From: Andrew Weise <[log in to unmask]> > Somebody who actually WENT to Clarkson during the Walker Arena era might > be able to help me on this one. > > I was in Potsdam for the final two years where Clarkson called Walker Arena > home. Believe me, if it got loud, it got LOUD!! I had heard that > visiting teams dreaded Walker as well as somewhere like Lynah Rink. The > opposing goalie was in front of the band/student section (as is with Cheel > these days). But, in Walker Arena, the stands were right on top of the ice, > probably because it was a smaller ice surface. I could only imagine how > the opposite goalie felt being so close to 1,000 band members/students who > were taunting him the entire game. > I went to Clarkson from '84 to '87 and yes the good old Walker Arena was really loud, though I haven't been to any other college hockey arena. The ice surface was somewhat small, with the stands almost on top of ice. If I remember right, student admission those days was free with ID (or maybe a buck or two), and so the arena was packed for most of the games. In fact, my first taste of *ice* hockey (I grew up in India) was a Clarkson-Bowling Green 2 game series in oct/nov '84 and if I remember right, Clarkson won both of them. > The other main reason visiting teams would rather have NOT played in Walker: > "That damn bell!" > The first time I heard that bell, I was totally unprepared for it and it took me a while to get my hearing senses back! Are they still using it at the Cheel? -Mani Vembar, Clarkson (MS, 1987) ([log in to unmask])