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Why do you love college hockey?

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  • Why do you love college hockey?

    I am curious to learn why college hockey fans are so passionate about the game? I love the game of hockey, and have found my passion following the college game. For me attending a college game is far more enjoyable than attending a pro game. There is something about experiencing a college hockey game in an arena full of rabid fans that totally excites me, no matter who is playing. This is not to say that other sports' fans aren't just as passionate, but the speed of the game and the skills required to play it at a high level, combined with the atmosphere of a big game in a packed house make it a truly great experience. I love the bands, the enthusiastic students, the alumni who bring their kids, and the intensity of the players night in and night out.
    What is it about the game that you love? Are you passionate about just one team? What attracted you to the game in the first place? I'd love to hear your story.

  • #2
    Re: Why do you love college hockey?

    Skating cheerleaders. Oh yeah!
    "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." George Orwell, 1984

    "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust, the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume." Boromir

    "Good news! We have a delivery." Professor Farnsworth

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    • #3
      Re: Why do you love college hockey?

      I'm not really sure. The atmosphere maybe.Ticket price for a decent product.(even though Conte should offer reduced prices for kids)If I was offered Bruins or BC tickets I'd go with the Eagles.
      A bad cause requires many words.

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      • #4
        Re: Why do you love college hockey?

        Started off really a Bruins fan as a kid, and like most went to the games when I was at BU and enjoyed them. Now it is a great price point / more intimate / family friendly atmosphere as compared to going to the NHL. Plus there is something to be said for cheering for your university.

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        • #5
          Re: Why do you love college hockey?

          I have a gopher-hate addiction, and college hockey is my dealer.

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          • #6
            Re: Why do you love college hockey?

            I never played or watched hockey growing up(explains a lot about my posts, I'm sure). I went to one Gopher game in high school and I remember watching the '02 & '03 championship games, though those were the only Gopher Hockey games I watched in those respective years. Couldn't exactly call myself a diehard fan. I've told this story too many times so I apologize for those who have heard it before. My buddy and I went to college in Wahpeton, ND. One day he says, "Hey, the Gophers are playing in Grand Forks this weekend for an NCAA regional". I called Ticketmaster, we got tickets, witnessed one of the (if not THE) worst games ever, and the rest is history. As crazy as it sounds, that game is what got us hooked. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into with the UND/UM rivalry. As painful as that game was and all the crap we took.....it just fueled the fire for us. My buddy, my brother, and I rarely miss a Gopher game now. We have spent many of the last 9 years either watching Gopher games together, live or on TV, and traveling to many away games.

            I love the college atmosphere with the bands, the student sections, the cheerleaders, and the rivalries.
            "It ain't over, baby! And that took only six seconds!"

            USCHO gives me another reason to not do work while I am at work.

            Everything is Hill's fault.....

            "Hakstol you hack!!!!"

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            • #7
              Re: Why do you love college hockey?

              I grew up running going to Sioux games when I was a little kid and my dad was in med school... Been a fan of this level of hockey my whole life. Great fans and atmosphere...

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              • #8
                Re: Why do you love college hockey?

                Originally posted by burd View Post
                I have a gopher-hate addiction, and college hockey is my dealer.
                A bad cause requires many words.

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                • #9
                  Re: Why do you love college hockey?

                  Hockey was the only Division I sport at the college I went to. Students got into the games for free and my friends and all the guys on my dorm floor would go to the games. It was kinda like the pre-game to going out to house parties on friday and saturday nights. The team was really good and scored a ton of goals, so it was easy to become a fan of the team and get invested in it. Then as I went through college I ended up having classes with some players, seeing them at parties or around town. I feel more of a sense of community with the St Cloud State hockey program than I do with any pro team.
                  Originally posted by SJHovey
                  Pretty sure this post, made on January 3, 2016, when UNO was 14-3-1 and #2 in the pairwise, will go down in USCHO lore as The Curse of Tipsy McStagger.
                  Originally posted by Brenthoven
                  We mourn for days after a loss, puff out our chests for a week or more after we win. We brave the cold for tailgates, our friends know not to ask about the game after a tough loss, we laugh, we cry, we BLEED hockey, specifically the maroon'n'gold. Many of us have a tattoo waiting in the wings, WHEN (not IF) the Gophers are champions again.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Why do you love college hockey?

                    I grew up in a part of Minnesota that when I was in High School, the nearest HS hockey team was 40 miles away and wrestling and basketball were the winter sports. So needless to say I didn't watch much hockey until I went to Bemidji State. My freshman year, I tagged along with a couple of Canadians from my dorm and went to a game (this was back in the '90s D-II era). I was hooked.

                    I think my love for college hockey comes from the fact that I was a student with the players. I had classes with some of the players and worked on some class projects with these players. At a smaller school like Bemidji State, the coaching staff was, and still is, very approachable. That help build a feeling of a connection to the program. It also helped that during my years at Bemidji, they were winning titles, granted at the D-II level, but that success helped fuel the passion.
                    Millsy

                    NCAA TOURNAMENT 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010!
                    FROZEN FOUR 2009!


                    "Like" The BeaverPond's Facebook Page

                    BEMIDJI STATE BEAVERS!
                    NAIA National Champs: 1968, '69, '70, '71, '73, '79, '80
                    NCAA D-III National Champs: 1986
                    NCAA D-II National Champs: 1984, '93, '94, '95, '97
                    NCAA D-I National Champs: 20??
                    Perfect 31-0 in 1983-84
                    Holders of an NCAA Mens Record 43 straight wins (Nov. 8, 1983-Jan. 1, 1985)

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                    • #11
                      Re: Why do you love college hockey?

                      Thanks! Your comment about knowing the players on a small campus echos what I have heard from former players who played for smaller schools. They felt very connected to student fans for the same reasons you developed your passion for the game. And yes, a winning program does also go along way toward developing a passionate fan base.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Why do you love college hockey?

                        Memories generated from the ability to host NCAA Hockey Regionals.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Why do you love college hockey?

                          I knew when I decided to attend UMD that hockey was the sport on campus and I was excited to watch and cheer for my school against the big D1 schools. I've had seen student sections on TV and wanted to be a part of one. After seeing the Penalty Box in action I knew that was where I wanted to watch the games. I loved every minute of being in the student section, being loud, coming up with chants, creating fun things that would entertain ourselves and other fans. The band and the energy of the students got me hooked. It was something to do on a cold night in Duluth but it soon became my favorite sport as it felt like UMD fans and college hockey fans are a large family.

                          I've met so many great and fun people through hockey that it is now my favorite sport to watch and play (that was not true before my time at UMD)
                          tUMD Hockey

                          "And there is a banana running around the DECC." "Well you don't see that every day..."

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                          • #14
                            Re: Why do you love college hockey?

                            Originally posted by beaverhockeyfan View Post
                            I grew up in a part of Minnesota that when I was in High School, the nearest HS hockey team was 40 miles away and wrestling and basketball were the winter sports. So needless to say I didn't watch much hockey until I went to Bemidji State. My freshman year, I tagged along with a couple of Canadians from my dorm and went to a game (this was back in the '90s D-II era). I was hooked.

                            I think my love for college hockey comes from the fact that I was a student with the players. I had classes with some of the players and worked on some class projects with these players. At a smaller school like Bemidji State, the coaching staff was, and still is, very approachable. That help build a feeling of a connection to the program. It also helped that during my years at Bemidji, they were winning titles, granted at the D-II level, but that success helped fuel the passion.
                            Pretty much the same for me at UAH (although my connections to the team were as a student assistant at the sports information department more than classes) during those Division II years. But even before then, I went to a few games as a kid and loved the atmosphere. It really help as it was my (and a lot of Huntsvillians) main exposure to the game. There's an even stronger attachment for me as an alum, but I love how smaller schools like UAH and Bemidji State can make can make names for themselves among the larger schools. And of course, rivalries like UAH-Bemidji State.
                            Michael Napier - UAH '97
                            uahhockey.com

                            UAH Chargers Hockey
                            U.S. National Club Champions - 1982, 1983, 1984
                            NCAA Division II National Champions - 1996, 1998
                            CHA Regular Season Champions - 2001, 2003
                            CHA Tournament Champions - 2007, 2010

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                            • #15
                              ..don't forget the bands.. definitely the band.
                              Play on :-)..
                              GO NU HOCKEY
                              Always bullish on the future.
                              We don't always win Hockey East or the Beanpot (#trilogy).. but when we do.. we are the Champions

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