Josie Bothun’s journey to breaking Penn State women’s hockey records anything but ordinary

See puck. Stop puck.

That’s the mentality of Penn State sophomore goalie Josie Bothun.

Growing up in Wyoming, Minnesota, hockey has been a mainstay in her life from a young age.

Bothun attended Forest Lake High School, where she was featured on the varsity girl’s hockey team as a freshman. She continued to play on the varsity team as a sophomore and recorded eye-popping numbers.

Over those two seasons, Bothun played in 49 games, compiling a 34-12-3 record with 14 shutouts.

She also posted an impressive .952 save percentage and was named team MVP in 2017-18.

In those two seasons, she won two all-conference and all-section awards in 2016-17 and 2017-18 while leading her team to two conference titles, one section championship and one state tournament appearance.

Bothun’s performance caught the attention of boys’ varsity coach Jon Loo.

Loo was named the head coach of the boys’ varsity team at Forest Lake in the 2014-15 season and was previously an assistant coach since the 2009-10 campaign.

He saw a chance for Bothun to make an impact on his team.

“We had a situation where she had an opportunity to compete for a job,” Loo told The Daily Collegian. “She looked at what opportunities were out there and saw that she might have a chance to make the varsity boys team.

“So she tried out, and she made it.”

In her first season playing on the boys' team, she struggled to adjust to the pace of the game.

Despite notching a 10-5 record, Bothun had a .887 save percentage and a 3.45 goals-against average, which fell well below the standards she set for herself.

In her senior season, she played in 11 games and finished with a 6-3-2 record with two shutouts. Meanwhile, she put up a much-improved .910 save percentage and a 2.35 goals-against average in her final season on the boys’ team.

When looking back at her time in high school, Bothun thanked her coach for constantly pushing her to get better.

“He didn’t make it easy for me, which I really appreciate in hindsight,” Bothun said. “He told me ‘You’re going to have to work just as hard as everybody else for your spot,’ and I was like, ‘Alright, let’s go.’”

Loo’s constant push to improve was a key factor in developing the competitive edge Bothun displays now for Penn State.

On the flip side, coaching a player like Bothun was just as rewarding for Loo.

“She was challenged by the boys. They were testing her to see if she would fit, and she passed the test with flying colors,” Loo said. “She raised the whole program up with her competitiveness, and anytime you have a kid around like that, it's fun as a coach.”

Minnesota is known for producing NHL-caliber players and top women’s hockey prospects, so playing in the state helped Bothun’s development tremendously.

Bothun committed to Penn State back in November 2017 and credits playing hockey in her home state for making a smoother transition to the collegiate level.

“It definitely helped me prepare because I grew up in the competitive Minnesota environment, and you have state rivalries which are the kind you see in the movies,” Bothun said. “Minnesota hockey is a different breed and growing up in those situations gave me my competitive edge.”

Bothun came to Penn State in the 2020-21 campaign and immediately had big shoes to fill in replacing Jenna Brenneman.

Brenneman ranks third all-time among Penn State goaltenders with a 1.77 career goals-against average while also ranking fourth in program history with a .925 save percentage.

Bothun was named the starter in her first campaign, beating out fellow freshman goalie Annie Spring. The decision soon paid off big time for coach Jeff Kampersal.

In her first start as a Nittany Lion, she became the first goalie in program history to record a shutout in her debut, making 23 saves in a 3-0 victory over Lindenwood.

Bothun continued the hot start to her Penn State career, allowing just four goals in her first four games.

Throughout the season, Bothun and Kampersal began to grow their relationship.

“He was like my high school coaches, saying it wasn’t going to be easy for me and that I’m going to have to work hard, step up and do my thing,” Bothun said. “[Kampersal] is somebody I can rely on, talk to if I’m having issues or if I’m not feeling too confident in something.”

Toward the end of the regular season, Bothun went on an unbelievable streak that saw her not surrender a goal in 263 minutes and 54 seconds across six games, setting a new program record.

In that six-game streak, she tallied four-straight shutouts against RIT and made 50 saves in the victories over Tiger.

She finished the campaign with a 16-3-2 record, a .944 save percentage, 1.49 goals-against average and three shutouts.

She broke several single-season goaltending records, including wins, winning percentage, goals-against average and save percentage.

Bothun became Penn State’s first-ever USCHO.com national award winner, capturing the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year while also being the first Nittany Lion to win CHA Goaltender of the Year.

Despite receiving the accolades, Bothun is more focused on the team’s success, which the blue and white achieved in her freshman season with the first CHA regular-season title in program history.

“I want to elevate myself, and the accolades are great, but I’m mostly focused on giving our team the best chance to win and have success,” Bothun said. “That contributes to me never being satisfied because I always want more for the team.”

Entering the 2021-22 campaign, Penn State and Bothun had major expectations following last season.

The Nittany Lions are known for their offensive style of play, averaging over 37 shots per night. Faith in their goalie allows Kampersal’s team to fire freely at the opposing net.

“We know with Josie back there we can play a more offensive style, knowing that if we make mistakes, she’s back there to help us out,” Kampersal said. “We’re lucky — we have Josie in the program.”

On the year, Bothun has an 18-9-5 record with a .925 save percentage and 1.61 goals-against average. Her nine shutouts and 18 wins are new single-season program records. She’s also picked up seven CHA Goaltender of the Week nods.

The impact Bothun has on her team is nothing short of remarkable.

“She’s been the backbone. She saves us when we do have those breakdowns from a team aspect,” junior forward Julie Gough said. “Josie is definitely one in a million for our team.”

With Penn State set to take on Mercyhurst in the semifinals of the CHA tournament, Bothun reflected on where her time at Penn State has taken her thus far.

“Everyone at Penn State has impacted me in a different way and forced me to grow, not only as a player but as a person,” Bothun said. “Every single person in our locker room definitely pushes me to be better and holds me to a standard, and I hold them to a standard.”