Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
8 M A R C H 2 0 2 6 OPENING SHOT COLD COMFORT A crowd listed at 74,575 braved frigid temperatures and gridlocked traffic to see Penn State welcome Michigan State on Jan. 31 in the first men's hockey game ever played at Beaver Stadium. It was the second-largest crowd to see a hockey game of any kind, surpassed only by a matchup between the Spartans and in- state rival Michigan, which drew 113,411 fans to Michigan Stadium in December 2011. The thousands who crowded into PSU's football stadium were treated to a thrill- ing, back-and-forth clash between the second-ranked Spartans and fifth-ranked Nittany Lions. Penn State took a 4-3 lead early in the third period on a breakaway goal by freshman forward Shea Van Olm, sending the crowd into a frenzy. But Mich- igan State tied the score a little over three minutes later, and Spartans forward Char- lie Stramel ended it in overtime when he completed a hat trick by beating PSU sophomore goalie Kevin Reidler on a one- on-one opportunity in front of the net. While the result was disappointing, the turnout for the game on a day when temperatures peaked in the mid-20s im- pressed everyone involved in its planning. Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky noted afterward that the scene exceeded what he had in his mind. "It was bigger and more vast than I imagined," Gadowsky said. "It was so in- credible to be in the middle of that and look around everywhere and see peo- ple packed in there. It was awesome. I love going to the football games, they're amazing. I never thought I'd be on a hockey rink in that kind of atmosphere." Gadowsky, who has been head coach ever since Penn State revived its varsity ice hockey program in 2012, said he was grateful to have such an enthusiastic com- munity behind him. "It's humbling. It's so incredible to be part of an institution that supports some- thing like this so well," he said. "To have 75,000 people come out here in the cold and stay the whole time and support us, it's just such an amazing atmosphere. "I'm so grateful for Penn State, for so many of the departments that it took to make this happen. I'm really sorry we didn't win, but none of us, the players es- pecially, will ever forget this experience." — Matt Herb PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS