BG's true hockey rival

The Niz · Post by **The Niz** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:45 pm

I am only a sophomre but I am a huge stickler for traditions. After all, that's what makes the college atmosphere so much better than than high school and professional sports. After I attended my first hockey game in my freshman year I was hooked. I've only missed games since then for performances. For two years now me and a couple of other buddys have made the trip to East Lansing to watch the Falcons take on the Spartans in the Munn Ice Arena, and of all the places we've gone for falcon hockey (Ann Arbor, South Bend, and East Lansing) the most intense games have been against the horrid green. I have to go with everyone else who says go suck an egg and say that MSU is our biggest rivals. Hopefully by next year we will be able to start having a much bigger following for our annual trip to East Lansing. Our next planned trip is to Ann Arbor later this year, if anyone is interested let us know!

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:59 pm

The Niz wrote:I am only a sophomre but I am a huge stickler for traditions. After all, that's what makes the college atmosphere so much better than than high school and professional sports. After I attended my first hockey game in my freshman year I was hooked. I've only missed games since then for performances. For two years now me and a couple of other buddys have made the trip to East Lansing to watch the Falcons take on the Spartans in the Munn Ice Arena, and of all the places we've gone for falcon hockey (Ann Arbor, South Bend, and East Lansing) the most intense games have been against the horrid green. I have to go with everyone else who says go suck an egg and say that MSU is our biggest rivals. Hopefully by next year we will be able to start having a much bigger following for our annual trip to East Lansing. Our next planned trip is to Ann Arbor later this year, if anyone is interested let us know!

It is great to hear that you are such a big hockey fan! I'm also glad to hear that you are going up to Yost later this year. As much as I hate the Goons and their goonish fans/players, Yost is one of the best places on earth to see a hockey game. I made it up to three games there the past two years, and I am really sad that I won't be able to go this year. When you do go, make sure you pick up some of the cinnamon roasted almonds on the west side. Those are almost worth the trip alone!

I never was able to make it to Munn, but I hope to one day.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:59 pm

Personally I think Yost is a dump...but to each their own. I think Munn is the best place I've ever been to watch a hockey game, that's just a nice arena.

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:11 pm

hammb wrote:Personally I think Yost is a dump...but to each their own. I think Munn is the best place I've ever been to watch a hockey game, that's just a nice arena.

You have to remember that I am an historian, so I am naturally drawn to old shitty things. For me, an old train station is the ideal place to watch a hockey game.

The Niz · Post by **The Niz** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:28 pm

Munn is really nice, at least one of the nicest I've seen. But I have to admit, out of all of the I like ours most, its very up close and personal, and I've certainly yet to find a place that makes more noise.

McConvey · Post by **McConvey** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:03 pm

Bleeding Orange wrote: You have to remember that I am an historian, so I am naturally drawn to old shitty things. For me, an old train station is the ideal place to watch a hockey game.

Then you would LOVE Alfond Arena (Maine). The building was built in the 1690s, the sight lines are terrible and if you sit in the visitors section, you get stuff thrown on your head from the student section in the balcony above!

The visitors locker room is split into three rooms and some of the guys get folding chairs instead of a cubby. And when I say 'three rooms' I don't mean that the lockers are in one room, the coaches in a second and the massage/training table in a third, I mean that there is not enough room for 7 people in one of the rooms, so the team is actually spread out among three rooms (the coaches don't get a room and the training table is out in the 'hallway').

Throw in the fact that Maine fans are generally ignorant about hockey (yes kids, hand passes ARE legal in the defensive zone!) and Alfond is one hell of a building in which to see a game.

Freddie · Post by **Freddie** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:31 pm

McConvey wrote:
Bleeding Orange wrote: You have to remember that I am an historian, so I am naturally drawn to old shitty things. For me, an old train station is the ideal place to watch a hockey game.
Then you would LOVE Alfond Arena (Maine). The building was built in the 1690s,

Wow, I knew the place was old, but 17th century?

McConvey · Post by **McConvey** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:53 pm

Freddie wrote:
McConvey wrote: Then you would LOVE Alfond Arena (Maine). The building was built in the 1690s,
Wow, I knew the place was old, but 17th century?

Ok, I admit, I was being a little sarcastic there.

But the visiting team truly is spread out into three rooms and the visiting fans truly do get stuff thrown on them from the student section in the balcony above.

It certainly has a good atmosphere, I will say that for the Alfond. But with Goggin closing soon and more actual problems with the building*, Alfond will shortly be #1 on my list of 'worst places to see a game.'

Give me BGSU Ice Arena any day of the week!!

Now for Bleeding, if you want to see some old buildings, you'd love the ECAC! I was truly shocked when I walked into Appleton Arena (St. Lawrence's building). The whole place is wood, I kid you not. The bleachers are wood and by that I don't mean your usual wooden basketball bleachers on a metal frame... they are entirely made of wood. The benches on the bleachers have backs on them, sort of like a church pew. The ceiling is also wood, arches over the ice surface and is very low. I liked the arena because it was old and it made me think that this must be how watching hockey used to be way before my parents were born. But in the back of my mind, I was hoping that nobody brought a lighter, because that place would burn to the ground in less than three minutes!

*Goggin tops my personal list of 'Worst Places to Watch a Game". I just don't like there for some reason. There are certainly worse buildings than Goggin (Joyce Center comes immediately to mind, as does Alfond) and it's not as if my memories of the place are clouded because we lost there (in fact, I attended the playoff games in the 2000-01 season when we were seeded #9 and swept the #2 seeded RedHawks), I just don't like it.

Freddie · Post by **Freddie** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 4:49 pm

Like McConvey said, lots of great old barns in the ECAC. Any of you who use the message boards on USCHO might want to check out the "Hockey Pictures" thread on the men's div 1 board.

One picture really jumped out at me...this is what a student section ought to look like
http://www/photoshelter.com/img-show/I0000wdreBRW9wyY

Boston College at Vermont Nov 13

CrazytrainBG · Post by **CrazytrainBG** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:02 pm

I think my favorite arenas I go to each year are Lawson at WMU, Munn for sure and Yost. BG Ice Arena has to be 4th to those.

I dislike going to Ohio State and Notre Dame because of their shitty atomospheres and although Ferris isn't a bad arena....I just don't like having no bleachers on the one whole side of the ice. Haven't made it to the UP yet though...i've heard the Berry Events Center is nice at NMU and Taffy isn't bad either at LSSU hope to get to those sometime. I have a feeling UNO is about the same as OSU just with more people and though it may be cool to see the football like atmosphere at UAF, I just don't think i'll ever make it out there.

I've always liked Lawson though for its student section and for how the arena is laid out....makes for a real intimate atmosphere ...more so than the Ice Arena even. Then Munn is a great looking arena..always been a favorite to visit especially since I have ties to MSU and Yost is Yost. I mean it may not favor a visiting crowd, but it's still impressive and even though I'm not much of a Michigan fan....I still get chills everytime I'm there and they play Hail to the Victors and everyone there is on their feet. Overall, I think the CCHA has to stack right up there as far as arenas go, but I know for sure that the WCHA is where its at when it comes to arenas.

rc_ziggy84 · Post by **rc_ziggy84** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:39 pm

Munn has definitely been my favorite place to see a game. Yost is fun too, simply because of the atmosphere. (It's especially fun when you're up 3-0 after the 1st

). The only other place I've been to on the road is the Schott and that place sucks. It's not a hockey rink at all. There's nothing wrong with our ice arena, give me a front row standing spot down at the end and I'm perfectly happy. Munn would be my top choice other than that.

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 12:19 am

rc_ziggy84 wrote: (It's especially fun when you're up 3-0 after the 1st ).

Yeah, but Yost really blows when you are up 3-0 after the 1st but end up losing 9-3.

That was the first game my father ever went to (anywhere) with me. I remember walking past the roasted almond stand whispering to him: "You just don't walk in to Yost and go up on the 'Goons 3-0 - you just don't" while a LOT OF ANGRY 'GOON FANS WERE GIVING ME THE EVIL EYE. It was really quite scarry. Unfortunately, my reluctant premonition turned out to be true, but I did have the only amiable experience I have ever had with a 'Goon fan. I'll share:

My dad and I were sitting in the very top row of the West side (where the line of site is so bad they have TV's broadcasting the scoreboard). Sometime during the second period, a 'Goon fan's wife went into epileptic shock from the camera flashes on the other side of the rink. This...ahem...gentleman...was kind enough to escort her to the aisle, show her the top row and the exit nearby and go back to his seat to watch the game. This poor woman could hardly walk, so I ran down, took hold of her and escorted her to the exit where one of the workers took over and escorted her down the stairs. I didn't think this guy had noticed, but he was kind enough to walk up to me - after the period was over - to say thank you. What a saint!

I love watching a game in Yost. It would be a LOT better, though, without all of the 'Goon fans.

cbjhack · Post by **cbjhack** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 8:42 am

I thought this was a thread about BG's True Hockey rival, not best/worst arena that BG has played in.

As for rivals. I think that Michigan State and Michigan will always be rivals because of the days when the three always fought it out for the top three in the CCHA. Miami and OSU would be great rivals, but they are so one-sided. We think they are rivals, but their fans (who aren't the best in the world), think otherwise. At least with MSU and the folks from Ann Arbor (is a whore), the BG Ice Arena is almost a sell-out. (I say almost because with the losing of the last few years, the students have turned out en masse like in the past.

But I will add that next to Yost (dumpy old barn with bad sight lines), that OSU's old Ice Arena was a joke for a CCHA arena. It held 1500 with 100 SRO, was only 185 by 85, and they didn't have the best teams to put in there. While the Schott isn't the best atmosphere, it is still a great arena for college hockey. Sight lines on the ends aren't the best, but you are on top of the action. The best place I have seen hockey, college and pro, is Nationwide Arena. NWA is hands down the best. If you live in C-bus or are near C-bus on December 29-30 stop by NWA for the Ohio Hockey Classic. Miami and OSU team up to play Holy Cross and RPI. Tickets are only $11 for two games each day.

BG has been talked about in joining this classic, but for some reason they haven't. I think it is due to previously scheduled tournaments.

FindlayFalcon · Post by **FindlayFalcon** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:38 am

I thought UNO was our biggest rival. Oh wait---They think we are their biggest rival. Got it turned around there.

Falcon Fanatic · Post by **Falcon Fanatic** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 10:57 am

cbjhack wrote:BG has been talked about in joining this classic, but for some reason they haven't. I think it is due to previously scheduled tournaments.

BG usually wants to play teams that are not in the CCHA for their tourneys. Unless that changes, which I would be surprised if it did, we won't be joining that tourney or the GLI.

BG's true hockey rival

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