Today, for the first time in years, Northeastern hockey will be on the national stage competing against the top-ranked BU Terriers.
While the game on the ice is the main attraction, there will be a game of almost equal importance going on in the 300 level of the TD Banknorth Garden ‘- the battle of the student sections.
Everyone who follows college hockey knows about the vaunted BU section. They are known for their fervor and their color-coordinateness.
While I will admit they look impressive, we all know it is just a big sham.
The BU students would be lost without their band, an admittedly talented group, but a group that controls everything the rat dog fans do. It is often creepy to see them, and their Pavlovian response to each song played.
They know that there is a cheer for the powerplay, a cheer for the beginning of games, a cheer for goals, but there is no creativity.
Any true NU fan knows exactly what they will hear from the followers of the church of the hot dog. ‘Five year program,’ and of course ‘safety school,’ will ring out from the Red and White clad zombies as though either was relevant.
For the record BU fans, of course we chose a five year school, because going to college for four years is like leaving a party at 10:30 p.m. As for safety school, you might want to check the average GPA and SAT scores for last year’s incoming classes. (NU beat BU in both categories in the last group of accepted freshmen.)
We also know that no matter who they are playing they have to tell everyone how much BC sucks. We get it, you don’t like them, save it for when you are playing them.
We also know they are responsible for the corruption of many a young hockey fan. Witness the first round game just a week ago. The children of Commonwealth Ave. gave us not one, but two chants featuring the f-bomb (Including the, oh so clever ‘F-NU,’ and their familiar ‘f-em up BC sucks.’)
I know that here on Northeastern’s campus the best student section in college hockey, if not all of college sports, lives. The DogHouse has added to their repertoire this season with some new chants, including the North-Eastern chant.
Not only that, but how many teams would ever draw a 1,000 strong student section for a three-win team. We care, and they don’t, enough said.
Not only that, but the DogHouse can change its script based on the flow of the game, and what the team, or the crowd might need at that second. You all know how to work with the band, not take your orders from it.
My point is, we are going to have a chance to go head to head with BU on a major national stage. Show them up. Bad. For me, please. I know where the true fans of college hockey are and it is about time that we let the rest of the world know.
Remember, stay classy, stay above the mess they will inevitably bring with them, and show them how real fans behave. As we keep hearing, ‘Now is the time,’ and TD Banknorth is the place, so seize the moment and show those half fans what exactly is up.

Check out 104.9 FM or at www.wrbbradio.org‘ to hear all the action of your Huskies. Basketball coverage is Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. versus Drexel and Saturday at 11:45 a.m. at George Mason. Hockey coverage is at Monday at 7:45 p.m. in the championship game of the Beanpot against Boston University and at UMass’ 6:45 p.m. Friday

‘- Pete Martin can be reached’
at [email protected].