History at Beaver Stadium: Penn State vs Michigan State Outdoor Hockey Classic

Описание: Braved the sub-freezing chaos of Happy Valley to witness history as Penn State Nittany Lions men’s ice hockey took on the Michigan State Spartans men’s ice hockey in the first ever outdoor hockey game at Beaver Stadium.

Before the puck dropped, I walked around campus talking about the massive renovation project happening at Beaver Stadium and how this historic event might just be a preview of a future NHL outdoor game in Happy Valley. I also stopped by the indoor practice bubble where they were holding a merch discount sale… including literal pieces of Beaver Stadium’s old bleachers for about $100 (yes, you could actually buy part of the stadium). The bubble was also serving as one of the official warming stations because the temperatures were absolutely brutal.

Met up with a friend to get his predictions for the game—and of course asked the most important hockey question of all: did he bring his hotdogs?

Once inside the stadium I gave another look at the renovation plans, watched both teams hit the ice for warmups, and talked about how both the Penn State men’s and women’s hockey teams are ranked in the top 5 nationally. With the extreme cold causing some ice condition issues earlier in the day, everyone was curious how the game would play out.

The teams were introduced to the massive crowd and the new Penn State Nittany Lions football head coach dropped the ceremonial puck to officially kick things off.

Michigan State struck first early, and the first period turned into a solid back-and-forth battle. Then came intermission… which turned into an absolute survival mission trying to get food. Between the trek down to the concourse and the ridiculously long lines, it took so long that I missed most of the second period—including all three Penn State goals.

By the time I finally secured the famous Beaver Stadium chicken tender basket (which was still great but definitely more expensive than I remembered), the game was tied 3-3 heading into the third period in front of a crowd of over 75,000 people.

Penn State grabbed the lead early in the third, but the Spartans answered back just minutes later. The crowd then broke into the classic Penn State tradition of singing Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond before things got chippy late in regulation.

That meant free hockey in overtime… but unfortunately for the home crowd, Michigan State ended it with a heartbreaking goal.

Even after the tough loss, the team stuck to tradition and sang the Penn State alma mater with the fans before everyone slowly filed out into the freezing night. I wrapped things up with a quick recap and teased the next adventure waiting just across the street.

Historic game. Freezing temperatures. Ridiculous food lines.
Just another unforgettable day in Happy Valley.


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