BOSTON, Mass. - March 4, 2025 - Atlantic Hockey America is proud to honor four student-athletes as AHA Players of the Month for their outstanding on-ice performances in games from Feb. 1 - March 2, 2025. The winners for February are Mercyhurst senior Vanessa Upson (Forward), RIT senior Kyla Bear (Defenseman), Syracuse graduate student Allie Kelley (Goaltender), and Mercyhurst freshman Julia Schalin (Rookie).

AHA FORWARD OF THE MONTH
Vanessa Upson, Sr., F, Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst forward Vanessa Upson racked up 14 points (2g, 12a) across eight games from Feb. 1 - March 2. Upson recorded at least a point in seven of eight games in that stretch, and orchestrated four multi-point games. Her month was highlighted by a trio of three-assist performances against Syracuse on Feb. 14, March 1, and March 2. She collected six assists in the semifinal round vs. the Orange. Upson's 12 assists during the month extended her season total in assists to 30, which is a career-high. In addition, The Stoney Creek, Ont. native fired 30 shots on goal and won 83 face-offs for the Lakers during the month. This is Upson's second consecutive AHA Forward of the Month honor, and she has been named AHA Forward of the Week twice on the season (Nov. 25 and Jan. 6).

Honorable Mention:
Morgan Neitzke, Sr., F, Lindenwood: 6 games, 9 points (6g, 3a)
Tessa Janecke, Jr., F, Penn State: 7 games, 8 points (5g, 3a)

AHA DEFENSEMAN OF THE MONTH
Kyla Bear, Sr., D, RIT
RIT's Kyla Bear potted a team-leading four goals and dished out three assists for seven points in the month of February. Bear scored three goals in RIT's weekend series at Lindenwood on Feb. 7-8, which included a two-goal performance in RIT's 4-3 win on Feb. 8. Her second goal of the afternoon won the game for the Tigers in overtime. The Ochapowace, SK native strung together a four-game point streak from Feb. 7-15, and collected a pair of assists at Penn State on Feb. 28 in the semifinals. Bear fired 18 shots on goal during the month, and blocked 19 shots, including a season-high seven in the quarterfinal round vs. Lindenwood on Feb. 22. Bear finished the season with nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points. This is Bear's first AHA Defenseman of the Month honor this season, and she was named AHA Defenseman of the Week on Feb. 10. 

Honorable Mention:
Jessica Cheung, Fr., D, Syracuse: 9 games, 8 points (1g, 7a)
Karley Garcia, Sr., D, Penn State: 7 games, 4 points (4a)

AHA GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH
Allie Kelley, Gr., G, Syracuse
From Feb. 1- March 2, Syracuse goaltender Allie Kelley made 297 saves and posted a save percentage of .943 across nine games. Kelley went 6-3-0 in those nine games, and capped the month with a 2.07 goals-against average. Kelley had four games of 40+ saves, and she began the month with a 30-save shutout vs. Lindenwood on Feb. 1. Her month was highlighted by a 47-save shutout at Mercyhurst on Feb. 28 in Game 1 of the semifinals. She also led the Orange to a victory in the quarterfinal round by making 40 saves on 42 shots (.952 save percentage) vs. Robert Morris. The East Berne, N.Y. native ended the season with a .929 save percentage to go along with a 2.62 goals-against average. Her 1,241 saves on the year currently lead the nation. This is Kelley's first AHA Goaltender of the Month honor this season, and she has been named AHA Goaltender of the Week twice (Feb. 3 and Feb. 10).

Honorable Mention: 
Katie DeSa, Jr., G, Penn State: 6 games, 5-1-0 record, 83 saves, .892 save percentage, 1.80 GAA
Sarah Coe, Sr., G, RIT: 8 games, 3-4-1 record, 246 saves, .935 save percentage, 2.10 GAA

AHA ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Julia Schalin, Fr., F, Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst freshman Julia Schalin collected nine points on four goals and five assists in seven games from Feb. 1 - March 2. She began the month of February with a point in four straight games, which was apart of an eight-game point streak that started on Jan. 18. Her biggest game came in Game 3 of the semifinal round vs. Syracuse. Schalin scored two goals, including the game-winner, and dished out an assist for a three-point game to lead the Lakers to a 5-2 victory and claim a spot in the championship game. She also had multi-point efforts on Feb. 8 at Penn State (1g, 1a) and Feb. 15 vs. Syracuse (2a). This is Schalin's second consecutive AHA Rookie of the Month honor, and her third of the season. The Espoo, Finland native has been named AHA Rookie of the Week on four occasions (Nov. 18, Jan. 27, Feb. 10 and March 3).

Honorable Mention: 
Peyton Armstrong, Fr., F, Syracuse: 9 games, 7 points (2g, 5a)
Brac Kelley, Fr., F, RIT: 8 games, 7 points (7a)

2024-25 AHA PLAYER OF THE MONTH WINNERS
FEBRUARY
Forward: Vanessa Upson, Sr., F, Mercyhurst; Defenseman: Kyla Bear, Sr., D, RIT; Goaltender: Allie Kelley, Gr., G, Syracuse; Rookie: Julia Schalin, Fr., F, Mercyhurst
JANUARY
Forward: Vanessa Upson, Sr., F, Mercyhurst; Defenseman: Megan McKay, Jr., D, Mercyhurst; Goaltender: Katie DeSa, Jr., G, Penn State; Rookie: Julia Schalin, Fr., F, Mercyhurst
DECEMBER
Forward: Bryn Saarela, Gr., F, Syracuse; Defenseman: Emma Pickering, So., D, RIT; Goaltender: Katie DeSa, Jr., G, Penn State; Rookie: Kailey Favro, Fr., F, RIT
NOVEMBER
Forward: Tessa Janecke, Jr., F, Penn State; Defenseman: Kendall Butze, Jr., D, Penn State; Goaltender: Jorden Mattison, Gr., G, Mercyhurst; Rookie: Julia Schalin, Fr., F, Mercyhurst
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
Forward: Tessa Janecke, Jr., F, Penn State; Defenseman: Lyndie Lobdell, Gr., D, Penn State; Goaltender: Sarah Coe, Sr., G, RIT; Rookie: Grace Outwater, Fr., F, Penn State

About Atlantic Hockey America
Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) embarks on its first season in 2024-25 after the merger between the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference fields 11 men’s teams (American International College, Bentley University, Canisius University, The College of Holy Cross, Mercyhurst University, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Military Academy), and six women’s teams (Lindenwood University, Mercyhurst University, Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, and Syracuse University). In 2025-26, Delaware University will join the women’s league. For more information, visit atlantichockeyamerica.com.