When Guy Gadowsky was hired as the Penn State men’s hockey coach, one of the first things he asked was when a hockey game would be played in Beaver Stadium.
Fifteen years later, his Nittany Lions are preparing for Hockey Valley’s Winter Classic weekend and a game against a Big Ten rival in the iconic stadium.
The men’s hockey team will look for revenge on Michigan State at 1 p.m. Saturday in Beaver Stadium, and the women’s hockey team will face Robert Morris at 1 p.m. Friday.
“The day I got hired, I asked, ‘When are you going to play a hockey game in Beaver Stadium?’” Gadowsky said Tuesday. “I’m blown away that they are pulling it off — I just didn’t think it was possible.”
Both Penn State programs have been nothing short of successful this season, landing in the top five of their respective rankings. Last weekend, No. 5 men’s hockey earned its third consecutive sweep by knocking off the previous No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers through two games. The women’s squad hosted the Delaware Blue Hens and outscored them 12-0, extending their win streak to five straight.
However, this weekend’s series will be different for both teams. Penn State has been preparing the ice rink at Beaver Stadium for weeks, including snow removal after Sunday’s snowstorm.
Athletic director Pat Kraft, who started with Penn State in 2022, has said for years that Beaver Stadium can and should be used for other events outside of football. Following the winterization of the stadium in 2024 ahead of the College Football Playoff game, the vision became more feasible.
“Kraft is getting it done; he is providing student-athletes to have these moments,” Penn State women’s hockey coach Jeff Kampersal said. “Our players can’t wait to be able to play on the same fields as some of the great Penn State athletes.”
There certainly is no shortage of excitement and anticipation for Friday’s and Saturday’s games, especially among the players. For many of the women’s players, it will be their first Winter Classic game. For senior forward Katelyn Roberts, Friday’s game will summon her days of pond hockey in Minnesota.
“This will bring back great childhood memories, and it’s another exciting moment and a great way to tie up my college career,” she said.
Roberts passed along advice to her fellow teammates to help bear the freezing temperatures, but she, as well as Dane Dowiak (Pine-Richland) of the men’s team, thinks fan energy will help ease the weather’s impact on their play.
“We’ll see with the wind, once the adrenaline gets going, I don’t think the weather will be a problem,” he said.
Still, both coaches are taking precautionary measures for the frigid conditions.
Kampersal’s players have practiced with caged helmets this week to adapt, so potential glare and fog don’t affect game play. Additionally, the head coach got an early peek at stadium conditions, such as glare, during the first of several public skating sessions Wednesday.
The men’s team, with experience in outdoor games from Wrigley Field last season, plans on overdressing to keep warm, especially on the benches. Gadowsky also mentioned that shift lengths are a factor that could be affected by the cold.
Despite the harsh weather, the opportunity to play in Beaver Stadium is not lost on the players, nor is the fact that they will be the first hockey programs to do so.
“When visiting Penn State and seeing the stadium, everybody questions, ‘What are the chances this could happen,’” Dowiak said. “The fact we’re lucky enough to be able to do it this year is really special and something I’m never going to forget.”