1. Free Stuff: I think it’s safe to say that free gear is the #1 reason why any Bentley student attends a sporting event, for good or for bad. Hockey is no exception. Most home games include some type of free giveaway, whether it’s a pair of gloves, a jersey, noise-making devices, or other items (for the opening games this past weekend, giveaways included a long-sleeve tee or Bentley blanket). In addition, there are often on-ice competitions between periods for larger prizes. Giveaways can be collected between the 2nd and 3rd periods, but I’d urge you to stay for the whole game, if only for Reason #4 on this list.
2. D1 Team: The men’s hockey team is Bentley’s only Division 1 sports team— and they’re a good one at that. The Falcons are predicted to finish 3rd based on this year’s Atlantic Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The team also faces off against a variety of well-known non-conference opponents every season (the Harvard vs. Bentley matchups always being particularly popular). This year, those opponents include Northeastern, Merrimack, and Rensselaer at home, as well as Northeastern, BU, and UNH on the road. In addition, past Bentley players have gone on to land professional deals with teams in leagues such as the ECHL, EIHL, and even AHL.
3. Fun to Learn: As someone who had never really watched hockey before coming to college, I love going to Bentley hockey games! won’t pretend that I wasn’t a little lost at first, but once you start picking up some of the rules, hockey really is an enjoyable, fast-paced game to watch. Even if you’ve watched hockey before and don’t consider yourself much of a fan, I recommend giving it another try!
4. School Spirit: It’s no secret that Bentley’s school spirit is somewhat lackluster. Aside from the homecoming football game, it’s very rare to attend a Bentley sporting event that even comes close to the rowdy and exciting atmosphere that many of us expect college sporting events to have. Luckily, this atmosphere is easier to achieve at The JAR (the rink Bentley uses) IF enough students attend games, as it’s a very small venue. Another fun staple of the games is The Top Shelf: a group of Bentley hockey super fans who attend almost every game and are dedicated to “changing school spirit, one chirp at a time” (they are also responsible for spearheading a student-led effort to get a rink built on campus). Expect to hear some colorful and creative cheering when these guys and girls are around!
5. Cute Hockey Players: I had trouble finding any pictures (sans hockey gear) that would do this reason any justice, but trust me. You will not be disappointed. If you don’t believe me, you can check out each individual player’s bio here, as well as refer to the aww-inspiring photo below of some Falcons recently helping run a Waltham Youth Hockey pee-wee practice.
Bentley hockey’s next home game is this coming Saturday, October 17th at 7:05 PM at The JAR vs. Northeastern. I hope to see you there!!
Photo sources:
Sources:
http://www.atlantichockeyonline.com/news/2015-16_News/2015_Coaches_Poll
http://bentley.prestosports.com/sports/mice/2015-16/releases/20150716igbxhw
http://bentleyfalcons.com/sports/mice/2015-16/schedule
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-nePLlUEAEnpec.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/The-Top-Shelf-706735169351822/timeline/
https://twitter.com/BentleyTopShelf