Students from the University of Minnesota-Duluth have been spotted at hockey games this season, which isn't necessarily a surprise. The hockey games they been attending, however, didn't feature the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.
Instead, they featured the St. Scholastica Saints. Finding students in the stands isn't usually bizarre, but why would a student from a different school attend the game?
Ian McHale, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, attended the game. "I think the team played well. They may not be (Division-I) like us, but they're still fun to watch," McHale said. "It's fun to go to the games in a smaller setting. The UMD games are fun by they're so big and can be expensive especially if you've got season tickets."
The question still remained why a University of Minnesota-Duluth student would want to go to a Saints men's hockey game. "My girlfriend always likes to go," McHale said. "She goes to Scholastica, so I go because of her. I probably wouldn't go on my own."
A junior at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Zach Schmitz, had similar reasons. "I go because my girlfriend likes me to," Schmitz said. "I do enjoy watching the team play, though."
Some of the Saints traditions aren't always understandable to these new fans. "I just don't understand why they play 'Sweet Caroline' after a victory," Schmitz said. "It seems so random."
What would seem random to an outsider is a fun tradition for the Saint Scholastica students.
"It's my favorite part about the games!" sophomore Katie Phelps said. "I love going to the games. They're so exciting and the song at the end makes the game for me."
University of Minnesota-Duluth students may not understand St. Scholastica's traditions, but they understand their records. "Scholastica has had great records in the past, so I know if I go to a game it will always be exciting," McHale said.
Schmitz agreed that Scholastica games are exciting. While he expressed that he'd rather be at a Bulldogs game, he talked about how if he had to be at some game to please his girlfriend it might as well be a good team like the Saints.
When the Saints win their games the crowd cheers in the ice cold arena that fills with fans, including fans from other schools.
The University of Minnesota-Duluth students cheer at the final score as well.
