Michigan State Spoils Penn State's Outdoor Hockey Party at Beaver Stadium

The Spartans beat the Nittany Lions in overtime, completing an impressive Big Ten series sweep in State College.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 3:55pm

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The second-ranked Michigan State Spartans defeated the fifth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions 5-4 in overtime at Beaver Stadium, spoiling Penn State's outdoor hockey event. Michigan State's Charlie Stramel scored a hat trick, including the game-winning goal in OT, to lead the Spartans to the victory and complete a series sweep over the weekend.

Why it matters

This game was the centerpiece of Penn State's Winter Sports Weekend and was played in front of a crowd of 74,575 at Beaver Stadium, the second-largest attendance for an outdoor college hockey game. Penn State was looking to use this event to showcase its hockey program and potentially parlay it into an NHL Stadium Series game in the future, but Michigan State's impressive performance on the road dashed those hopes.

The details

Michigan State jumped out to an early lead, but Penn State fought back to take a 3-2 lead late in the second period. However, Stramel scored his second goal with just 2 seconds left in the period to tie the game at 3-3. Penn State regained the lead in the third period, but Michigan State tied it again to force overtime. In the extra session, Stramel scored the game-winner to complete his hat trick and give the Spartans the victory.

  • The game was played on January 31, 2026.
  • Michigan State won the series opener 6-3 on Friday night at Pegula Ice Arena.
  • The outdoor game at Beaver Stadium had a 1 p.m. start time.

The players

Charlie Stramel

A Michigan State player who scored a hat trick, including the game-winning goal in overtime, to lead the Spartans to victory.

Kevin Reidler

The Penn State goalkeeper who made 35 saves in the game.

Guy Gadowsky

The head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Trey Augustine

The Michigan State goaltender.

Aiden Fink

A Penn State player who scored two goals in the second period.

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What they’re saying

“It's unbelievable. This stadium is going nuts right now, so it's a lot of fun to play.”

— Aiden Fink, Penn State player (Big Ten Network)

What’s next

Penn State will look to bounce back from this series sweep as they continue their Big Ten schedule, while Michigan State will aim to build on their impressive road performance.

The takeaway

This game showcased the growing popularity of outdoor college hockey events, with a massive crowd braving the cold to create an electric atmosphere at Beaver Stadium. However, Michigan State's dominant performance spoiled Penn State's hopes of using this event to boost their hockey program and potentially land an NHL Stadium Series game in the future.