Penn State men’s hockey falls to MSU in outdoor game at Beaver Stadium. What to know
Penn State men’s hockey was unable to capitalize on the first outdoor game in program history at Beaver Stadium, falling to Michigan State 5-4 in overtime Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 74,575.
Michigan State forward Charlie Strammel scored the game-winner with 1:52 left in overtime.
Early in the game, the Nittany Lions fell behind by a goal — when many fans were still waiting to get through security and into the stadium — but got back into it by the time most of the crowd had filled in the lower bowl early in the second period. However, PSU was unable to hang on permanently to a lead, giving the Spartans the sweep in the weekend series after MSU also won 6-3 Friday night in Pegula Ice Arena.
Player of the game
MSU forward Charlie Strammel: This one doesn’t require a second thought. Not only did Strammel score the game-winner in overtime, but he’s a big reason Sparty made it that far to begin with. Strammel finished with a hat trick and an assist on seven shots.
His first two goals each came less than four minutes after a Penn State score, serving as a solid response every time the Nittany Lions were on the cusp of shifting momentum. And he was a thorn in the defense’s side all game long, especially when he wrangled a puck in front of the net and found a high opening for the game-winner.
Play of the game
PSU’s Gavin McKenna finds Aiden Fink to take the lead (late second period): Fink had been in a rut in recent weeks, with no goals on the stat sheet since Jan. 4. He found the net early in the second period, but it was his goal a few minutes prior to the second intermission that should show up on highlight reels. He meandered into open space in the high slot, giving McKenna a narrow lane to find him.
The phenom, as he has plenty of late, made a difficult pass from behind the net to get the puck to Fink, who finished the goal-scoring opportunity to give Penn State a 3-2 lead. The long-term impact of building Fink’s confidence and getting him back on track could pay massive dividends as the postseason approaches.
Up next
For Penn State: The Nittany Lions will have nearly two weeks off before heading on the road to take on Michigan in Ann Arbor on Feb. 13 and 14. Their next home game will be on Feb. 20 when they begin a weekend series against Ohio State in Pegula Ice Arena.
This story was originally published January 31, 2026 at 4:43 PM.
