There’s a game in Beaver Stadium this weekend, folks, and it’s not football.
Penn State men’s hockey is ranked No. 5 in the country, following a sweep of then-No. 5 Wisconsin last weekend.
The Nittany Lions now look ahead to an exciting top-five matchup against No. 2 Michigan State, starting at Pegula Ice Arena at 6 p.m. on Friday, January 30, and ending with the highly anticipated outdoor game the following day.
Here’s what our staff thinks is going to go down on the ice at Beaver Stadium.
Talk about HYPE! This is something really special to State College. Our very own hockey team is playing at Beaver Stadium, which is honestly giving full classic White Out energy. I’m calling it now, we come out with plenty of momentum and power, get the crowd feral, like absolutely untamed, and bring home the big win.
I think this game will be all defense until a last-minute shootout where the Nittany Lions take the lead and give us a big win in Beaver Stadium.
Penn State is buzzing right now, so a win is feeling likely with the support of Beaver Stadium behind it. I also expect this game to be a little more high-scoring than usual, since there’s a chance goalies are looking into the sun and have to adjust to a new depth. Penn State will avenge November’s sweep with a big win Saturday.
The long-awaited weekend is finally here. You couldn’t ask for much more for Beaver Stadium’s hockey debut. Well below freezing temperatures, a top-five matchup, and Matt Campbell’s guest appearance provide a perfect storm for what should be a great day for the hockey program. I don’t know what to fully expect on the ice when the puck drops, but I’m hoping for plenty of offense and big hits along the boards. The stars for Penn State outperform the stars of Michigan State, and the Nittany Lions eke out a close win.
Penn State hockey is rolling right now. With white-out level energy at Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions will be hard to stop. Michigan State is one of the few teams that I think has a chance to take them down, but I don’t see it happening this weekend. I think Penn State may fall behind early, but as they have done many times already this season, they will come back to win by multiple goals.
January cold, thousands of fans, this is what the hockey valley is about. Watch out, Michigan State, we are coming to play.
As someone who doesn’t watch a lot of Penn State hockey, I am going to give my prediction as an amateur. Based on the environment and weather conditions, I would say that Penn State has a slight upper hand. Playing at Beaver Stadium is high pressure for anyone, but for Penn State, it will be more comfortable playing on home turf. Since there haven’t been football games, there should be a decent turnout, boosting the energy and making it an electric atmosphere. Hopefully Penn State takes home the W.
Let’s get ready for an entertaining game on Saturday, folks.
The Nittany Lions head into this series with a lot of momentum, having won seven consecutive games, including last weekend’s sweep over Wisconsin. Gavin McKenna, Josh Fleming, and this team are hitting their stride at the right time, and having home ice advantage for this game is big. However, the Spartans are also coming into this game hot, having won four straight and are currently the No. 2 team in the country.
Last time both teams met, Michigan State swept Penn State at its home ice, but that series took place in November in a small arena. Things are different now because this game will take place at Beaver Stadium in front of a large crowd and in very cold weather. Not only will the Nittany Lions have the home ice advantage but it’s also calling for a White Out on Saturday which will bring a hostile environment for the Spartans.
No matter what happens in the first game of the series on Friday, I expect the Nittany Lions to seize this incredible opportunity and get revenge over the Spartans this time around.
It’s going to be exceptionally hard for Penn State to muster a sweep of the Spartans, so we’ll be assuming they drop the Friday night game in Pegula and go out guns blazing in Beaver, starting Josh Fleming in net. Aiden Fink scores on the power play early, but MSU scores the next two and has the Nittany Lions down by a goal late.
In the final minutes with the goalie pulled, Matt DiMarsico sets the crowd ablaze with a snipe of a goal to send it to overtime, where Gavin McKenna shows off his skill set in the 3-on-3 and gets revenge for the overtime loss in East Lansing in November, winning the Beaver Stadium game in a thriller.
Gavin McKenna. That’s it.
Gavin McKenna. Overtime. In the snow.
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Jason is a second-year journalism major from Montgomery, New Jersey. He likes golfing, socializing, and watching sports, specifically the New York Mets and the Washington Commanders, which can be tough. You can reach out to him on Instagram (@jasonperry3772) or through email ([email protected]).
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