Two friends, Abby Schuette (10) and Bella Gast (12), spent time ice skating together at Munn Ice Arena. Afterwards, they decided to celebrate their fun day with food from McDonald’s. Once they picked up their order, they began driving back to Schuette’s house, but something unexpected happened along the way.

As they passed the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, Gast was driving about 25 mph and became distracted while talking with Schuette. When they looked up, they suddenly noticed a group of people crossing the street right in front of them. Gast quickly slammed on the brakes, and both girls screamed in shock and embarrassment. Fortunately, the closest pedestrian was still about 20 feet away from the car.

One person in the group of pedestrians caught Schuette’s attention: Charlie Stramel, a Michigan State University hockey player. According to Schuette, he seemed calm and unfazed by the moment, acting as if he knew the car would stop in time.

Hockey has always been an important part of Schuette’s life. She has followed the MSU hockey team for years and enjoys learning about the players and the culture around the sport. Even when the team struggled, she continued to watch and support them.

About a week later, Schuette had another surprising encounter with Stramel while walking her dog, Sophie, on campus. Stramel approached and asked if he could pet the dog. Schuette was surprised to see him outside the hockey rink since there was a game that day. After he pet Sophie, Schuette saw he was carrying his equipment bag, on his way to practice.

Although Stramel is mainly a local sports figure, the interaction made Schuette feel like she had met a celebrity.