There’s no denying that hockey is the most popular sport here at BU. The fan base is huge: with both students and alumni filling Agganis Arena game after game to see the Terriers on the ice. Without football games every Saturday for students to go to, Agganis is definitely the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night. If you’ve never been to a game and have been debating whether or not to make the trek to West Campus, lucky for you, this week is the best game of the season! It’s almost mandatory you’re here Friday November 8th with all your friends, and decked out in BU apparel, when the terriers take on the BC Eagles at Agganis Arena. This is arguably the greatest game of the season, and BC will have plenty of fans there too. It will be an awesome game, and the chants and cheers will be better than ever! If you can’t make it to that one but still want to see some classic BU vs. BC rivalry, see if you can go to the game January 17th at BC. The green line will take you all the way there, so no need to worry about directions. The only thing is you don’t get your free student ticket for away games, but you can just buy a ticket online through the BU athletics website.
Here are the top 5 reasons why going to a game this year will definitely be worth your while!
5. Its Free With an Activated Sports Pass and There’s Usually Free Stuff
Free – a college student’s favorite word! And yes the hockey games are technically free if you have an activated sports pass. Everyone starts off with an activated sports pass (it’s included in your tuition) so unless you’ve specifically opted out of the sports pass, you probably have it activated. If you aren’t sure if you/your parents deactivated it though, you can check online on the StudentLink. To get your ticket for the game, all you have to do is go to the ticket office at Agganis Arena with your Terrier Card and ask for a student ticket. Almost all the games this season are on Friday and/or Saturday nights so the earliest you can pick up your ticket is on the Monday before the games. The office is open Monday-Friday from 10-5 and you can pick up a ticket any of these days. However, the student tickets are first-come first-serve, so for more popular games I recommend getting your ticket Monday just to make sure you’ll get one!
That’s right, free stuff! Throughout the season there are usually promotions and club-sponsored games where free stuff is given to fans. By free stuff I don’t mean like free vacations to Hawaii or TVs, but small fun things like BU rally towels, hockey T-shirts, or sunglasses. BU Study Abroad sponsored the game last weekend, so every student seat had a small BU towel on it that everyone waved around during the game. They were fun and can also look cute hanging in your room after.
4. You Don’t Have To Know Anything About Hockey
One of the main reasons many students feel like they can’t go to a game is because they don’t know anything about hockey and I’ve heard this excuse tons of times from girls who feel like they have to know about the game to go. Nobody there will ask you if you agree with the offside call or whether or not you know what icing is. There are plenty of students there that have no idea what’s going on but just go for the fun of it! Even if you’ve never watched a hockey game and have no idea what the rules are, it doesn’t matter. Wear some BU apparel, bring your friends, and cheer for BU and you’ll fit right in! Be prepared to stand the whole game, get loud and cheer and classic BU cheers. If you don’t know them, no big deal, they’re easy to learn and they’re really funny so just join in and you’ll look like a pro.
3. It’s Something Different to do on a Friday or Saturday Night
So maybe now that it’s almost November you’ve gotten bored of the frat parties and trips to Allston every weekend. In that case, mixing it up on a Friday or Saturday will definitely be a welcome change! If you’re like me and didn’t live on West as a freshman and aren’t lucky enough to live in StuVi yet, you probably rarely make the trip to West Campus. This is certainly an excuse to head over there and see what this mysterious ”other side” has to offer. It’s easy to make a night out of going to the game because there are tons of places for dinner all around West Campus and right near Agganis. Panera, Sunset Cantina, Otto Pizza, Chipotle, Raising Cane’s, and much more! So get your friends together, go out to dinner, and then head to the game!
There are plenty of food options inside the arena too, but they can be overly expensive. But if you’re looking to treat yourself after a long week, nobody’s stopping you from that candy bar, caramel apple, piece of pizza, giant chocolate chip cookie, hotdog, or fried dough the size of your head!
2. You’re getting involved with the campus and showing BU pride
As I already mentioned, the BU hockey games are a source of pride for many current Terriers and former Terriers. The team has a rich history and is one of the oldest teams in Division I hockey, playing its first game in 1918. The team is always good and almost always is one of the top teams in the country, so there’s no harm in being proud of your team. At the games, you definitely feel a sense of community and everyone is really into it. Even if the chants against the other teams can get a little harsh, they’re still funny and it makes for a few good laughs.
1. It’s Fun!!!
Its free, there’s yummy unhealthy food, the team is good, the cheers are funny and everyone’s there. Why wouldn’t you go?! Honestly, the hockey games are, in my opinion, one of the best events offered to students here at BU just because it’s low-key, inexpensive, and just super fun. If you haven’t already, you have to take advantage of all BU has to offer and going to a hockey game is definitely part of that! There’s face paint and cute hockey apparel you can buy, and after a game or two even someone who had no idea what was going on can start to get it.
SEE YOU THERE! GO BU!