Penn State tried to play the first-ever college hockey game at Beaver Stadium on Thursday night. It did not go according to plan because of problems with the ice.
Those issues continued on Friday afternoon when the women’s team played against Robert Morris.
Two lengthy delays for repairs to the playing surface made the college hockey game take just as long as the sport that is typically played at Beaver Stadium. Football. That would be football.
Ice cracks in freezing temperatures.
The historic weekend in Happy Valley technically got underway on Thursday night with two club teams. Penn State played Oklahoma State on the outdoor rink but the game was moved inside after only one period. It finished well after 1:00 a.m. at the Pegula Ice Arena. The outdoor rink was not playable.
Temperatures dropped below freezing prior to puck drop. Sub-freezing temperatures create serious issues for the playing surface.
That might seem contradictory, because ice is frozen, but the ice loses its flexibility when it gets too cold. It becomes too hard and too brittle, which can cause the ice to chip and crack under skates instead of shaving smoothly. It can feel rough under the skate. Untreated cracks are dangerous.
Penn State and Oklahoma State ultimately moved its club hockey game from Beaver Stadium to Pegula Ice Arena on Thursday night because of the cracks in the ice. For example:
Ice conditions at beaver stadium 😬
— Barstool Pokes (@BarstoolOKST) January 30, 2026
(Via okstatehockeyrecruiting on Instagram) pic.twitter.com/BYK9H9ig7M
Not ideal, to say the least!
Penn State played the first-ever outdoor hockey game at Beaver Stadium.
The grounds crew at Beaver Stadium worked hard overnight to fix the ice. Penn State women’s hockey played the first-ever Division I game on the new outdoor rink on Friday against Robert Morris.
The stage is set in Hockey Valley 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/8PROHro1Ib
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 30, 2026
Not only did the ice already have issues from the night before, the sun also came out in Happy Valley. The freezing and re-freezing can cause even more problems.
It did not take long before the ice crew had to stop play to patch a few holes.
There are two specific spots that were identified as problem areas to watch throughout the rest of the weekend.
A couple minutes into the Penn State/Robert Morris game, the ice crew has to come out to patch a couple holes. The area behind the visitors’ net and a spot below the home side circle have needed some extra attention this weekend. pic.twitter.com/a5CM0a6MFr
— Torin Smith (@TorinSmith15) January 30, 2026
The delays continued throughout the second and third periods.
The first two periods took about the same amount of time as a full hockey game on a normal rink.
Fortunately, the game did not need to be moved inside like the club game on Thursday.
Macker scores the first Division 1 goal in Beaver Stadium history! #WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/MsLgbBXNzG
— Penn State Women’s Hockey (@PennStateWHKY) January 30, 2026
Penn State ultimately defeated Robert Morris. All three periods took place as planned, they just took longer than expected.
The show must go on!
Friday was not perfect but the Nittany Lions were able to play the outdoor game at Beaver Stadium in its entirety. That’s better than nothing.
However, a second club game is scheduled to be played on Friday night before the main event on Saturday and temperatures are going to dip down to the single digits. Cracking could again be an issue.
The problem areas from the women’s game on Friday afternoon will also be a problem on Saturday. That side of the ice is taking direct sunlight, which reflects off of the boards to cause melting and separation.
It seems like the men’s game between Penn State and No. 2 Michigan State is going to be played as scheduled. There might be some stoppages for repairs. The ice won’t be perfect. The show must go on!