To follow up on the atmosphere at The Ralph on Friday. During the UND post game show after the Friday night game Tim Henessey interviewed Drew Stafford asked him about the fans.
This is paraphrased from my memory 7 days ago. Drew commented how the team knew the OT had just started when they heard the roar from the crowed. He commented how he was waiting the hear the rouser and after a minute they all realized that HC had won the game. He mentioned that they could feel the locker room shaking for a couple of minutes. It was something he had never experienced at The Ralph during his 3 years.
It was a great game and a great atmosphere. College hockey at its best!!
Kirk Eisenbeis <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
This post has nothing to do with the radio threads, just the fan experience.
Some note has been made of the Grand Forks, ND fans' overwhelming
cheering against the Gophers last Friday. The Grand Forks Herald
article's measure of the fans was, "anyone but the Gophers," but I
don't feel that's accurate. While I feel some schadenfreude over a
lauded rival's trip-up (who doesn't?), if it was Minnesota vs. a team
like Michigan or BC or BU, I expect the crowd support would be much
more split (I would usually be pro-WCHA). This game, however, was the
perfect storm of reasons to cheer against those whom most Sioux fans
consider the biggest rival.
1. HC doesn't have any history of rivalry with UND.
2. HC is an achieving underdog, which is appealing.
3. The Sioux are in this same bracket and a Gophers upset is a
significant event. Even a poorly performing Gopher team has the
ability to awake and kick some butt.
I talked last night to a friend of mine who was at the game, and he
gave me this amazing account, one that makes me jealous. Here is his
story.
A surprising 8,000 to 9,000 fans (capacity is ~11,500, GF population
is 50,000) were on-hand for the beginning of the Holy Cross vs.
Minnesota game, with more trickling in during the game. HC hustled
and threw hits, which gave the crowd another reason to like them.
Scoring first gave hope that it could happen. MN scored a shorthanded
goal to tie it and eventually went ahead 3-2 early in the third, which
felt like, "okay, that was fun but now it's over." When HC tied it
3-3 halfway through the third, it got really exciting as the
possibility to win was there. When the game-winner went in, it was
complete pandemonium. It was the kind of goal where you jump out of
your seat without having planned yet where you're going to land. The
cheering was as big as that for any of the biggest Sioux goals, but it
was for a team that had just introduced themselves.
Experiencing that moment is why we go to hockey games. Much soda was
spilt that day.
On the ice, before and after handshakes, the HC players reveled in the
atmosphere like a home team would: Coasting around with pumping fists,
waves and fan salutes. After the game, the concourse was completely
abuzz with excited and jovial fans, even giving Doug Woog (!) cheers
as he performed the TV broadcast from the concourse. Later, some HC
players were trying to eat in the arena but could hardly get a bite.
As soon as people would figure out who they were, they would get
approached and congratulated.
This game was truly a great experience for all present. (almost all ;)
Kirk Eisenbeis
Matt Sullivan
Group Insurance Specialist
The Sullivan Agency, LTD.
www.sullivanagency.com
University of Minnesota Duluth, 1998
BU-LL-DO-G-S GOOOOO Bulldogs!!!!
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