Conte Chaos

Boston College Hockey is back, and there is little that can be said to deny this. Three home games in, featuring coordinated whiteouts and blackouts in games versus Long Island University and Denver University respectively, along with a matchup with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in between, Conte Forum has been packed. 

Following a record for student attendance in the home opener of Long Island, the following home crowds were also impressive, with the most notable being in a top-three matchup with Denver last Saturday. To give a hint as to how highly demanded it was to watch the Eagles, the sold-out matchup with Denver resulted in a large number of students unfortunately being unable to attend. The student section was full to the brim 30 minutes before puck drop.

The buzz of being a top-five team in the country has constantly generated a crowd that is filled with ooos and ahhhs as the talented Eagles craft quality opportunities or crush their opponents into the boards. The “Let’s Go Eagles” chant rang throughout all three periods to energize the team, along with “Fowler” chants in support of freshman Jacob Fowler’s superb play in net. And who could forget the roar of the crowd when a goal went in, unlike anything heard in the last few years. 

My experience this year as a BC Hockey fan has been nothing short of joyful. Certainly, the 4-2 win against LIU and the 6-1 win against RPI left me with a smile from ear to ear. But even in a tough 4-3 loss against Denver, there is something special about seeing a black sea of fellow students all there in support of their 22 classmates on the ice. It doesn’t hurt that the team is incredibly fast and talented, and many of them will join their predecessors in playing in the National Hockey League. 

At the same time, this fact would not change the joy that enters my heart watching this team with a crowd that shows up two hours before game time just to secure their seats. Seeing people care about this team and their contagious passion gives life to what being a student at Boston College means. When a team like this is nationally ranked, the buzz that is around campus is not just because the team can play well, but also because they are in the same sentence as a number of other tremendous universities, and have the opportunity to add to an already-impressive trophy case in Conte Forum filled by successful teams of the past.