The senior forward came up with the hat trick for No. 2 Michigan State men’s hockey in its 5-4 overtime win over fifth-ranked Penn State in front of over 60,000 people outdoors at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 31, which included the overtime winning goal on a 1-on-1 opportunity against Penn State goaltender Kevin Reidler.
Stamel’s overtime winning goal also completes the weekend and season sweep over the Nittany Lions for the Spartans, who beat Penn State 6-3 on Friday, Jan. 30 inside Pegula Ice Arena in Happy Valley.
‘Huge thanks to Penn State for putting this event on. To play in front of that many people, it’s pretty surreal and obviously happy with the win, but unreal environment, and super cool hockey game to be a part of,’ Stramel said after the game on the Big Ten Network.
Stramel, who was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft with the 21st overall pick, scored his first goal of the afternoon in the first period when he cleaned up the rebound of Porter Martone shot attempt with a chip hot into the back of the net. His second came with two seconds remaining in the second period when he finished off a pass from Daniel Russell that came from behind the net.
With his hat trick on the afternoon, Stramel now has 23 goals on the season, making him Michigan State’s leader.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
