a0toward the puck\u00a0during the Penn State women’s hockey game against Lindenwood in Pegula Ice Arena\u00a0on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025\u00a0in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Lions 6-1.<\/p>\n
Samantha DiCamillo<\/p>\n
On Jan. 12, Hall received a phone call from the Swedish national team, giving her the news that she would be competing in her first Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were all really excited,\u201d Vaslet said. \u201cI know she was waiting to get the call, but there wasn\u2019t a doubt in any of our minds she wasn\u2019t going to get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Hall has played for the senior women\u2019s team in 15 contests, February will mark her first time suiting up for the Olympic Games, a memory she\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started crying right away when they told me I have a ticket for the Olympics,\u201d Hall said. \u201cI was speechless, I didn\u2019t know what to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to Hall taking the big stage, her teammates Matilde Fantin, Tessa Janecke and former Nittany Lion Jessica Adolfsson will all compete in the Olympics as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter (what position) you play at Penn State hockey, we get better day in and day out,\u201d Vaslet said. \u201cIt shows with people going to the Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\n
After competing in their first preliminary contest on Feb. 5 against Germany, Hall and Team Sweden will face off against Fantin and Team Italy on Feb. 7.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet the best woman win,\u201d Hall said.<\/p>\n
MORE HOCKEY CONTENT<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/68f3fac322587.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n