This past weekend, students and the Men’s Hockey team celebrated the 12th student season ticket campout. Over 400 student season tickets were purchased on Saturday morning when they went on sale at 8 a.m.
For the past 12 years, devoted hockey worshippers and puck bunnies have faithfully set up tents outside the North Box Office of the Ritchie Center to purchase discounted season tickets. This year, the tickets cost $56 for 14 games, and season ticket holders are guaranteed admission into every home game, including the coveted Colorado College rivalry games.
The first two students arrived outside of the box office at 8 a.m. on Friday morning, 24 hours before the tickets went on sale. Hockey Head Coach George Gwozdecky purchased season tickets for both of the students the following morning when tickets went on sale.
Although some veteran hockey fans felt there wasn’t as large of a turn out as last year, students continued the tradition with pride.
“Even though the turnout this year was not as good as last, it was still great to see the first years already so involved and sporting their Pioneer pride. The enthusiasm seemed to be a bit more controlled, but that didn’t stop anyone from having a great time,” said sophomore business major Constantine Johns from West Chester, Pa.
Students brought tents and blankets to survive the fall temperatures on the lawn.
“This campout provides a great opportunity to make new friends, to share stories and to laugh a ton. I mean, there’s people in my tent right now that I’ve never even met,” said freshman, Tara Collins, an international business and marketing major. from Highlands Ranch.
Several of the campers brought stereos to the box office lawn and took part in a dance marathon. From country line dancing to the Cupid Shuffle to DJ Casper’s “Cha Cha Slide,” the lively scene did not subside until the break of dawn.
“There’s no question in my mind that if you ask around the league, our students are as enthusiastic and as loud and as motivating as any school in our conference,” said Gwozdecky.
The hockey team also expressed their gratitude in the morning by providing doughnuts to all of the campers.
“We owe it all to them. Every game, we build off their cheering,” said senior financing major and DU men’s hockey captain, a defenseman from Darien, Il. Paul Phillips. “It’s just cool to see all of the students show their support by camping out all night.”
A number of student organizations were also present at the campout. D.U.G.S. served up barbeque-glazed ribs, the Pep Band provided a morning greeting to all of the sleeping campers and the dance team continued to foster Pioneer spirit while the students waited in line to purchase tickets.
Every year, coach Gwozdecky selects two freshman hockey players to entertain the student crowd before tickets go on sale by singing the DU fight song, “Fairest of Colleges.” This year, undeclared freshmen and forward Quentin Shore from Denver and psychology major Garrett Allen, a forward from Delafield, Wi. were given that privilege.
With another successful student season ticket campout, the hockey team is ready to face off against UMass Lowell in the season opener this Friday night at Magness Arena. The puck drops at 7:37 p.m.
“I am so excited to have been a part of this tradition here at DU. But I feel this year was more than just a tradition,” says DU freshman Rylee Johnston, an international studies and sociolegal studies major from Fort Collins, “The campout marks the beginning of a new season with great friends, crazy fans and a championship hockey team.”
