Like a Fuckin' Pro: A Guide to UNH Hockey Fandom

The lights go low as two spotlights begin to circle the Whittemore Center Arena. The roar of the crowd, thunder sticks and cowbells makes it nearly impossible to hear “O Fortuna” blaring out of the arena’s speakers. The crowd is on their feet and the intensity begins to grow as the song progresses. As the orchestral song finishes, it blends into “Two Step” by the Dave Mathews Band and at the climax the UNH hockey team takes the ice to a defining roar of the crowd.

UNH hockey season has arrived.

Fans got a taste of the team this past weekend after the exhibition game versus Acadia, but as awesome as that game was it simply does not compare to the regular season. It is that time of the year again for UNH hockey fans to head over to the Whittemore Center for some good old-fashioned, and semi-clean, cheering.

For those of you who are freshmen, UNH hockey is a way of life. All students are expected to stand up the entire game and participate in every chant. If that is not your style then do not bother getting a ticket because there are plenty of students who bleed blue. If you do not leave the game with a sore throat, then you did not do your job as a student fan.

This will be the 10th year I will be attending UNH hockey games. (*A couple of my friends and I are actually in that video at the 1:25 mark, but due to the poor quality my face can't be seen!) When I was younger, I could not wait for the day when I could be a member of the student section. That way I could get away with shouting semi-inappropriate things at the top of my voice. I remember the first game I ever attended, future Hobey-Baker-award-winner Jason Krog scored two goals in a 9-4 win over Providence College. That was the same year UNH made it to the national championship game, something I have since tried to erase from my memory (UNH lost to Maine 3-2 in overtime). Even though it has been 10 years since that 1999 season and I was only nine years old, I still remember it like it was yesterday. I guess that is my version of Billy Buckner and his infamous error that cost the Red Sox the 1986 World Series.

But it is not the time to live in the past, for another season is upon us. Even though the Wildcats return a lot of talent and have a terrific freshmen class, they were unranked in the preseason polls.

The offseason is a very quiet time for a UNH hockey fan like myself. I spend most of my time thinking up new chants and trying to find the best players of Hockey East on Facebook. That way I can make embarrassingly personal signs about opposing players. I also don’t speak for two days prior to every home game. Then, about an hour before the puck drops I do vocal exercises. This way I can clearly be heard when I inform an opposing player who commits a penalty that it is time for them to sit down.

At the game on Saturday night I realized that not every student fan in attendance knows as much about hockey as I do, so I would like to explain a few things. The term “offsides” is not a penalty. It means that an attacking player is in the offensive zone (past the blue line) before the puck crosses the line. It results in a face-off outside the zone. It is perfectly legal to check another player, even if an injury ensues, although there are specific ways to make a clean hit. The penalty boxes are located on the side next to UNH’s bench, not the booths behind the nets. A goal is worth one point no matter how far away it is scored from. There is not an actual body of water below the ice surface; therefore a player cannot fall through the ice.

We are UNH, and this year is another great opportunity for the ‘Cats to claim the elusive National Championship. That being said, the UNH student section has to be loud to make it difficult for opposing teams. We want other players to tremble when they step on the ice. The Whittemore Center is one of the few Olympic sized rinks in the country. Factor that in with the high ceilings of the building, and it can be difficult for fans to make it personal with opposing players. I want you to be loud, but also remember that when you are in the student section you are representing the University of New Hampshire. So, I ask you now to do your best, scream as loud as you can and make other teams fear the Whitt!

Stay classy, not UMassy.