With numerous all-star honors and at least seven players who have competed with national teams, the Boston University women’s hockey team is an aggressive collection of women. On Oct. 20, 2012, the team played their first night game at Agganis Arena and broke their previous record of 1005 fans by almost 800 people, according to Head Coach Brian Durocher.
“It was terribly exciting, and I think a great atmosphere for our team,” Durocher said. “To have almost 1900 people there was a tremendous reflection on the university and certainly on the young ladies who played the game.”
In the program’s seven years, the team has made it to the NCAA tournament three times.
Perhaps due to the program’s youth, the team was handed down Walter Brown Arena in 2005, when the men’s team moved to Agganis Arena, and it has remained their home ice since. Agganis Arena seats over 6000 for hockey games, and Walter Brown Arena’s capacity is just over 3000, according to BU spokensman Colin Riley.
Playing an average of 37 games each season, the women play one Agganis afternoon game per season, said Durocher. Additionally, they practice there three to five times.
“The thing that was unique about this game was not only that it was a night game, but it was the first time we’ve played over there as a separate entity,” Durocher said. “Usually it’s been a doubleheader game because Agganis has a pretty significant startup cost. When it can be underwritten by the building being opened for a men’s game, it alleviates some of the costs and makes it a little more palatable for everybody here to do it.”
The game against rival Cornell was a main feature of the university’s Parents’ Weekend program. Student groups were invited, and whichever group brought the most fans was awarded money for their club or organization.
“Dean Elmore really kind of made this a target audience with Parents’ Weekend, and a lot of university school groups,” Durocher said. “He really rallied the troops to come and see this game.”
Goaltender Kerrin Sperry said she shared the same excitement and was happy to see student groups outside of the athletic community in attendance.
“As a team, we really love Walter Brown. It’s our home rink, but it was an interesting experience to be able to play a night game at Agganis,” said Sperry. “We had great participation from the clubs and stuff. It was a great time. You know, the video screen is cool, and the atmosphere is cool.”
The team has come to love its home at Walter Brown, which was opened in 1971, said Durocher.
“Agganis Arena is a special place because the Jumbotron, the ribbon, the atmosphere is great, and even from a recruiting standpoint it’s nice to have people come in there and be toured around the place,” said Durocher, “But Walter Brown is still our home right now, and we love all the appreciation we receive there.”
While it does not have all the bells and whistles of Agganis, Walter Brown gives the team and coaching staff more flexibility when it comes to scheduling and cost.
“[Walter Brown] is definitely home for them because we play there, we practice there. It provides a tremendous amount academic advantage for the kids because I have three hours of ice every day,” said Durocher. “I can move practice up or down a half-hour and still get an hour and 15 to 20 minutes of practice time, but know that I don’t compromise anybody’s academic goals.”
Regardless of the venue, what’s most important to Durocher and the players is the support of their fans.
“I think there’s a certain frustration university wide, outside of men’s hockey. A school that has 15 or 16 thousand undergrads and another six, seven, eight thousand part-time or graduate students, we should have 3,000 or 4,000 at a game,” Durocher said. “That carries to women’s hockey, women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, et cetera. These kids play at high levels.”
Co-captain and Canadian National Team competitor, Marie-Philip Poulin said all the fans on Sat. night excited her.
“[Playing at Agganis was] for sure different,” said Poulin. “It’s bigger over there, and it was a lot of fans for us. We were really happy about that.”
With 26 games remaining in regular season play, Durocher said he hopes to see more fans come out to games as the season continues.
Durocher said, “Playing a night game at Agganis was great reflection on the program, and it let the ladies have center stage. To break our fan record is pretty darn special.”
Kira Cole 