Imagine this situation: It’s Friday or Saturday night. Its 6:45. You’re staring blankly into space, thinking, “Hmmm … my friends aren’t meeting me ’til 10 pm; what am I to do until then?” I know everyone has been in that situation at least once here.

Fret no more! I have the solution for you: hockey! That’s right, hockey! Did you know that RPI has Division I men’s and women’s hockey teams?

Well, we do, and they are looking for your support. When I first came to RPI, I knew nothing about hockey. Icing? What’s that? Red line, blue line, what’s the difference? After experiencing a season of it, I can honestly say … it is awesome! It’s fast paced, it’s a great atmosphere, and there are some crushing hits (alriiiiiight!). And then, of course, there is the foghorn. I live for that thing. It like makes me say “Yeah ... RPI is awesome”.

Some people will tell you that our team sucks. Well that is flat out not true. Yeah, we aren’t national champs—although we have won it twice: 1954 and 1985—but there can only be one ECAC champion every year; only one national championship team. Our team is a great team. Those players don’t skate out onto the ice on a Friday or Saturday night and say, “Well, we don’t want to win tonight so let’s just take it easy.” They play every game like it’s their last, like it’s the championship. They do say one thing though: “I wish more people would come to the games.” And they are absolutely right. We haven’t lost the Big Red Freakout!—the biggest game of the year—since 1990. That’s 15 years without a loss in that game.

Why, you ask? Well, its simple … strength in numbers. The Freakout! is routinely sold out, so make sure you go up to the box office and buy your tickets now. That’s 5,000 fans screaming for RPI. With support like that, we are bound to win more games.

Not sure if you are into hockey? Go to a game and check it out. That’s what I did and now I’m a huge fan.

Remember, it’s not just the players that help win the games, it’s the fans! The fans are the seventh man!

So get up to the Houston Field House at 7 pm on Friday and Saturday nights, and the other times when women play too, which are more sporadic than the men’s games. It’s a great time. I promise you, you’ll enjoy it. Scream yourself hoarse and learn the chants and cheers. Treat every game like the national championship. Go crazy when that foghorn blares after we score a goal. If you do that, who knows where the team will be at the end of the year?

LETS GO RED!

Chris Suraci