Fans heading to Beaver Stadium for Penn State men’s outdoor hockey game should be prepared for a version of hockey that looks a little different than what they’re used to inside Pegula Ice Arena.

Based on how the surface has behaved under extreme weather conditions this week and for the women’s game, here are a few things fans should expect Saturday afternoon.

Periodic Maintenance Stoppages

The most noticeable aspect of the outdoor game was how often play had to be stopped for ice repairs.

Stoppages happened throughout all three periods, with crews repeatedly coming onto the ice to patch holes, soft spots, and loose chunks. This would most commonly occur behind the net opposite the student section.

At one point in the second period, play went nearly halfway without a stoppage before being halted again so the ice crew could return with orange buckets to patch the same area behind the goal. During another delay, two separate problem areas were being worked on at the same time: one along the goal line extending into the corner boards and another almost directly behind the net.

The third period opened with another stoppage just three minutes in to patch a hole in the neutral zone. Later, with 9:17 remaining, two patches were addressed again — one new spot near the Zamboni entrance by the student section and the recurring area behind the net opposite the student section. Even after the players returned to the ice, play was stopped again before the puck dropped to re-adress the Zamboni spot, marking the final repair of the game.

Penn State head coach Jeff Kampersal said the issue appeared early.

“Mya [Vaslet] went in there and a chunk of the ice came out. So they were using snow — dry freeze.”

Kampersal added that the ice felt like “cardboard” early and pointed out the corners as trouble spots.

Longer Intermissions

Between the first and second periods, the intermission clock was counting down from 20 minutes and had reached nearly 10 before being reset back to 17:00, allowing crews to work on the surface for some additional time.

Once on the ice, Zambonis primarily resurfaced the middle of the surface for most of their time on the sheet before making a final sweep around the edges as players began returning.

No additional time was added before the third period, so how intermissions are handled for the men’s game will ultimately depend on how the ice holds up.

The Glare

The sun played a noticeable role early in the outdoor game, particularly at the goal opposite the student section.

During the first two periods, there was a heavy glare on that end of the ice, along with the general glare across the whole surface. By the third period, most of the ice was in shade except for a sliver near the benches, and roughly five minutes into the period, the entire sheet of ice was fully shaded.

And for the fans, the glare had an effect too. Visibility was tough at times, especially the farther from the ice you sit. Bringing a pair of sunglasses along wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Simpler Hockey

The ice quality can influence how teams choose to play hockey, and it clearly showed throughout the women’s game.

Penn State forward McKenna Walsh said the conditions pushed the Nittany Lions towards a more straightforward approach.

“It affected the way that we were able to take tough acts and drive the net a little bit. We didn’t really want to play behind the net. So it was more getting the puck to the D and having them shoot just over the net. And in the D zone, it was kind of just chip off the glass and go… We just kind of had to simplify our game a little bit more.”

Rather than extended play and prolonged puck possession below the goal line, play heavily leaned towards quicker decisions, more point shots, and getting pucks north.

Golatender Katie DeSa said the surface even affected how she handled the puck.

“I didn’t play the puck once. Tried once and was like, ‘Okay, I don’t want to do that again.'”

So the bottom line is, outdoor hockey is dependent on nature. With shifting weather, sun exposure, and wear on the ice, some maintenance, stoppages, and adjustments should be expected.

What stood out most through the effort was the crew. Ice crews, officials, and staff were consistently ready to respond whenever work was needed.

For fans, that likely means a game with a slightly different rhythm than usual — but that’s the beauty of outdoor hockey.