Orangeville native, Penn State legend and Olympic champion Tessa Janecke will continue her hockey career at the next level. Janecke was selected in the first round — third overall — by Las Vegas in the June 17 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) draft.

In her four years at Penn State, Janecke became the most decorated hockey player in school history. She holds the school record — for men’s and women’s hockey — in goals, assists and points. In this past season — her senior year — she led the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Championship where they lost to Wisconsin in overtime. Janecke was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award for the nation’s top player.

During her star-studded senior season, she also joined the United States women’s national team at the Olympics in Italy, helping secure gold.

Wisconsin Badger defender and Olympian Caroline “KK” Harvey went first overall to Vancouver, followed by Minnesota Gophers star forward Abbey Murphy, another US Olympian. Former Badger Laila Edwards (D/F) was fourth to San Jose.

Expanding this offseason, the PWHL now has 12 teams. Detroit, Hamilton (Ontario), Las Vegas and San Jose are expansion teams that will begin play in the league this offseason, joining Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.

Janecke, 22, will be joined in Vegas by former Wisconsin Badger and USWNT forward Lacey Eden, who was taken two selections later at No. 5. The pair were a part of the PWHL draft night in Detroit. Janecke donned a black sport suit, with the inside of the jacket stitched with photocopies of her playing career to this point — from the youth level as a member of the Monroe Avalanche Youth Hockey Association, to juniors, college and the Olympics.

PWHL Las Vegas will play this season at the T-Mobile Arena, which is also home to the Las Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL, which just played in the Stanley Cup Finals.