Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542734
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 11 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Robert Morris when they meet later this month, having notched back-to-back 4-0 road wins Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The men's team, meanwhile, was 16-6 overall and 8-4 in Big Ten play heading into a two-game series at Wis- consin Jan. 23-24. Buoyed by an infu- sion of NHL-grade talent in the offsea- son, the Nittany Lions have been taking aim at a second consecutive berth in the Frozen Four. In the meantime, though, they'll be looking to avenge a pair of losses to the Spartans in November. Michigan State, which was ranked No. 1 at the time, handed the Lions a 2-1 overtime loss at Munn Ice Arena and followed it with a 5-0 shutout the next night. The Spartans, who had slipped to second in the USCHO poll by mid- January, will be a formidable test for the Nittany Lions when they visit at the end of January for two games, the first of which will take place at Pegula Ice Arena on Jan. 30. No one knew how the teams' respec- tive seasons would play out when the matchup was announced last summer, but the setting alone was enough to raise anticipation. "To bring the excitement of college hockey to Beaver Stadium is truly spe- cial," Kraft said. "Having our men's pro- gram face a premier Big Ten opponent in Michigan State and our women's pro- gram face Robert Morris on this stage reflects the incredible growth and na- tional profile of Penn State hockey and provides an unforgettable experience for our student-athletes, alumni and fans. We can't wait to see Hockey Valley come alive in Beaver Stadium." ■ COLLEGE HOCKEY'S BEST-ATTENDED GAMES Rk. Attendance Date Location Result 1. 113,411 Dec. 11, 2010 Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan 5, Michigan State 0 2. 74,554 Oct. 6, 2001 Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State 3, Michigan 3 3. 55,031* Feb. 6, 2010 Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wis. Wisconsin 3, Michigan 2 (men) Wisconsin 6, Bemidji State 1 (women) 4. 52,051* Feb. 17, 2013 Soldier Field, Chicago Notre Dame 2, Miami (Ohio) 1 Wisconsin 3, Minnesota 2 5. 45,523 Feb. 18, 2023 FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland Ohio State 4, Michigan 2 6 45,021 Jan. 17, 2014 TCF Stadium, Minneapolis Minnesota 1, Ohio State 0 7. 40,890 Feb. 13, 2006 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis. Wisconsin 4, Ohio State 2 8. 38,472 Jan. 8, 2010 Fenway Park, Boston Boston University 3, Boston College 2 * Doubleheader Outdoor Hockey Has Been A Big Draw Barring a major weather event, Penn State's upcoming Beaver Stadium games are certain to be the best-attended contests in program history, the Nittany Lions having traded the cozy confines of Pegula Ice Arena (capacity 6,014) for the expansive home of the PSU football team (capacity 106,304). College hockey fans have a long history of turning out for outdoor games played in the coldest months of the year. The largest crowd in hockey history was for a game between Michigan and Michigan State in Ann Arbor on Dec. 11, 2010. That contest, won by the Wolverines, 5-0, was a rematch of a clash in East Lansing nine years earlier in which the intrastate rivals tied, 3-3. All told, eight of the 50 best-attended hockey games ever played have involved collegiate teams. In addition to Michigan and Michigan State, two other Big Ten teams — Wisconsin and Minnesota — have drawn crowds in excess of 45,000 for games at their football stadiums. The best-attended NHL game was also played at the Big House, with the Toronto Maple Leafs defeating the Detroit Red Wings, 3-2, at the league's Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2014. An announced crowd of 105,491 turned out to see the Maple Leafs' shootout victory. — Matt Herb Michigan staged "The Big Chill at the Big House" in December 2010, complete with a B-2 bomber flyover prior to the game between the Wolverines and Michigan State. It remains the best attended hockey game ever played, pro or college, with an announced crowd of 113,411 showing up to see the hosts prevail, 5-0. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS