Why you should attend a Geneseo hockey game

Photo from Ice Knights hockey game via Kaitlin Anzalone

I am a junior at SUNY Geneseo and I had never attended a Geneseo Ice Knights hockey game until Feb. 18 of this year (I know, this seems like it should be a crime). This was the last game of the regular season and our wonderful Managing Editor Emma Mincer invited me to go with her. The game was between Geneseo, obviously, and Brockport. Let me just say that this is my new favorite pastime and I will be going to these games regularly next season because it was exhilarating. 

I have watched hockey games on the television before, but going to a game and sitting around the rink is a completely different experience. We chose to sit rather close to the ice down by one of the goals which also happened to be where the pep band was stationed. There was excitement in the air, and you could tell that the audience was ready for the contest to start. 

The game started with the announcement of the starting players. When each player was announced, the teams would smack their sticks on the ice. I had seen this practice when watching games on TV, but I was surprised at how loud it actually was.

Then the game started! Again, I had seen this on TV, but I was captivated by the violent nature of the sport. Players would move at full speed, slamming not only into each other, but into the walls of the rink! I can’t even imagine how sore the players are after the games. Players would also hold members of the opposing team against the plexiglass which made for some increased entertainment for the audience.

There was a shared anticipation among the audience members when the puck would inch closer to the goal. Once the puck made it into the goal, which happened frequently for the Ice Knights, the crowd erupted into a frenzy! 

But that was not the only thing that got the crowd fired up; when players would get into fights, which was not uncommon, people would verbally express their view on the fight. One of my favorite crowd comments from the night was when, after a player fell, a member of the crowd yelled, “The ice is slippery!” This of course garnered laughter from fellow audience members.

And it wasn’t just the game that got people riled up—the Zamboni Man was also a fan favorite. Nothing gets people more excited than a random man on a Zamboni. For some reason, people thoroughly enjoy watching someone drive a machine that scrapes off the slush and glazes the ice with water. This took place during the 15-minute breaks between periods and made the time go a little bit faster. I am not going to lie, I also thoroughly enjoyed this segment of the game, although I am still not sure why. 

During the third and final period of the game a puck went flying out of the rink and into the crowd! A woman a few seats over from us actually caught the puck which garnered even more crowd excitement. I was personally just glad we didn’t get hit.

In the last minute or so of the game, a player broke his stick! This man was just skating around with no stick! The stick lay in pieces near the goal guarded by the Brockport goalie. I was worried that someone was going to trip, but all of the players skillfully avoided the hazard. 

Ultimately, the Ice Knights won the game with a whopping five points, which was a great way to end their regular season. This particular game was also senior night, so we stayed and watched the team honor their seniors by announcing their names while they went on to the ice with their chosen people.

Overall, I would say that attending a Geneseo hockey game was one of the most fun things I have done on campus. Admission is free to ID-holding Geneseo students, which makes the pastime even more appealing. There wasn’t ever a dull moment during this event, so you won’t have to worry about being bored! So, grab your friends and head out to an Ice Knights game—you won’t regret it.