Old arena

[WPoS]

Having waxed nostalgic in the last few days about the old Gopher barn, I was wondering what you guys miss/liked/hate about your old arena.

WPoS

[airmail]

In its third season, the atmosphere has gotten a whole lot better at REA than it was the past couple of years. I think its really doing well; good crowds, great student atmosphere, and it even gets damn loud now and then. As a recruiting tool, it can't be beat. It is the nicest, most luxurious arena in hockey. What else can you say about it. (oh yeah, I can drink a 7&7 while I watch the game. Bonus points awarded)

Things I miss about the old rink:

1)Sitting by the same people week after week. Now I have corperate seats to the left and in front. (Although we still are by a few old friends, too)

2)The vibration in your butt from the bleachers when it really got loud. (ATMOSPHERE THING, NOT BEING KINKY)

3)As mentioned in another thread, the club room tables upstairs, to sit and talk with fellow Sioux fans before the game. Had some fun conversations, and met some great people. I really miss that.

4)Smoking outside the front door between periods. Hell, I'll be honest. I just miss smoking.

[Fedorov]

2)The vibration in your butt from the bleachers when it really got loud. (ATMOSPHERE THING, NOT BEING KINKY)

The students never knew about that. They were allowed to stand.

[CoteauRinkRat]

I miss the old place for sure.

[airmail]

The students never knew about that. They were allowed to stand.

You don't know what you missed! WOW!

[Greyeagle]

What else can you say about it. (oh yeah, I can drink a 7&7 while I watch the game. Bonus points awarded)

Seriously, how can one argue with this!

IMO it took the crowds at Mariucci about two years to get over the "wow" factor of the new arena and start getting more into the games. Is this about the same at UND? I suppose it didn't help that the opening of the new REA corresponded with one the worst UND hockey seasons in many, many moons.

[YaneA]

Yes, the new Ralph can get pretty loud but it isn't loud enough at the right times. Everybody knows to stand and cheer a goal but the suits won't get on their feet and scream, for example, for face-offs in the opponent's end with score tied or the Sioux down a goal--exception to this observation, last year's second and third playoff games, both of which went to OT. Can you imagine the racket, even with everyone politely seated, if 11,000+ people stomped their feet rhythmically as well as clapped to "We Will Rock You"? The roof would come off the place.

I see the student section waving its arms wildly trying to get the rest of the rink to stand and yell and not getting a lot of reaction for their efforts. I'd like any one of the slacker fans who sit around me in sec. 114 to tell my why they don't get to their feet more often. Are they afraid they'll knock over their over-priced beers?

I wish the Ralph would put together a fan handbook that would clue these hopeless people in on ways Sioux fans can express their support for the team.

[cfm567b27]

Yes, the new Ralph can get pretty loud but it isn't loud enough at the right times. Everybody knows to stand and cheer a goal but the suits won't get on their feet and scream, for example, for face-offs in the opponent's end with score tied or the Sioux down a goal--exception to this observation, last year's second and third playoff games, both of which went to OT. Can you imagine the racket, even with everyone politely seated, if 11,000+ people stomped their feet rhythmically as well as clapped to "We Will Rock You"? The roof would come off the place.

I see the student section waving its arms wildly trying to get the rest of the rink to stand and yell and not getting a lot of reaction for their efforts. I'd like any one of the slacker fans who sit around me in sec. 114 to tell my why they don't get to their feet more often. Are they afraid they'll knock over their over-priced beers?

I wish the Ralph would put together a fan handbook that would clue these hopeless people in on ways Sioux fans can express their support for the team.

I agree - Just as long as we don't stand up and say in unison S - I - O - U - X whats that spell? Sioux sioux....yayyyyyyyy Sioux!

There I draw the line.

[jimdahl]

I wish the Ralph would put together a fan handbook that would clue these hopeless people in on ways Sioux fans can express their support for the team.

They used to give us those when I had student season tickets to Gopher football. They included such original suggestions as yelling "Gophers" at the end of the Star Spangled Banner, which we all dutifully ignored. It also included the spelling of M-i-n-n-e-s-o-t-a so we had a fighting chance of all spelling it right after TDs.

Honestly, I've always thought it would be cool if everyone at UND knew "Fight On Sioux" and sang along.

[YaneA]

"I wish the Ralph would put together a fan handbook* that would clue these hopeless people in on ways Sioux fans can express their support for the team."

*Jim: I think "in a non-lame form" was implied.

[WPoS]

They used to give us those when I had student season tickets to Gopher football. They included such original suggestions as yelling "Gophers" at the end of the Star Spangled Banner, which we all dutifully ignored. It also included the spelling of M-i-n-n-e-s-o-t-a so we had a fighting chance of all spelling it right after TDs.

now, knowing you all (most at least) are UND fans, and unless you go to the U, the spelling out Minnesota cheer is not well liked, but hey, the cheer was started in the 1880's prolly. But, do you really think some of your cheers are any more original or "cool"...I mean "let's go Sioux"...c'mon...

WPoS

[WPoS]

"I wish the Ralph would put together a fan handbook* that would clue these hopeless people in on ways Sioux fans can express their support for the team."

*Jim: I think "in a non-lame form" was implied.

some schools have a REQUIRED day for freshmen to go and learn the school cheers and chants...mostly southern football type schools (Aggies, etc) and I know Michigan does something too. It would be nice if EVERY school could do something to make it a more loud venue...

WPoS

[The Sicatoka]

Honestly, I've always thought it would be cool if everyone at UND knew "Fight On Sioux" and sang along.

"Fight on Sioux" and "Stand Up and Cheer" both.

If only they had some super-cool electronics, like a lighted display ring or Daktronics video and score boards, to put the lyrics on ....

Lecture notes here. There will be a quiz.

[Greyeagle]

now, knowing you all (most at least) are UND fans, and unless you go to the U, the spelling out Minnesota cheer is not well liked, but hey, the cheer was started in the 1880's prolly.

Close.

The "Minnesota Rouser," sung at most University athletic events, was written by Floyd M. Hutsell in 1909 in response to a Minneapolis Tribune contest.

Back to Sioux talk....

[cfm567b27]

now, knowing you all (most at least) are UND fans, and unless you go to the U, the spelling out Minnesota cheer is not well liked, but hey, the cheer was started in the 1880's prolly. But, do you really think some of your cheers are any more original or "cool"...I mean "let's go Sioux"...c'mon...

WPoS

I guess Gopher fans equally dislike home of the "Sioux" at the end of the Star Spangled banner.

[WPoS]

I guess Gopher fans equally dislike home of the "Sioux" at the end of the Star Spangled banner.

nah, we copied it...as did about 20 other schools!

WPoS

[dagies]

Having waxed nostalgic in the last few days about the old Gopher barn, I was wondering what you guys miss/liked/hate about your old arena.

WPoS

Miss? Me in it in 1984-1987.

[cfm567b27]

nah, we copied it...as did about 20 other schools!

WPoS

If you copied it I didn't notice. I was all both Sioux/Gopher games last year at Mariucci and you could hear home of the "Sioux" over anything else at the end of the Banner. Perhaps the fans haven't quite caught on yet - or there were more Sioux fans in attendance than Gopher fans (?). Regardless - I didn't realize you copied it. Never have heard it out of the confines of a Sioux sporting event.

[dagies]

now, knowing you all (most at least) are UND fans, and unless you go to the U, the spelling out Minnesota cheer is not well liked, but hey, the cheer was started in the 1880's prolly. But, do you really think some of your cheers are any more original or "cool"...I mean "let's go Sioux"...c'mon...

WPoS

I must be the only person who likes to chear "let's go Sioux".

I don't care what I'm yelling as long as it is loud and for the team.

[WPoS]

If you copied it I didn't notice. I was all both Sioux/Gopher games last year at Mariucci and you could hear home of the "Sioux" over anything else at the end of the Banner. Perhaps the fans haven't quite caught on yet - or there were more Sioux fans in attendance than Gopher fans (?). Regardless - I didn't realize you copied it. Never have heard it out of the confines of a Sioux sporting event.

huh. you can hear it on every game on TV from Mecca (only 1,2 or 3 of the home games are not televised), and I have yet to hear anything besides "GOPHERS" at the end in Mariucci, but then again, I sit in the midst of the student section.

WPoS

[Canuck]

Having waxed nostalgic in the last few days about the old Gopher barn, I was wondering what you guys miss/liked/hate about your old arena.

Here's something I wrote for another website a few years ago as the days in the old Ralph were coming to an end. It may seem a bit long, but definitely appropriate for the thread. And, looking back, somewhat crytpic. If I do say so myself:

I am a hockey nut. No ifs, ands or butt-ends about it.

The sport is - and will always be - my first love. I grew up a fervent supporter of the junior hockey team in my hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan. I even managed to attend a handful of National Hockey League games, though the nearest city with an NHL team was 500 miles away. I spent every waking minute of my free-time on an outdoor rink or on the back driveway. Life as a hockey nut could never get better, I thought.

I was wrong.

Six years ago I came to the University of North Dakota as a freshman, having barely heard of the school, let alone been aware of its steep hockey tradition.

Six years ago I entered Ralph Engelstad Arena for the first time; life as a hockey nut got better.

Whatever your opinion may be on the nickname, the logo, or even Ralph Engelstad himself, please save that for another thread. This isn't the time. You see, tonight the Fighting Sioux will play the last ever home game at the current Engelstad Arena. Oh sure, there will be the obligatory best-of-three playoff series at home in March against Michigan Tech, Minnesota-Duluth, Grand Forks Central or some other patsy, but for all intents and purposes tonight is the night.

College hockey may never be the same in this town after tonight.

Yes, in the fall we will all (ok, not all) will celebrate the opening of what is sure to be the finest college hockey facility in the nation. It will have all the bells and whistles that come with "progress." A giant replay screen, closed-circuit play-by-play on the concourses and in the restrooms, and the ever-important luxury boxes.

Progress.

Call me crazy, but save this kind of progress for professional hockey. I, for one, will miss the current arena we play in; that 25-year old barn that on many nights could qualify as the world's largest insane asylum.

When you think about it, there really is nothing aesthetically pleasing about the current Engelstad Arena. It's outdated, there's not enough restrooms, the sound system sucks and you can't buy beer. In that regard, a new arena could be justified.

But not from where I sit. Ralph Engelstad Arena is college hockey. It's got that small-town feel, that coziness that fosters such a frenzied environment. The fans are right on top of the action and the home team is able to feed off of that emotion. Because of the small confines, the Fighting Sioux have been able to enjoy arguably the most effective home-ice advantage in college hockey over the past 25 years.

On a day like this, where we say goodbye to a local landmark, "favorite memory" is the phrase of the day. I have one.

March 15, 1998, UND versus the hated Minnesota Golden Gophers. The fans, many of whom waited in line outside the arena for seven hours to get their favorite seat, having nothing to cheer about. The third period is about to start and the Sioux are losing 3-0. But something is not right. There is a buzz in the air, an anticipation that the game is far from over. The crowd was just waiting to erupt, waiting for a reason to lose its mind. It's a feeling an outsider would not understand.

I was working for the Midwest Sports Channel on this night, keeping stats for the announcers while also relaying them to the production truck outside. Just before the third period started, I told the producer, "If UND scores the next goal, this one is over." He replied by saying there is no way the Gophers will blow a 3-0 third period lead. Just watch, I told him.

14 seconds into the third period the Gophers registered a shot on goal. They would not get another shot on goal the rest of the way.

Sure enough, UND's Curtis Murphy got the Sioux on the board 6:42 into the period, and Grand Forks' own Jeff Panzer followed with another three minutes later. The arena was going bonkers, and I truly believed the stadium's structural support was in jeopardy. Now UND could do no wrong. They were catching Minnesota players from behind, batting pucks out of mid-air and hitting anything in maroon and gold that moved. The shift in momentum was electric. UND's Jason Blake tied the game midway through the period, and Minnesota coach Doug Woog resorted to the age-old trick of calling timeout in an effort to slow the pace and tame the crowd, and such a move usually works.

Instead, the crowd got louder.

And louder.

And louder.

And louder.

It had to be experienced to be believed; it's cliche, but you really could not hear yourself think. The crowd was so loud, I literally had to write notes to communicate with the person next to me. The move completely backfired on Woog. The crowd was so fired up, MSC's cameras were actually shaking from the amount of noise. Inevitably, UND soon tallied the go-ahead goal. At that point, UND had 15 shots to Minnesota's one, prompting MSC announcer (and noted Gopher homer) Frank Mazzocco to say, "UND could have played without a goalie the entire period and it would still be a tie game."

You got the sense the Gophers knew they were doomed after giving up that first goal. Woog knew it. Trailing by just one goal, he opted to pull his goalie for an extra attacker with nearly three minutes remaining. He had no choice, really. The momentum was such that the Gophers could barely get the puck out of their zone, let alone create a scoring chance. UND sealed the game with an empty-net goal by Matt Henderson.

Final score: 5-3.

Scoring in the third period: 5-0.

Shots on goal in the third period: 20-1.

Shots on goal over the final 19:46 of the game: 20-0.

To make a long story even longer, I am of the opinion that this comeback - and so many others like it over the past quarter of a century - would never have happened at the soon-to-be completed Engelstad Arena. An arena that big sterilizes the emotional aspect of hockey. An arena that big is nothing more than a cavern with ice. An arena that big will be next-to-impossible for a town of 55,000 to fill, let alone energize.

Ask the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Montreal Canadiens how much they miss their old barns. All three are storied franchises, and all three have been downright awful since trading in their intimate barns for corporate arenas.

Yes, the new Engelstad Arena will the be the jewel of college hockey. Yes, it will be an arena to be proud of, nickname controversy notwithstanding.

Yes, it will have all the ammenities a hockey fan could want, except for one.

Atmosphere.

So today I say, with great sadness, Goodbye old barn.

Thanks for giving me my best six years as a hockey nut.

[Greyeagle]

Canuck, enjoyed your article. Hated that game though.

[brianvf]

nah, we copied it...as did about 20 other schools!

WPoS

But other schools' nicknames just don't work as well as the Sioux; most being two syllabuls and all....

[cfm567b27]

Here's something I wrote for another website a few years ago as the days in the old Ralph were coming to an end. It may seem a bit long, but definitely appropriate for the thread. And, looking back, somewhat crytpic. If I do say so myself:

I am a hockey nut. No ifs, ands or butt-ends about it.

The sport is - and will always be - my first love. I grew up a fervent supporter of the junior hockey team in my hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan. I even managed to attend a handful of National Hockey League games, though the nearest city with an NHL team was 500 miles away. I spent every waking minute of my free-time on an outdoor rink or on the back driveway. Life as a hockey nut could never get better, I thought.

I was wrong.

Six years ago I came to the University of North Dakota as a freshman, having barely heard of the school, let alone been aware of its steep hockey tradition.

Six years ago I entered Ralph Engelstad Arena for the first time; life as a hockey nut got better.

Whatever your opinion may be on the nickname, the logo, or even Ralph Engelstad himself, please save that for another thread. This isn't the time. You see, tonight the Fighting Sioux will play the last ever home game at the current Engelstad Arena. Oh sure, there will be the obligatory best-of-three playoff series at home in March against Michigan Tech, Minnesota-Duluth, Grand Forks Central or some other patsy, but for all intents and purposes tonight is the night.

College hockey may never be the same in this town after tonight.

Yes, in the fall we will all (ok, not all) will celebrate the opening of what is sure to be the finest college hockey facility in the nation. It will have all the bells and whistles that come with "progress." A giant replay screen, closed-circuit play-by-play on the concourses and in the restrooms, and the ever-important luxury boxes.

Progress.

Call me crazy, but save this kind of progress for professional hockey. I, for one, will miss the current arena we play in; that 25-year old barn that on many nights could qualify as the world's largest insane asylum.

When you think about it, there really is nothing aesthetically pleasing about the current Engelstad Arena. It's outdated, there's not enough restrooms, the sound system sucks and you can't buy beer. In that regard, a new arena could be justified.

But not from where I sit. Ralph Engelstad Arena is college hockey. It's got that small-town feel, that coziness that fosters such a frenzied environment. The fans are right on top of the action and the home team is able to feed off of that emotion. Because of the small confines, the Fighting Sioux have been able to enjoy arguably the most effective home-ice advantage in college hockey over the past 25 years.

On a day like this, where we say goodbye to a local landmark, "favorite memory" is the phrase of the day. I have one.

March 15, 1998, UND versus the hated Minnesota Golden Gophers. The fans, many of whom waited in line outside the arena for seven hours to get their favorite seat, having nothing to cheer about. The third period is about to start and the Sioux are losing 3-0. But something is not right. There is a buzz in the air, an anticipation that the game is far from over. The crowd was just waiting to erupt, waiting for a reason to lose its mind. It's a feeling an outsider would not understand.

I was working for the Midwest Sports Channel on this night, keeping stats for the announcers while also relaying them to the production truck outside. Just before the third period started, I told the producer, "If UND scores the next goal, this one is over." He replied by saying there is no way the Gophers will blow a 3-0 third period lead. Just watch, I told him.

14 seconds into the third period the Gophers registered a shot on goal. They would not get another shot on goal the rest of the way.

Sure enough, UND's Curtis Murphy got the Sioux on the board 6:42 into the period, and Grand Forks' own Jeff Panzer followed with another three minutes later. The arena was going bonkers, and I truly believed the stadium's structural support was in jeopardy. Now UND could do no wrong. They were catching Minnesota players from behind, batting pucks out of mid-air and hitting anything in maroon and gold that moved. The shift in momentum was electric. UND's Jason Blake tied the game midway through the period, and Minnesota coach Doug Woog resorted to the age-old trick of calling timeout in an effort to slow the pace and tame the crowd, and such a move usually works.

Instead, the crowd got louder.

And louder.

And louder.

And louder.

It had to be experienced to be believed; it's cliche, but you really could not hear yourself think. The crowd was so loud, I literally had to write notes to communicate with the person next to me. The move completely backfired on Woog. The crowd was so fired up, MSC's cameras were actually shaking from the amount of noise. Inevitably, UND soon tallied the go-ahead goal. At that point, UND had 15 shots to Minnesota's one, prompting MSC announcer (and noted Gopher homer) Frank Mazzocco to say, "UND could have played without a goalie the entire period and it would still be a tie game."

You got the sense the Gophers knew they were doomed after giving up that first goal. Woog knew it. Trailing by just one goal, he opted to pull his goalie for an extra attacker with nearly three minutes remaining. He had no choice, really. The momentum was such that the Gophers could barely get the puck out of their zone, let alone create a scoring chance. UND sealed the game with an empty-net goal by Matt Henderson.

Final score: 5-3.

Scoring in the third period: 5-0.

Shots on goal in the third period: 20-1.

Shots on goal over the final 19:46 of the game: 20-0.

To make a long story even longer, I am of the opinion that this comeback - and so many others like it over the past quarter of a century - would never have happened at the soon-to-be completed Engelstad Arena. An arena that big sterilizes the emotional aspect of hockey. An arena that big is nothing more than a cavern with ice. An arena that big will be next-to-impossible for a town of 55,000 to fill, let alone energize.

Ask the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Montreal Canadiens how much they miss their old barns. All three are storied franchises, and all three have been downright awful since trading in their intimate barns for corporate arenas.

Yes, the new Engelstad Arena will the be the jewel of college hockey. Yes, it will be an arena to be proud of, nickname controversy notwithstanding.

Yes, it will have all the ammenities a hockey fan could want, except for one.

Atmosphere.

So today I say, with great sadness, Goodbye old barn.

Thanks for giving me my best six years as a hockey nut.

Canuck...Perhaps you missed the third period of UND's Saturday playoff win in 2003 win over UMD. Come back from a three goal deficit with under 5:00 minutes in the new REA. Almost topped the famous 2001 FF game against BC. Great story you wrote however..game me goose bumps reading it!

[airmail]

March 15, 1998, UND versus the hated Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Without question my favorite Sioux hockey game that I ever saw. Unbelieveable comeback.

Good thoughts on the new arena, and they certainly held true on the atmosphere end. Overall, though, I think its a good thing for Sioux hockey, Grand Forks, and North Dakota. While we can lament what we've lost at the old place, we should also be elated in what we've gained.