UMass Lowell VS. Quinnipiac U (10/18)

    For as long as I can remember, I have always loved going to sporting events. Some of my favorite memories as a child growing up involved going to baseball games in New York City to watch the Mets play (even though half of my family were Yankees fans). If I had to give a single reason as to why I love these events, I would say it’s because of the sense of community that these games foster. The feeling of unity and togetherness that these sports can create amongst people can be unparalleled at times compared to other mediums. In that sense, college sports games can be extremely important to a college student’s social and personal development, especially in freshman year. Despite the loss to Quinnipiac University bringing spirits down, the UMass Lowell hockey game on October 18 helped me to connect with fellow students and appreciate UML even more.

A look at the ice rink

     Before the event, I had no idea of what to expect. Interestingly enough, while I am a fan of sporting events, I had never been to a hockey game before this one. It was probably because hockey has never been as big of a deal in Albany, NY as it is in Boston, or maybe it was just a lack of interest on my part (if I remember correctly, Albany had a hockey team for a little while, but I never went to their games). In any case, I was excited to see the Riverhawks in action. I had heard so much about their previous history, including their ascension into the Frozen Four last year. It seemed like whenever UML was mentioned, the Riverhawks were immediately mentioned too. With this in mind, I was ridiculously pumped to see this game.

    When I first got into the Tsongas Arena with friends, I was immediately struck by the grand scope of the arena itself. I had been in Tsongas for events like Open House and Convocation, but I had never realized the grand scope of its interior until this game. Everything looked pristine and clean down to the last spot, and everyone working the booths and concession stands was very friendly.

A small blimp that dropped free goodies

    Of course, the reason I was there to begin with was for the hockey game, and for the most part, it didn’t disappoint. The Riverhawks played quite well against Quinnipiac, and even though we ended up losing 4-1, the game was still tense, particularly in a final period that made us believe that the Riverhawks could win this one. Granted, my hockey knowledge was limited at best (I didn’t know that hockey only had three periods), but even without knowing certain things, I still enjoyed the game.

    The thing that I was most impressed with, however, was the crowd supporting the Riverhawks. While the other sides of the arena were modestly filled in support for Quinnipiac, the seats were absolutely packed for UML. I had always thought that my high school games had great crowds, but that thought quickly faded when I saw UML’s crowd. Not only were the seats filled, but everyone there had such a great energy. The students had many chants and yells that were used throughout the game. For instance, the crowd would put their hands up and wiggle their fingers, as if they were trying to scare the opposing team. At another time, the crowd would chant “Fred C. Church!” whenever his name was announced, since his firm sponsors the power plays. The best moment of all, though, was the reaction to the one goal that the Riverhawks made. All at once, every single UML student in the building stood up and cheered their hearts out for a good couple of minutes. The feeling of pride was present in every one of us there, and in some way, it brought all of us closer together. Even later on when we lost to Quinnipiac, I still felt some pride in the team and in the fact that they would definitely come back with a vengeance next time (And they did; the Riverhawks won the two games following that). I would go back to the arena just to be around the UML fans again.

    As we were leaving the Tsongas Arena, I felt a sense of unity with my fellow classmates that I had not felt before. Even though we lost, I knew that our energy would be back in time for the next game, and when that happened, we wouldn’t let the other team win so easily. My first experience with UML hockey games was fantastic, and I encourage all other students to check them out in the near future.